Hump Day
I never understood the attraction to Erin Andrews. The ESPN sideline reporter probably never really registered with me — a man — as I never really cared about NCAA sport in all its forms. That’s where she is usually found, on the sidelines in Ann Arbor or courtside at Chapel Hill. I never tune in to those games, and as a result, I never had a chance to really watch her and then fall in love with her as seemingly every college sports fan eventually does.
Pretty girl at sporting event on television. Me like.
So, because I never really watched, I have no idea if Andrews is any good at what she does. No idea if she’s credible. No idea if she’s competent. I do know this: Television is a visual medium and when it’s on a national cable network geared towards men between the ages of 18-34, she needn’t worry about her employment situation. Sadly, given the boo-yah network she works for and its mantra that the packaging is just as (or even more) important than the story inside the box, I suspect being a beautiful blonde woman will always cast a shadow onto what kind of reporter she is. A terrible notion to push out into the light of day, but why not bring things like this into the open and see what they look like?
Think about how you react when you see a national female sports reporter on television. Are you listening to what she is saying, or are you wondering what she would want for breakfast the next day? Be honest with the answer. Even right now as I type this, I wonder why I put things like Hump Day and Man Sandwich on this blog? Pictures of beautiful women and hot guys, with little malice directed or intended. They seem innocent enough.
Thanks to Andrews’ case — where her name, looks, reputation, and how all three are treated by society has come onto the front burner thanks to unwelcome and disturbing recent events — female sports media celebrity and how the topic is considered by the masses is now being discussed around the biosphere blogosphere (led by the great work from these guys). The discussion is everywhere. I wonder what will come of it, if anything, as the formula has been set in stone for some time now:
Good looking broad + television is a visual medium + looks are part of national TV sports reporting = male libido + internet buzz on how hot (insert name here) is + increased viewership.
It’s been this way for as long as I can remember. Sadly, the equation continues to yield results.
It’s been nearly 20 years since reporter Lisa Olson, then of the Boston Herald, was sexually harassed by some New England Patriots, whose actions were later condoned by the team’s then-owner, Victor Kiam. Since then, some sports have made strides in the area of race. In terms of gay issues, sports lags behind the cultural curve. And in terms of women … well, maybe in sports, not so much has changed.
