Comments on: Reconcile U.S. football culture with progressive politics? Yeah, right

By: Erik

Erik — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:15:01 +0000

I don’t think it’s either good or bad. I think it’s a bit of an overgeneralization to say that all things that are male bonding are bad for women–though certainly the advertisements we see during football games suggest that you may be right. At the same time, it’s also important to be able to have conversations with people you have little in common with. I can’t talk politics with them. So what should I talk about? I think sports is a good way to break down barriers, particularly if a conversation about politics is to follow.

By: Politicalguineapig

Politicalguineapig — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:16:06 +0000

That doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. Anything that promotes male bonding is usually bad for women.

By: Erik

Erik — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:48:12 +0000

You know, one of the things I thought about writing about in this article was that even though I grew up in a very working-class household, at this point, football is about the only thing I have in common with working-class men. I don’t know that liking sports is an obligation for a man, but it certainly helps break down barriers with other men.

By: Politicalguineapig

Politicalguineapig — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:28:27 +0000

I’m kind of glad that as a woman, I’m not obligated to like sports. Football is one of the more primitive sports, but all team sports have their own dirty secrets. Hockey players brawl, NBA players can rape with impunity, Lacrosse- well, we’ll never know what really happened at Duke. Pack mentality, ya know.