I’m trying to be offended but can’t find any pictures. 🙁

Do you think the message that we should be putting out in the world, is extreme sports are for men? If you’re a woman & skinny enough you can join in to, but you have to be wearing next to nothing & stand there holding a sign

There’s a differentiation between holding a sign an participants. There are plenty of extremes sports participants of all genders in the world.

With regard to pit sign holders, they can and should be a job for anyone. Again, XGames has used scantily clad young ladies which most on here don’t agree with, but haven’t proved they aren’t the only willing applicants and therefore thats the result, or they’re being exploited for the role.

PrinceJohn

Do you think the message that we should be putting out in the world, is extreme sports are for men? If you’re a woman & skinny enough you can join in to, but you have to be wearing next to nothing & stand there holding a sign.

okay but you know they have women competing in the events right?

I’m asking for someone to explain what’s wrong with it when the assumption is that the job is open to all and people are not being exploited

It promotes sexism

okay but you know they have women competing in the events right?

Not the greatest argument, it’s wasn’t that long ago that women competitors where having to threaten a boycot of the x-games.

So yea, it does come across as exactly the problem people are complaining about, that there was money to pay women to stand arround in bikinis, but not enough that the 1st place women was paid less than the last place man (pre-boycot).

okay but you know they have women competing in the events right?

Yes I am aware – however, is the prize money equal, are there equal numbers of competitors in both mens & womens events?

thisisnotaspoon

Not the greatest argument, it’s wasn’t that long ago that women competitors where having to threaten a boycot of the x-games.

So yea, it does come across as exactly the problem people are complaining about, that there was money to pay women to stand arround in bikinis, but not enough that the 1st place women was paid less than the last place man (pre-boycot).

Lol nice try drawing me in but i’m not making an argument, merely pointing out that PrinceJohn’s post, and i quote…

PrinceJohn

Do you think the message that we should be putting out in the world, is extreme sports are for men? If you’re a woman & skinny enough you can join in to, but you have to be wearing next to nothing & stand there holding a sign.

…is a loada shit

I’m asking for someone to explain what’s wrong with it when the assumption is that the job is open to all and people are not being exploited

It promotes sexism

Did you read the question?

Look at it this way – if it just so happens that only good looking girls applied for these roles, should we then deny them all the job until an appropriate mix of gender/race etc is met on the basis that it might look sexist? Is that then unfair to them?

Genuine question.

Again, XGames has used scantily clad young ladies which most on here don’t agree with, but haven’t proved they aren’t the only willing applicants and therefore thats the result, or they’re being exploited for the role.

It’s not about ‘exploitation’ of the models themselves, I’m have no reason to think they aren’t well paid or that they don’t enjoy their job. Rather it’s about the image it sends to impressionable young people. The boys are here to sport, the girls are here to look pretty for the gratification of the boys when they’re not sporting. That’s not a great message to be sending to teenagers of either gender.

Correct me if I’m wrong but you seem to be arguing that the only reason there aren’t pit boys is because no-one here can prove that the organisers aren’t offering jobs to them, rather there simply isn’t any blokes who want to do it. And I find it hard to believe that anyone could genuinely be that naive.

if it just so happens that only good looking girls applied for these roles

That they apply for the role is a big assumption, I’d imagine its more; organiser contacts model agency asking for 20 hotties > agency goes through their list to see who’s available > skimpy clothes applied

I doubt it would be as appropriate a strategy when selling IT hardware or the like..

I dunno, the insinuation earlier was that the target audience for X-Games was socially inadequate male virgins, so you might be on to something there.

Someone is making a choice to use a pic of a nice looking woman when a picture of a petrol pump or something will do the job perfectly fine.

Why does it need a stock picture at all? Are there readers out there wondering “petrol pumps… what do they look like, then?”

Rather it’s about the image it sends to impressionable young people.

Yes I agree, I’ve a 13yo and soon to be 10yo myself.

And I find it hard to believe that anyone could genuinely be that naive.

I’m not that niaive, but most people on here have a assumed this

That they apply for the role is a big assumption, I’d imagine its more; organiser contacts model agency asking for 20 hotties > agency goes through their list to see who’s available > skimpy clothes applied

Note the words “I imagine”. No one here has proved this. What I’m asking is that – equally assumed – it just happened to be that the successful applicants were all young attractive females, should we nullify the outcome and re-run the process to ensure more equality is presented, and is that then fair to those that have possibly lost a job to that morality?

