The little round ball game...Serena and sexism

[ardcarp]

I really don't understand why the umpire was being sexist in his attitude to Serena. I really don't, and I'm pro Serena and pro gender-equality. Can anyone explain?

[teamsaint]

I really don't understand why the umpire was being sexist in his attitude to Serena. I really don't, and I'm pro Serena and pro gender-equality. Can anyone explain?

Can you explain why the labour party is institutionally racist, and the tory party somehow isn’t ?

Another mystery.

[french frank]

I really don't understand why the umpire was being sexist in his attitude to Serena. I really don't, and I'm pro Serena and pro gender-equality. Can anyone explain?

I can only think that the idea of Men Behaving Badly (especially on the tennis court) is so much more common that the perception is that they 'get away with it'; and Williams was being penalised more harshly because she's a woman. Objectively, her behaviour was appalling so logically it was quite reasonable to penalise her. That is, as long as men are similarly penalised for their outbursts. But the fact is that this was one match, one umpire, one player and it isn't reasonable to expect the umpire to consult the records of other matches to see what penalties have been exacted in similar but not identical circumstances. But here there is a narrative of sexism. Is it justified? I don't know.

[Beef Oven!]

I can only think that the idea of Men Behaving Badly (especially on the tennis court) is so much more common that the perception is that they 'get away with it'; and Williams was being penalised more harshly because she's a woman. Objectively, her behaviour was appalling so logically it was quite reasonable to penalise her. That is, as long as men are similarly penalised for their outbursts. But the fact is that this was one match, one umpire, one player and it isn't reasonable to expect the umpire to consult the records of other matches to see what penalties have been exacted in similar but not identical circumstances. But here there is a narrative of sexism. Is it justified? I don't know.

You cannot be serious!!!!

[Richard Tarleton]

The incident started with her coach, coaching her, which is against the rules - the coach has apparently admitted he was doing hand signals. The rules are clearly stated in a rule book. Serena was in the wrong. That she claimed she didn't see the hand signals is neither here nor there. This particular umpire, it seems to be generally agreed, applies the rules consistently and without fear or favour. It may be that others don't. It all escalated from there. Serena has form - other similar or worse appalling outbursts against umpires and line judges, including threatening physical violence, are listed in today's Times. She can clearly be very unpleasant when crossed. The sexism claims are a smokescreen.

[Padraig]

I really don't understand why the umpire was being sexist in his attitude to Serena. I really don't, and I'm pro Serena and pro gender-equality. Can anyone explain?

Whatever about the umpire, ardcarp, Serena showed us her two big feet of clay.

[french frank]

You cannot be serious!!!!

"That wasn't the only memorable line of the afternoon as, after another squabble over a line-call, McEnroe told James: "You guys are the absolute pits of the world." James, who thought that McEnroe has called him "the absolute piss of the world", punished the New Yorker: "I'm going to award a point against you because you're rude." But clearly that wasn't the line that everyone will remember from McEnroe's straight-sets victory. Within a fortnight, McEnroe would be the Wimbledon champion for the first time. But what still has everyone talking? That first Wimbledon title? Or those four words, "you cannot be serious"?

[Beef Oven!]

"That wasn't the only memorable line of the afternoon as, after another squabble over a line-call, McEnroe told James: "You guys are the absolute pits of the world." James, who thought that McEnroe has called him "the absolute piss of the world", punished the New Yorker: "I'm going to award a point against you because you're rude." But clearly that wasn't the line that everyone will remember from McEnroe's straight-sets victory. Within a fortnight, McEnroe would be the Wimbledon champion for the first time. But what still has everyone talking? That first Wimbledon title? Or those four words, "you cannot be serious"?

I'd forgotten that he won the title

[pastoralguy]

"That wasn't the only memorable line of the afternoon as, after another squabble over a line-call, McEnroe told James: "You guys are the absolute pits of the world." James, who thought that McEnroe has called him "the absolute piss of the world", punished the New Yorker: "I'm going to award a point against you because you're rude." But clearly that wasn't the line that everyone will remember from McEnroe's straight-sets victory. Within a fortnight, McEnroe would be the Wimbledon champion for the first time. But what still has everyone talking? That first Wimbledon title? Or those four words, "you cannot be serious"?

I remember seeing that as it happened as a teenager and saying to my grandfather that I thought McEnroe was quite right. He gently explained to me that McEnroe was being a poor sportsman and that he should restrain himself a bit more and ATTEMPT to behave like a gentleman.

Alas, there's so much money involved in top level sports now that such an approach now seems both quaint and unrealistic.

[kernelbogey]

I believe that, in the context of the #metoo and #timesup movements, it behoves men to consider how patriarchal power is installed, mostly imperceptibly, in the textures of our daily lives. Looking from this perspective, I modestly suggest, might alter a rigid view of Serena's behaviour - not to mention that of the umpire, or the coach.

[Richard Tarleton]

Or those four words, "you cannot be serious"?

That quote in full:

You can't be serious man, you CANNOT be SERIOUS! That ball was ON the LINE - CHALK FLEW UP!"

Chalk flew up is, I discover, the name of an entire tennis website.

[french frank]

I believe that, in the context of the #metoo and #timesup movements, it behoves men to consider how patriarchal power is installed,

Interesting to contemplate how a woman umpire would have dealt with the situation.

[Richard Tarleton]

Interesting to contemplate how a woman umpire would have dealt with the situation.

In the opinion of Alyson Rudd in The Times, Ramos is a gender-blind umpire, just a stickler for the rules (one of 26 "gold badge" umpires, who are paid around £370 per day). Apparently the umpires are thinking of boycotting Serena matches.

Why did she bring up the fact (wonders Rudd) that she has a daughter?

[ahinton]

You cannot be serious!!!!

Isn't that what someone once said to Stockhausen?

[cloughie]

Isn't that what someone once said to Stockhausen?

Or was it Cage - but all he left us was Silence!