Channel 7 once again sparing us from women commentators

[The_Wookie]

I'd just like if 7 could find a half decent commentator. You know, someone who can actually commentate the game!

There has to be some young bloke out there aspiring to be the next Commetti or Grybas.

His name is Jason bennett. Sevens VFL/AFLW and Ten BBL commentator.

 

[AstroboyUK]

You seem to care a bit?

I almost find it unimaginable that a small, considered and frankly rather tepid (contrasted as to what could be said about the makeup of the commentary team) piece could stir in your such agitation. Is the sharing of their thoughts such an imposition on to you? I can't think that it would be more difficult to approach than the fact that despite the evident interest, knowledge and passionate aptitude that women exhibit about the game, some proximal bloke seems certain to be instituted into every broadcasting position every time. Pretty annoying to have that mentioned in a colloquy that likely only intersected with you because you found it on BigFooty hey. Certainly comparable to a genocidal fascistic regime.

Also feminism is fragmentary and has many different pillars and stances, just like any other rigorously fleshed out and scholastically compounded domain. Are they all crocks and or there any thinkers with which you agree? You seem pretty resolute so I'd love to hear your appraisals.

* me, how long have you got? Its a well established fact that Feminism is cancer.
As for Women commentators, not really fussed either way as long as they are good at the job both in use of language and use of tone and knowledge of the game. lets have the best person for the job. Tokenism and affirmative action does not lead to good outcomes.

 

[Roovolution]

I'm all for equality but there's this stupid idea that females absolutely have to have their beaks in everything like if they don't then the world isn't legitimate or something. There are lots of examples of women only this or women only that. It is actually possible to have things that are just for men too. I'd bet that most men don't want women calling football. It doesn't mean we've failed at equality. Men get screwed in the family court and find it difficult to convince judges that they can raise kids as good as women (I personally
think men are often better parents) but no one cares when men are ostracised from their kids or are constantly labelled as wife beaters (despite evidence showing that domestic violence is often female on male and I can personally attest to that) or labelled as rapists and perverts just because they're men.

What we have is selective equality and I think it's stupid and hypocritical for people to be outraged just because there aren't any female football commentators.

 

[masai]

All I know is that Kym Mickle >>>>>>>>>>>> My Comb >>>>>>>>>>>> Basil.

 

[mcgarnacle]

by all means, get a woman to replace Hamish Mclaughlin in on the desk

 

[Lazix]

oh. no. too many guys are in (insert blank).

that disgusting blokeyness.

make it stop.

we need more women.

oh. the humanity.

 

[SherbertLemon]

1+1= DIVERSITY

 

[Magma]

wayne carey could be replaced with a sock and i would notice a sharp uptake in quality.

 

[Great8]

As long as Kellie Underwood doesn't get a gig I can live with it. She is the worst commentator ever

 

[Struggle]

How many women applied for a commentary job at 7?

 

[Off The Couch]

I'd just like if 7 could find a half decent commentator. You know, someone who can actually commentate the game!

There has to be some young bloke out there aspiring to be the next Commetti or Grybas.

Adam Papalia is really good - just calls the game. None of the bullshit chit chat that BT and Richo do and certainly none of the gossip s**t that Hamish and basil thrive on. He called some eagles and dockers games on fox last year and was excellent

If there is a woman who can call the game then I'm all for giving her a game but it certainly shouldn't be done just for diversity. The only issue of course is that not only does she need to be able to call the game but she also needs to be a size 0 and drop dead gorgeous - pity that same selection criteria didn't apply to some of the male commentary team

 

[Tulip]

Kelli has a voice suited to silent movies, but she knows plenty about the game. I didn't enjoy her AFLW commentary, but I really enjoyed some of the side commentators. Daisy Pearce did plenty of work on Saturdays last year, and a few others were really impressive. Criticising Kelli because her voice is unpleasant isn't sexist; what's sexist is turning around and using her as an example of why female commentators are a bad idea.

Meanwhile, I could swear Tiffany Cherry and Christi Malthouse were boundary riders on the old Fox Footy? What happened to them?

Worth pointing out that the promo shots were of six established commentators (even if Ling, Carey, Watson and especially Hamish don't belong on TV). Its not as if they went out of their way to under-represent. Arguing for representation is important, even if those who get the most airtime are the most controversial because they get the most clicks.

 

[calyam]

Historically there has been a tendency to give commentary roles to past players, regardless of skill, which has created a barrier for women. The reality is that most of the people in commentary are not there on merit. It's a boys club and not a particularly talented one at that.