Note the words “I imagine”. No one here has proved this

You really think they are going out and hiring every single person involved in the games? The hunt for your proof is daft, you wont get any proof on the matter (one way or the other) unless an X Games organiser happens to be on the forum

Lol nice try drawing me in but i’m not making an argument, merely pointing out that PrinceJohn’s post, and i quote…

PrinceJohn

Do you think the message that we should be putting out in the world, is extreme sports are for men? If you’re a woman & skinny enough you can join in to, but you have to be wearing next to nothing & stand there holding a sign.

…is a loada shit

Is it tho?

This is a link to the results page – http://www.xgames.com/events/2022/summer/results/

19 events there – only 2 appear to be women’s, both of those for skateboarding.

Doesn’t appear to be any women in BMX or MotoX. Unless you can tell me differently. So my argument stands.

Why does it need a stock picture at all? Are there readers out there wondering “petrol pumps… what do they look like, then?”

They need to fill the page up with something. Like when you did an essay at school but didn’t really have any content….

Equally mashr, why claim otherwise? The argument is then moot. No one here actually knows for sure whether those girls were fairly or unfairly employed or whether the outward morale presentation is deliberate or not.

If you have an issue, you should write to XGames where the correct thing to do is explain the morale perception and ask that some equality is applied, even though that may mean that some of those girls may lose a job.

@Kryton57 I’m confused, you’re saying it’s fine to have attractive pit girls there as eye candy (and eye candy only) because no-one on a MTB forum has actual evidence that they’re there just to be eye candy? Are you suggesting it’s a coincidence?

Kryton57 seems to be missing to point spectacularly.

In other news, Hugh Hefner just wanted some help around the house. It’s not his fault all the applicants were female.

What I’m asking is that – equally assumed – it just happened to be that the successful applicants were all young attractive females, should we nullify the outcome and re-run the process to ensure more equality is presented, and is that then fair to those that have possibly lost a job to that morality?

You’re not really though, are you, you already know the answer to that ‘question’. It’s a trap straight out of the Political Correctness Gone Mad playbook, it’ll be Muslims banning Christmas next.

They’re there because, rightly or wrongly, the organisers believe that it’s what their audience want to see. Whilst we’re all making rash assumptions, I’d wager that photo of Tom Daly above wouldn’t be of massive appeal to the majority of the Pistonheads forum.

And maybe that’s the real problem. In pandering to one demographic are they not risking alienating other potential viewers who fall outside of those who have one sock inexplicitly less bendy than the other? Are they telling them that if they aren’t part of the club then they aren’t welcome?

I don’t see an inherent problem with “sex sells,” it’s a fact whether we like it or not. If (most) boys and girls didn’t find each other sexually appealing we’d have died out millennia ago. What I do think is problematic is gender conditioning; we are getting better at this but have a long way to go yet. Boys get Action Man and his tank, girls get Barbie and her kitchen. Boys get told they can be an astronaut or a scientist or a footballer, girls get told that if they aren’t pretty then they’ll never get a boyfriend. What message is X-Games sending?

I don’t see anything wrong with the pit girls.

I know what my traditional late grandma would say … LOL!

Normally, she would say along the line of whether the girls’ hips are ready for bearing reproduction or whether the girls have big enough milk jug to feed the infants. The girls good look or sexy is a good sign because they can attract wealthy partners … LOL!

I remember my uncle brought home my aunt, she was his gf at that time and wore hot pants all the time, and my grandma would “check” her all over to see if she was a healthy specimen. All my other aunties and uncles would say to my grandma she was rude to check her out and my grandma would tell them off by saying “What do you guys know!” She did the same to the men/bf of my aunties too.

The other wisdom my grandma taught us was “you can have a hooker as a wife but you cannot turn your wife into hooker”. The former can be explained as a man being able to look after the family, while the latter is a loser (a pimp). LOL!

Also a very traditional way of saying to young girls/boys is “if you don’t study hard you will end up like them … ” LOL!

p/s: when my aunt wore hot pants showing her cheeks my grandma would laugh by saying she could not afford to buy right size clothing etc … My grandma was a practical person and it is all about functions. LOL!

As a father to three young girls (aged 5-10) I think it’s really important that people like the OP point out this sort of thing, that people make a noise about it, and that when there’s an opportunity to influence how things are done people consider how to make it better.

Being a father (to girls particularly) has made me much more aware of how pervasive the whole gender stereotyping thing is (first as a baby, then at nursery and at school to a lesser extent). I want my girls to grow up seeing no difference in what they aspire to do career wise or hobby-wise. I don’t mind sexualisation of some things in principle, but I would rather they grow up seeing it shared out between men and women rather than being one sided.

