World Cup-all about male dominance?
Socialist Press1978 1978-06-14Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 5 →
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Dear comrade editor, Your Press Gang story in issue 103 of Socialist Press correctly draws attention to the appalling contradiction between the tyranny of the Argentinian political regime and the all entertainment and sport-is-not-about-politics position of the media.
However there are further political issues involved in the whole coverage of the World Cup and attitudes towards it.
At no time is the male dominance of sport and the sport media so manifest as during the World Cup.
It is impossible to switch on the television without being regaled with either 22 men running after a ball or a group of men discussing how the 22 ran after a ball or more men in a state of distress because 11 men didn't run after a ball well enough!
The hysterical identification with a particular town or nation state is a form of nationalism rarely challenged even on thes of "my The absurdities team good or bad" divide the working amy country class in like right or wrong"
This hysteria is matched by an exultation of machismo values of competitiveness, strength and virility.
Somehow what has happened to Scotland is seen as indicating some collapse of maleness amongst the whole nation.
Interest in football is always seen as a wholly male affair. Though some women do play and attend football matches, no women ever appear in the media to speak about football.
Women are overtly excluded to the role of providers Cap. talist to ave d the World of sandwiches and TV meals for housefuls of men with beer in hand and their feet up before the box.
For football has a sacrosanct quality that questions of equal rights and commitments to domestic duties cannot challenge.
It is time that this opiate of the masses and means towards women's oppression is seen for what it is.
At the same time we should be campaigning for the nationalisation of football clubs under workers' control; and thereby the kicking out of all the profit interests which feed and encourage these negative aspects of the sport.
Yours fraternally cartainly Ist of all Ed.