TV news is claiming that viewership of the Indy was up 40% this year, which we can attribute to the force that is called Danca. Paul Campos weighs in on the "babe" factor:
The reason Danica Patrick is supposed to save Indy racing is that she is, sociologically speaking, a "babe." A conventionally attractive young woman, Patrick has been the subject of feature stories in publications such as People, which normally pay as much attention to the Indianapolis 500 as they do to Mongolian yak races.
As the father of a 10-year-old girl, I find all this rather discouraging. The media message couldn't be clearer: despite the toppling of so many gender barriers, the most important thing about a woman remains her appearance. (As usual, the satirical humor magazine The Onion drives the point home perfectly with a headline: "Thin, Attractive Young Woman Accepted For Who She Is.")
I'd agree a huge portion of the buzz was due to Ms. Patrick's looks, but I also harbor some hope that part of the excitement was the fact that she was racing for Rahall - Letterman, a team that's proven it has the equipment to win at Indy. False hope? Probably. Campos goes on to calculate how a woman's body mass affects her income, marriageability, etc. What pleasant news to start the week!
I look forward to the M.A.W.B. ruling the world, if for nothing else than the chance to flip this equation so we can all concentrate on the "beefcake" factor in the future. All the sexual harrassment lawsuits have forced American society to sublimate the reality of social rewards for good looks in the workplace. As a dictatorship, we won't be constrained by minor legalities.
"So, you want that promotion, Jim? Let's see those abs, then."
Men with ambition may want to start that workout program now.
My philosophy is, "Why settle for a '6-pack' belly when you can have the whole keg?"
Posted by: Night Writer | May 31, 2005 at 09:24 AM
I hate exercise.
Posted by: aelfheld | May 31, 2005 at 03:04 PM