There is absolutely no reason why a women couldn't do the job as well as Brian Taylor. There is no reason why they couldn't do the job as well as Hamish or Basil.

More broadly football commentary is a mainly an amateur affair. It could be improved by identifying professional callers of both the male and female persuasion.

I watch a lot of US sports and women play a much bigger role in the presentation. Sometimes in commentary and sometimes as the sidelines reporter. No reason why it cannot be the same with AFL.

 

[DylanR]

i would like a Hanson/Le Pen/Trump team.

Hanson to explain, Le Pen on the benefits of diversity and Trump on the advantages of a defensive wall.

Absolute brilliant

 

[Biggy_Boy]

More concerning is the under representation of good commentators.

 

[AstroboyUK]

oh. no. too many guys are in (insert blank).

that disgusting blokeyness.

make it stop.

we need more women.

oh. the humanity.

ha ha, and somehow women are allowed to use 'blokiness' as a pejorative without any comment on the inherent bigotry of this. Its just one of a million examples of hypocrisy when it comes to discussions of gender equality.

 

[spinynorman]

Currently the panel has a greater representation of men who have glassed women than it has of women, but there's no problem here.

There seem to be two arguments against including women that have been raised here. The first is "The commentary should be based on merit not tokenism" which would be a more worthwhile argument if the commentary team currently was chosen by merit. It reminded me when Abbott used to say that about his ministerial team, I thought how the women on the Liberal backbench felt about that as they watched Peter Dutton in action.

The second is "women have annoying voices" which I don't even know where to start with. But maybe the fact that we are so used to male voices in our media means that female voices seem foreign - perhaps we should actually help get them heard?

 

[Orange C]

I'd argue Channel 7 not thinking any females are suited to the job should be taken as a compliment.

 

[gavaniacono]

Im all for women. Though my mum did say if she was 20 years younger and living in different times I may not have made it out alive.

 

[bigfarter]

ha ha, and somehow women are allowed to use 'blokiness' as a pejorative without any comment on the inherent bigotry of this. Its just one of a million examples of hypocrisy when it comes to discussions of gender equality.

I don't know if "blokeyness" is being used in that way though. I bemoan the "blokey" nature of the commentary because it detracts from the game when events go unnoticed because BT is screaming "AW LOOK AT THAT BIG BOY, EH RICHO WHADDYA THINK LINGY?!" It's not saying it's bad because there's men doing it, it's because they're behaving like a couple of idiots having a pint rather than professionals commentating on an actual sporting event.

As for women commentators, who cares, bring it on. I never understood the hate of Kelli Underwood's voice. If people legit can say she is unlistenable while tolerating Hamish, Basil, BT and Jono Brown, then I do think they might have some issues with the gender rather than the merit. The commentary on the VFL and the AFLW was MILES ahead of the AFL commentary because it is less "blokey" even when, as in the VFL, it's still an entirely male commentary team.

 

[BEEG]

I'm sure we will have a special women's channel they will try forcing down our throats.

Never seen a country so obsessed and hypocritical when it comes to this s**t.

 

[Milux]

The commentary teams are already s**t, Women would make it worse, They don't have the pitch and tone to call the big moments.

Why would you hire someone for their gender and not their skill?? That's what these people want.


4:00 and it's ruined.

Wow that is shockingly terrible.

 

[Milanista28]

That's what they already do though? Hamish McLachlan couldn't string two sentences together for years, he still sucks, and no one really gave a crap. A female commentator though, and everyone goes off.

**** me anything to break up the monotony of some of these forced 'blokey' conversations they have.

Very fair point, I'd like to see Adam Papalia, Brenton Speed and Jason Bennett call more games.

 

[bigfarter]

I'm sure we will have a special women's channel they will try forcing down our throats.

Never seen a country so obsessed and hypocritical when it comes to this s**t.

Yeah, women, cuh.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

ha ha, and somehow women are allowed to use 'blokiness' as a pejorative without any comment on the inherent bigotry of this. Its just one of a million examples of hypocrisy when it comes to discussions of gender equality.

Same as the old "men are pigs" line. I've met plenty of woman whos personality could equally be labelled as that, but I'd be called sexist if I said it.

Seriously though, this is ridiculous. The best for the job should get the job. Now 7 haven't got amazing commentators when there are blokes like Basil getting a gig, but there are many better male options that he is getting a job over too. It's not a male vs female thing.

Throwing a token female in the mix isn't doing anything for woman's rights or their standing in the community, in fact it could even be doing the opposite because it is seen as exactly that; tokenism.