Anyone ever hear of blaming the victim?
During a dance routine at a San Jose State basketball game, 74 year-old alumnus Ray Silva screamed at dancers that they were “trash” and to “get off the court.”
Silva said, “It was vulgar… It was like a burlesque, with bumps and grinds. I just came unglued.” Oh my god! Bumps and grinds?! (And doesn’t he know that burlesque is very in right now?)
The confrontation escalated after the game when Silva and 20 year-old dancer Tarah DiNardo got into a shouting match that ended with DiNardo being grabbed and bruised by an athletic director trying to break up the argument.
So what action has San Jose State taken to protect their dance team from harassment? They’ve suspended them until the team develops guidelines to “to represent the university at the highest possible standard.” How about developing some fucking guidelines for old misogynist assholes?
This suspension is especially interesting considering DiNardo says the team was only doing what sports officials asked: “They wanted more makeup, more hair and sexier uniforms.” Shocking.
Associate director of athletics Mark Harlan says that the dance team’s role is being “reevaluated” and that the claim of school-mandated sexiness “doesn't strike me as anything we'd want.” Of course you wouldn’t. Cause that’s not how you up ticket sales or anything.
By the way, this isn’t the first case of Reverend Moore-itis as of late; a Texas lawmaker is trying to pass legislation to end “sexy” cheerleading. Perhaps all the bumping and grinding is ungluing him as well.
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I'm afraid I'm not on either side about this. The old codger definitely went overboard, but I can't really support sexist thinking that encourages young women to display themselves in skimpy outfits for the titillation of a primarily male audience.
"but I can't really support sexist thinking that encourages young women to display themselves in skimpy outfits for the titillation of a primarily male audience."
I absolutely agree, but I don't think of it as a supporting sexism thing. Regardless of how I feel about this dance team, the fact remains they were punished unfairly. Society demands that you're super-sexual, but then when you are you're "trash."
Jessica, I think you're right on the money. The whole thing is a mini-class in female sexuality in patriarchy -- the men send mixed messages, and when women try to comply, the men get angry at the women. They are uninteresting until their dancing becomes overtly sexual, which titillates a male audience. But then the men who don't want to be titillated (or those who do, but like it with a chaser of misogynist disapproval) yell that those dirty sluts need to be punished. Which, in fact, they were.
its the virgin whore business all over again. be dirty, but clean. blarg.
Suspended.....that means they weren't allowed to dance. Thats it. Thats not a punishment by a misogynist system. Thats a cooling off period until better guidelines are established.
Have you seen some of these routines? They belong in strip clubs, not in public, in front of children and grandparents.
Its not a mini class in patriarchy, its another example of a traditional form of family entertainment being corrupted by porn and lowered decency standards into an indecent public display.
Just what exactly are these women trying to "comply" with? The overt objectification of their bodies? Shake that thing, hoochie mama!!!
Tfreridge:
"DiNardo says the team was only doing what sports officials asked: 'They wanted more makeup, more hair and sexier uniforms.'"
I'm making the claim that the dance team was encouraged to increase its sex appeal -- literally sex appeal -- to sell tickets.
When an extracurricular activity is suspended, the people who love it and participate in it are the losers. It has the effect of punishment, whatever the school calls it.
I appreciate your position, but if the dancers at sports events are not supposed to be sexual entertainment, the administration shouldn't be encouraging them to wear sexier uniforms.