So...what did we learn from episode 5 of make it or break it?

[unusualmusic_lj_archive]

That apparently women gymnasts can't just be athletic. Oh no. They need to be in touch with their feminine side as well. They need to be graceful, womanly even. Can't be a proper female athlete without making dead sure that you show societally approved traits of performing femininity as well. Why do I think that somehow, males just get to be athletics, without having to tap into their masculine sides?


Sex apparently makes you a better athlete. At least when it comes on to gymnastics. Maybe its the whole getting in touch with your feminine side?


You cannot have a movie with a set of girls without boyfriend stealing and total bitchiness.


Get into makeup and smile liek an idjit.
There is only one way to be feminine...wear figure revealing clothing. Be stereotypically graceful. All women who would prefer not to show figure hugging clothing or express more societally-coded masculine behaviour are not real women. They have issues that are their mother's faults. Their mothers lack of self-esteem. Which is blameable on ttheir wicked mothers. Who laughed at makeup and such frills. And in female gymnastics apparently, being stereotypically femal is so important that the coach considers it a part of training.



Teens should not have sex. No really. Its always seems to be something that you regret. Either you become so desperate that you are willing to do any number of fucked yup things to get your best friend's boyfriend, or you are an aging pop star mother regretting it. Of course, girls sexuality is problematic. Sexually forward girls are bitchy assholes. I'm confused though. Its is preferable that you be a virgin when you are a gymnast, since apparently sex brings on puberty symptoms. And yet having sex seems to be given as the reason that one of the girls improves her gymnastic talent. Which is which, I wonder?

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

That apparently women gymnasts can't just be athletic. Oh no. They need to be in touch with their feminine side as well.

I don't know this show but this is totally the same way in figure skating too (not a surprise)... I read this nerdy book about the sociology of figure skating a few years ago & read all about how the artist/athlete divided plagued some of my favorite skaters (one of which used to be a gymnast, actually). Sad!! (& lots of homophobic commentary & uber-macho posturing among male skaters, who were always assumed to be gay blahblahblah lots of problematic stuff)

[sanguinity]

Gymnastic meets skeeve me horribly: it's sufficient for the guys to be athletic, but the girls are all running around with glitter in their hair as part of their uniform, and have events that are all about the pretty ribbons. It ain't enough to be athletic. I sit on the bleachers and twitch, twitch, twitch, trying to keep back the rampage. And when I comment to the parent I came with that I hate this enforced femininity, and I can't stop fantasizing about being a totally awesome, totally butch, gymnast with tats, the parent says to me flat out, "They couldn't. That's breaking dress code and you'd be kicked off the team; they're really quite strict about it." AGGHHHHH.

I have the same problem with ballet, too: the athleticism is amazing; the sex roles make me want to stab things.

[mothwentbad.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I don't follow American Idol, but I seem to remember a large black woman getting a much different treatment from Simon compared to one Rubin Studdard... Do you think that America could ever have another Ella Fitzgerald at this rate?