Topic: lolo jones

Christine Brennan Says Sexist Sports Coverage Is Part Of The Game, As Long As It’s Male-Dominated

Christine Brennan Says Sexist Sports Coverage Is Part Of The Game, As Long As It's Male-Dominated

In a recent interview with Howard Kurtz on CNN’s Reliable Sources, Christine Brennan gave her two cents on how female athletes were covered in this year’s Olympics, as well as the much-debated New York Times article on Lolo Jones released last week. As one of few popular female sports writers, it’s somewhat surprising that Brennan defended the Times piece, but she made a good case. What far more disappointing was her failure to really call out the media’s problem with women athletes: Rather than making a real call for change, she seemed to simply pass off sexist sports coverage as part of the game, however disappointing it may be. More »

If Michael Phelps Can Make This Louis Vuitton Ad; Why Can’t Lolo Jones?

If Michael Phelps Can Make This Louis Vuitton Ad; Why Canât Lolo Jones?

Less than a week after Michael Phelps retired from swimming, he is back in the water–but this time posing for a new ad for Louis Vuitton. The shot features Phelps in his signature Speedo with his legs spread in an obvious attempt at sex appeal to market these high-end bags. And yes, sex does sell. And yes, it’s perfectly OK for a male Olympian to use his body to market a product, but as we saw from Lolo Jones, it’s not OK for a female to do the same. Can you say, sexist double standard? More »

New York Times Admits Lolo Jones Piece Was ‘Too Harsh’; What About The Racist, Sexist Remarks?

New York Times Admits Lolo Jones Piece Was 'Too Harsh'; What About The Racist, Sexist Remarks?

In new Lolo Jones news, New York Times public editor Arthur S. Brisbane released an apologetic letter this afternoon for Jere Longman‘s hotly-debated article about the U.S. hurdler, published in last Sunday’s paper. His apology, for what it’s worth, sounds sincere. But unfortunately, his explanation misses the most important points that have been made about Longman’s piece. More »

Dawn Harper and Kellie Wells Snub Lolo Jones; Make Themselves Way Less Likable

Dawn Harper and Kellie Wells Snub Lolo Jones; Make Themselves Way Less Likable

The press is obsessed with Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones, but her teammates Dawn Harper and Kellie Wells are the ones taking home medals after yesterday’s 100-meter hurdles final, in which Jones finished fourth. It’s easy to sympathize with her loss, just shy of a medal after famously losing on a hit hurdle in Beijing, but in an interview with Michelle Beadle on NBC today, her teammates seem unmoved by her misfortune. Instead, they seemed to revel in rubbing in her loss, coming off as sore losers, despite their wins. More »

Who’s To Blame For Sexist Sports Coverage? Sexy Athletes Like Lolo Jones, Of Course

Who's To Blame For Sexist Sports Coverage? Sexy Athletes Like Lolo Jones, Of Course

Lolo Jones has gotten a lot of attention in the media this year, and according to the New York Times, it’s incommensurate with her abilities as a hurdler. In what amounts to a failed takedown piece titled “For Lolo Jones at the Olympics, Everything Is Image” published on Sunday, sports writer Jere Longman accused Jones not only of being a sub-par athlete (because apparently qualifying for the Olympics doesn’t quite put you at the top), but he also blamed her for sexist sports coverage–an interesting theory, and one that sounds an awful lot like victim-blaming of the worst sort. More »