Today’s “Mainstream Crossdressing” entry highlights a common occurrence in the sports world, gender and sexual discrimination. As you know, sports are all about masculinity and you mustn’t ever show any sign of weakness or sensitivity. Fair enough, this is competition and athleticism at their highest levels.
It is common for coaches and players to talk trash to the opposition by comparing them to women and calling into question their manhood. Even fans get in on the action and today, the Chicago Tribune published a picture that featured a hockey player with a skirt on.
The image was photoshopped and featured Chris Pronger (of the Philadelphia Flyers) wearing hockey gear on his upper body and an ice skating dress on his bottom half. You see, the Chicago Blackhawks are currently locked in a heated series with the Flyers and Pronger has further established himself as a dirty yet extremely effective player.
In Game 5, however, the Blackhawks dominated and Pronger was rendered ineffective, prompting this taunt from the newspaper giant.
Aside from the fact that this is probably offensive, I think it was a stupid move by the “Trib”, especially since the series isn’t over yet. Why give the other team bulletin board material and potentially boost their motivation? It’s certainly a head-scratcher in that regard, and isn’t even funny to boot.
Keep in mind, though, that this is nothing new. By printing this photo, the publisher is equating Mr. Pronger to either a girl or a cross-dresser. Either way, that makes him appear weaker. There are plenty of other ways they could have chosen to poke fun at him, but for some reason they chose this angle.
Well, I hope this doesn’t give Philly a spark of motivation. What do you think of this type of sports trash-talking? Do you do it? Has it ever been directed at you? What do you think of this (fake) picture?
JessicaWhoHD
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
This is obviously a desperate attempt to use one of the last ‘acceptable’ forms of discrimination to trash talk a man on an opposing sports team.
The Blackhawks should be ashamed, but more so the ad firm or newspaper who ran this ad. I’m all for free speech, but at what cost to a third party of people who have no vested interest in this fluff battle of testosterone BS.
It’s degrading and disrespectful to equate an image of a sportsman in a skirt to that of being weak or effeminate.
I say the Blackhawks should give up the ice and take on the Atlanta Dream on the basketball court. The Dream ladies could teach them a thing or two!
I think its disgusting! Plain and simple! It’s one of the things I absolutely despise about macho type males. It is clearly misogynistic, and as a transsexual woman, it offends me. The ad sends the message, that unless you are completely macho in every way, you are something less than acceptable. It is extremely immature thinking. About 8th grade level, but sadly that’s the emotional level of the average young American male.
Melissa XX
This is stupid, classless and shows nothing but poor sportsmanship. Shames all Chicago fans.
If this is the best the Windy City papers could come up with, they are full of too much hot air in Chicago.
Update – The sports editor for the Chicago Tribune apologized for this after several media outlets deemed it sexist.
I agree, it’s shameless, tasteless, and severely unfunny. To be clear, the Chicago Blackhawks had absolutely nothing to do with this and most Chicago sportscasters didn’t like it either.
It was the work of a couple douchebags who were trying hard to be humorous. I hope they catch a bad case of diarrhea — just kidding. Maybe.