Lot's Wife Edition 5 2015

38
ARTS & CULTURE
BY KRISTIN
ROBERTSON
In a League of their
own
The Women’s Football World Cup has come and gone, with
Australia’s Matildas having successfully made it to the Quarter
Finals after being ranked 10th in the world.
If you hadn’t heard, don’t be too shocked, since the Socceroos
receive far more publicity in the media despite having never
made it that far in a World Cup. Something that seems to
have skipped the knowledge of many Australians, even Tony
Abbott who reportedly announced, in a scripted speech, that
this was the first time Australia had made it to the World Cup
Quarter Finals; when in reality this year marks the Matilda’s
third attempt at that stage.
Yet that lack of recognition still remains unsurprising
since it is common knowledge that women’s sports teams
generate far less support and even less funding. So what’s
the difference? What makes men’s sports so much more
"watchable"?
Many would argue that it is all in the primitive forces; men
are supposed to be more aggressive, faster and stronger and
that therefore makes for a more ‘action-packed’ game rather
than the taciturn style of the women’s games, which is often
deemed too slow.
But it seems to go beyond that, with some arguing that
part of the interest in men’s football might also lie simply
in the quality of production, with women’s games having
fewer camera angles and instant replays; features that
significantly add to the excitement for those watching at
home.
But is ‘slow’ all bad? Fans of women’s football sometimes
argue that the speed lets them appreciate the techniques
of the game, something that often gets lost in the "rushed"
gameplay within the men’s league.
There have also been arguments made about whether
strength is really the issue with a 2011 study out of Wake
Forest University in the U.S. that found on average, women
fake injuries half as much as men do and get back up again
30 seconds faster when injuries occur.
But it cannot be denied that physiological arguments
always seem to prevail, with haters telling women to stick to
‘more feminine sports’ like gymnastics or figure-skating.
Despite these usual arguments, women’s sports continue
to slowly attract more and more of a following and the
success of the Matildas has allowed supporters of Australian
Women’s football a certain degree of pride. The 10th best
team taking on the 4th best team at the international level is
worth at least that much.
Their success has certainly allowed them to get
more exposure than they’ve had in previous years, so
"Their success has
certainly allowed them
to get more exposure
than they’ve had in
previous years, so does
this in fact signify
a change in the way
Australia, and perhaps
the world, is viewing
women’s football? "
does this in fact signify a change in the way Australia, and
perhaps the world, is viewing women’s football?
In the world of video games this seems to be the case with
EA Games announcing the addition of female national teams
to FIFA 16, set to be released later this year.
Vice President and General Manager of EA Sports FIFA, David
Rutter, said that the reason the addition has taken so long
lies in the technology rather than as a gender issue.
In an interview with the Guardian, Rutter said that
advancements in the system have allowed them to create
more customisable bodies in order to support the varied
body types within the men’s side, opening the way for greater
alterations in order to create noticeably female players.
Their ability to alter the way the skeletons move, now
allows them to more accurately capture the movement of the
female body within the sport.
As for player ratings, the same level of care and research
is being taken for the female players, with Rutter’s team
collecting data from "a ton" of women’s matches.
How these ratings will stack up to male ratings is yet to
be seen, but male vs. female matches have been ruled out at
this stage of production.