Lot's Wife Edition 5 2015

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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.
ARTS & CULTURE 39 "Within our high-tech age, many are making the point that the exposure of female players in the game may increase support within the younger generation of gamers and lift the women’s leagues from obscurity. " Although there have been previous attempts to incorporate female teams in other football videogames they were met poorly on review. Perhaps the more advanced technology and an increased awareness of gender inequalities in pop culture will see a different result for EA this year. Unsurprisingly the addition has raised mixed responses from the public; with some incredulously asking "why?", while others shout out "FINALLY!"" Female gamers seem to be saying the latter, and it is not surprising especially in light of a recent UK study by the Internet Advertising Bureau that showed that about 52% of all gamers in the UK are female. Within our high-tech age, many are making the point that the exposure of female players in the game may increase support within the younger generation of gamers and lift the women’s leagues from obscurity. On the other side of the support spectrum, online rants have ensued, with some even dramatically proclaiming that they are boycotting the game because of the change, saying that women have no place on the field because "they can’t play football." Among the myriad of period and pregnancy jokes, haters ignore the fact that playing as a female is not compulsory and, since male versus female matches are not an option, the addition won’t really impinge on their own gameplay. Others have said that the addition should not have been made a priority when more men’s leagues from other countries should be added to the game first, given the low interest in women’s leagues. Many commenters went on to say that the female addition is merely a marketing ploy to attract a wider audience rather than a genuine testament to the game. Beyond the gender-based comments there were also those who asked whether bribing would become part of the game play following FIFA’s recent scandals. But that’s a different matter entirely. Only time will tell how the change will affect EA’s sales, but if the addition successfully attracts more support to women’s leagues, it may bode well for, not only women’s football, but women’s sports in general. Since it is reasonable to assume that more support means more funding, increased media coverage of the Matildas leaves supporters and aspiring female players hopeful that they might eventually be able to play on a full time basis. The issue of payment has been a part of female sporting teams for years now, and following the Matildas success the lower wages they earn seem unfair when compared to their hard work and skill within the women’s league. The possibility of professionalising women in Australian football still seems a bit far off though with the women’s team currently being paid substantially less than men for each game. The gap is probably more of a gorge. To give you an idea: for 1 standard international game the Matildas would be paid $500 per player, while the Socceroos would be paid $6500 per player for the same standard game. Sponsorships from professional clubs also mean that the Socceroos don’t need to so heavily rely on wages from the Football Federation Australia (FFA), the Federation that almost entirely funds the Matildas. These disparities mean female players need to hold parttime jobs in order to make ends meet, while still giving their all to training and travelling abroad to play. Some women even move overseas as their only option if they want to become part of a pro team. And this isn’t only the case for Women’s football, with Australia’s basketball and cricket teams also battling to create the possibility of being called truly professional and thereby encouraging younger generations to see sport as a career option for both genders. However, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), in an interview with Fox Sports, said that the commercial differences depend solely on developing keen audiences in order to generate sponsorships based on popularity. And so it seems that ‘exposure to the game’ will be what makes or breaks the future of women’s sports and the wage dispute. But the slowly rising profile of the Matildas is hopeful, and their goal to reach professional status gets closer with each new supporter and each win. However, there is still a long way to go. Until people can value women’s leagues in their own right rather than being seen as constant comparison to be made against men’s football, our skilled sportswomen will continually be sold short of the recognition they deserve.
Page 1 and 2: Lot’s Wife MoNASH UNIVERSITY SToo
Page 3 and 4: 15P-0650 Cover artwork by Julia Cha
Page 5 and 6: EDIToRIAL 3 Editorial London, Edinb
Page 7 and 8: OB REPORTS 5 Environment and Social
Page 9 and 10: 7 7 PoLITICS Politics 22 ILLUSTRATI
Page 11 and 12: POLITICS 9 "However, does the Labor
Page 13 and 14: POLITICS 11 Politics of Climate Cha
Page 15 and 16: POLITICS 13 This month’s issue: G
Page 17 and 18: 15 15 PoLITICS Student Affairs ILLU
Page 19 and 20: STUDENT AFFAIRS 17 "Bluestocking we
Page 21 and 22: STUDENT AFFAIRS 19 The Monash vs. M
Page 23 and 24: STUDENT AFFAIRS 21 No Porn in the L
Page 25 and 26: STUDENT AFFAIRS 23 What Would Happe
Page 27 and 28: STUDENT AFFAIRS 25 Month Week Date
Page 29 and 30: 27 27 PoLITICS Science & Engineerin
Page 31 and 32: SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 29 BY CAROLYN
Page 33 and 34: SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 31 What’s U
Page 35 and 36: SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 33 Prosthetic
Page 37 and 38: SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 35 Hand Sanit
Page 39: 37 37 PoLITICS Arts & Culture ILLUS
Page 43 and 44: ARTS & CULTURE 41 exception to this
Page 45 and 46: ARTS & CULTURE 43 Post-Postmodern P
Page 47 and 48: ARTS & CULTURE 45 By CARINA FLOREA
Page 49 and 50: ARTS & CULTURE 47 Gig Guide Want to
Page 51 and 52: ART SHOWCASE 49

Lot's Wife Edition 5 2015

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?