Great to hear the voices of support in this thread, and perhaps through reading these discussions others can gain a better understanding about why it’s an issue worth doing something about even if it doesn’t effect them directly.

Because there’s no men in hot pants and that’s before we start with objectifying the human form.

Did i read it wrong or was Cougar not just expressing interest there.:?

It could be a new career direction for him.

It’d probably pay better than this job but I doubt I’d have a positive impact on their viewing figures.

I didn’t say it wasn’t, I’m asking for someone to explain what’s wrong with it when the assumption is that the job is open to all and people are not being exploited. No one seems capable of answering that as yet.

i’ll repeat myself

It perpetuates objectification. Flip the “they’re being paid” argument around – how many women are missing out on jobs because the recruiter can’t see them as anything more than an object of desire?

to expand on that, no one is suggesting it’s not ok to fancy attractive people. But there is a difference between seeking out attractive people with minimal clothes for your own entertainment (that is worth a different discussion), and it being presented to you completely out of context in a sporting event. The former is personal choice whereas the latter normalises attitudes that perpetuate gender inequality.

The former is personal choice whereas the latter normalises attitudes that perpetuate gender inequality.

The latter is the failed attitudes of self.

I’m not sure I understand what you mean by that chewkw. Could you explain?

thinksta
Full Member

I’m not sure I understand what you mean by that chewkw. Could you explain?

I wouldn’t bother, you’ll just give yourself a headache. e.g his first post singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/x-games-pit-girls/page/3/#post-12475514

I’m trying to be offended but can’t find any pictures. 🙁

I’m too busy watching YouTube compilations of Lingerie Football League games – finally, a team sport I can get behind!

LingerieLegend Football League

Have some respect, sheesh

I know what my traditional late grandma would say … LOL!

Thank god that attitude is 3-4 generations ago & dying out.

I didn’t realise the x-games was still a thing.

Here’s my measure.

I would be happy for my 6 yr old daughter to watch/see/be inspired by X games. I wouldnt want to have to explain to her why “those girls are standing around in their pants”.

I wouldnt want to have to explain to her why ladies in Amsterdams red light district are standing around in their pants, but its a bit different as its not something i would expose a 6yr old to.

There is a time and a place, but X games seems too inclusive an event (interesting to a wide range of people) for it to be appropriate.

I didn’t realise the x-games was still a thing.

Are you confusing it with the ex-games?

I’m not sure I understand what you mean by that chewkw. Could you explain?

That sounds a bit like the religious authority in my part of the world for blaming “sexy” clothing corrupting the mind of the men. They always blame the sexy girls/clothing for corrupting their minds, never for one minute they think it is their own fault for seeing “sexiness” in others.

Thank god that attitude is 3-4 generations ago & dying out.

Some of the traditional attitudes can go but not all are bad. You just need to know the reasons and logic behind them to understand why they have different views.

I would be happy for my 6 yr old daughter to watch/see/be inspired by X games. I wouldnt want to have to explain to her why “those girls are standing around in their pants”.

I am not sure what is there to explain if she does not ask? I don’t think she would notice anything other than few adult ladies.

I wouldnt want to have to explain to her why ladies in Amsterdams red light district are standing around in their pants, but its a bit different as its not something i would expose a 6yr old to.

Why would you bring a 6 yr old there in the first place?

There is a time and a place, but X games seems too inclusive an event (interesting to a wide range of people) for it to be appropriate.

Why go if you think there will be inappropriateness?

Lol, you all know X-Games is US based? And you’re surprised they have a different attitude to the average STWer?

It’s like the whole shit-show of American politics and polarization is new to you all…

is new to you all…

*Y’all

*Y’all

Doh, of course!

I didn’t realise the x-games was still a thing.

This. I see plenty of folk posting about FIS and the like but never once anything about XGames. They’re an anachronism trying to stay relevant. Quite appropriate really.

FWIW I find the prize purse differential between the mens and womens events more problematic than whether or not they have pit candy.

As for justifying watching it in 2022, you’re a grown man, you’re allowed to watch a sporting event even if you find some side aspects problematic. I’m sure your wife and daughter are more than capable of understanding that even if they don’t agree.

Lets see.
3 folk outing themselves as dinosaurs. 4 kids getting all excited. Two flounces and a banning?

Seems about par for a thread like this. I haven’t bothered reading it

Dinosaurs?

Aren’t you thinking of the Rex games?