Olympic Weightlifter Responds To Sexist Tweets:
‘We Don’t Lift Weights…For The Likes Of Men Like That’
By Annie-Rose Strasser on Jul 31, 2012
Being able to lift 267 pounds is only one of the things that makes 18 year-old British Olympic weightlifter Zoe Smith tough. She can also swat down sexist Twitter trolls like they’re flies.
While Smith was preparing to set an Olympic record for Great Britain in the clean-and-jerk event, men (and some women) on Twitter were busy saying she wasn’t attractive enough, or that she was manly, or that there was something wrong with her body because she was so muscular.
So Smith took to her blog to respond:
“[We] don’t lift weights in order to look hot, especially for the likes of men like that. What makes them think that we even WANT them to find us attractive? If you do, thanks very much, we’re flattered. But if you don’t, why do you really need to voice this opinion in the first place, and what makes you think we actually give a toss that you, personally, do not find us attractive? What do you want us to do? Shall we stop weightlifting, amend our diet in order to completely get rid of our ‘manly’ muscles, and become housewives in the sheer hope that one day you will look more favourably upon us and we might actually have a shot with you?! Cause you are clearly the kindest, most attractive type of man to grace the earth with your presence.
Oh but wait, you aren’t. This may be shocking to you, but we actually would rather be attractive to people who aren’t closed-minded and ignorant. Crazy, eh?! We, as any women with an ounce of self-confidence would, prefer our men to be confident enough in themselves to not feel emasculated by the fact that we aren’t weak and feeble.”
Sexism seems to be almost as common as sweat at this year’s Olympics — which has a record number of women participating — from female boxers being asked to wear skirts to differentiate them from the men to women’s teams taking coach while men’s fly first class.
h/t thinkprogress.org
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
yttik 08.03.12 at 6:00 pm
This Olympics has been great fun! A lot of women participating, but unfortunately, also a lot of sexism.
Ye Shiwen of China broke a world record, beating the fastest male swimmers in the world. The words they used to describe her amazing speed were, “unbelievable” “disturbing” and “suspicious.”
And geesh, volleyball bikinis? WTH is that about?
freddiebrown 08.03.12 at 8:07 pm
I totally agree that sexism is so rampant in the Olympics. I remember seeing something about Gabby’s (Gymnast Gold) hair. And what about Ann Romney whose horse was participating in dressage (I think). There was a ticker on CNN.com about her and her elite sports even though the Romneys already said that she took it up as it helped with her Multiple Sclerosis. The bloggers were in insult heaven, having a field day about her. Also the female swimmer from China who won the 400 m gold. Instantly she was a suspicion rather than a talent.It is shameful that men cannot accept that women can amount to something besides doing laundry,dinner and babies.
DancesWithPumas 08.03.12 at 9:39 pm
Freddie,
All the put downs and distractions are just some of the ways the menz attempt to minimize the accomplishments and aspirations of girls and women. It’s their way of knocking out the competition.
Ironically, they subscribe to the meme they themselves created that women are incompetent, frivolous, can’t compete. It’s their own meme that then turns around and kicks them in the ass when women surpass them.
In the past few years there have been many articles about more women than men are entering and graduating from college. In the past year there have been some articles talking about how a college education isn’t important.
They can’t compete so they change the value of the currency.
DancesWithPumas 08.03.12 at 9:46 pm
yttik,
Absolutely. Whenever the focus is on strong, competent women or girls, the venue, context, event, activity, accomplishment gets devalued and minimized by means of sexual objectification, sexism, or outright misogyny.
2008, as well as the Olympics are examples of this.
This time around we may as well refer to them as the Olympdics.
DancesWithPumas 08.04.12 at 9:00 am
yttik and all,
Here’s what he Olympics would look like if the events were photographed the way beach volleyball is photographed:
http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1148979–what-if-every-olympic-sport-was-photographed-like-beach-volleyball
PS as per usual the male commenters are clueless.
Headclunker 08.04.12 at 10:17 pm
Ho! Headclunker here, logging in from Steamboat Springs, CO. Never mind psycho killers, the altitude sickness has got me.
Has anybody noticed that Oblabla has dropped back down to the Minus 22% and lower on Rasmussen?
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/obama_approval_index_history
theamericanway 08.05.12 at 5:55 am
#6 Minus 22
You got outta town. Nice!
yttik 08.05.12 at 9:42 am
I watched track last night and had to laugh. The women are like, .89247 percent of a second behind the men. So this is what makes us the weaker sex??! This is what designates us as second class citizens??! Seriously, the announcer was like, “not a bad speed for a woman.” R-i-g-h-t, those woman are faster then 98% of men! The truth is, only a few Olympic trained male athletes can out run them, and even then it’s only by a fraction of a second.
yttik 08.05.12 at 11:42 am
Speaking of women who smoke, Oscar Pistorius just took second in the semi finals and had great things to say about his mother. She told him:
“The real loser is never the person who crosses the finishing line last. The real loser is the person who sits on the side, the person who does not even try to compete.”
“She didn’t take ‘No’ for an answer,” Pistorius said. “It’s definitely her sprit that has helped me to be here today.”
He also said, she never raised him as if he was disabled. She told him he just wore different shoes.
If a woman can help a man with no legs run 400 meters in 45 seconds in the Olympics, imagine what else women can do.
stoney42 08.05.12 at 6:58 pm
I got a message on my answering machine from an obama supporter. He wanted to know if I would be willing to make phone calls on obama’s behalf. He said if I would commit and complete 3 session of calling, 3 hours each session, I would receive a ticket to the Convention in Charlotte. I erased the message. I wonder where he got my name and phone number.
HP Boston 08.05.12 at 9:10 pm
stoney42
I would have been tempted to make those calls and tell people to NOT vote for the Fraud. Tell them to vote for women and Jill Stein is on the ticket.
DancesWithPumas 08.06.12 at 12:00 pm
Headclunker
You can buy small canisters of oxygen in stores in northern CO.
I think they’re like 6oz or something. Helps with the altitude sickness.
I had it when I was I. Denver in 08.
In Nevada right now. It’s been hotter than hell. Raining at the moment. Clouds hiding the blistering sun. Yay!
Headclunker 08.06.12 at 7:04 pm
DWP,
I will keep that in mind for when I go again. Steamboat is 6700 feet. They sell tee shirts saying GOT OXYGEN?
When I returned home and opened my luggage I found a nasty note from the TSA that they had searched my luggage. They had ripped open a sealed plastic bag containing shampoo and conditioner. The note referred me to their website to “learn” how to pack so they do not have to destroy my property. If that shampoo had spilled, they they sure would have had a complaint on their hands.
To top it all off, I had forgotten that I had a tazer in my purse that passed their inspection twice. Fucktards. Definitely a product of the Obozo administration, get zapped with radiation or molested. Yea, BO loves America.
freddiebrown 08.06.12 at 8:43 pm
We arrived in NY two days ago and as usual found a note that TSA has snooped into our many luggage, which we’re used to. This time, I found bit of a powdery residue in the corner of my luggage. I was puzzled but cleaned it up. Later, went to give Fred dog his heart medicine and the pill box was empty except for one single pill. I filled it up for our trip! The pill box is one of those where you have to press to open and it was inside a zip lock bag. Apparently they had opened it in such a way that it all fell out (too stupid to open it right side up)onto the luggage. Then they snapped it back shut instead of picking up the pills to put it back so they all gound to a find powder. So Fred is without his heart meds until we get home. We are so pissed at TSA care-less attitude.
freddiebrown 08.06.12 at 8:50 pm
Regarding the below rumour that is on CNN.com that these 3 women below could be Romney’s running mate, I wonder if that would make anyone here vote for him on the whole premise of a potential woman VP. I understand that no one here would vote Republican except FL Florida and myself but wonder if a woman VP would change any minds. Just curious.
*****************
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley – three women rumored to be under consideration as Mitt Romney’s running mate – will have high profile speaking roles at the Republican National Convention, organizers will announce Monday.
HP Boston 08.06.12 at 9:49 pm
Not to worry Freddie..they will not have a woman on the ticket, fat chance!
I can not vote Republican, they scare the beejeezus outa me!
Vote for Jill Stein. The green party is not green with money so they get no air time. Romney has cash and ZerO has a stash of cash. They are truly “green” with Corporate money.
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