Current Pro Bodybuilding and Emphasis on Hyper-Masculinity are Detrimental

Bodybuilding used to help bridge the gap between masculine/feminine gender constructs and it was rewarded. Bodybuilding used to strive for balance with both masculine and feminine gender attributes. The sport was obviously heavier on the masculine side but feminine attributes were important to help balance out the body and it was highlighted. One example to exemplify this is Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbo, both Mr. Olympia winners, took ballet and posing lessons to focus on the presentation of their bodies as a work of art not just a mass of masculine muscle. The sport in general to the public was also more acceptable and looked at positively. Today, bodybuilding has been accelerated so much in the hyper-masculine gender construct of packing on as much muscle as possible on to a man and woman's frame that it now has been characterized as a "freak show". People might say that this has been a product of pursuing profit(supplement industry is a billion dollar industry) by following the hegemonic ideology of rewarding masculinity but in doing so it has actually put itself in an isolated market and in a sense demonized itself. Also it is also important to address that not all of the capital gained from supplements necessarily comes from muscle and fitness supplements. As a side note, these supplements don't do what they imply they might/may do but that is for another blog. Take a look at these pictures and videos so you can compare the past and present with the emphasis of pointing out masculinity and femininity. Also you can see the transition and clear difference with a comparison photo of 7 time mr. olympia arnold schwarzenegger (70's and 80) and ronnie coleman 8 time (90's and 00's). I assume bloggers on this site being from the same kinesiology classes already understand the feminine and masculine gender constructs so i won't go into specifics of it. if you do need clarity respond to the post and ill explain further.
FRANK ZANE(3 time mr. olympia, 70's and 80's)

	ED CORNEY (70's and 80's)

BOB PARIS (80's)

RONNIE COLEMAN(8 time mr. olympia late 90's and 00's) AND ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (7 time mr. olympia 70's and 80)

JAY CUTLER 4 time mr. olympia (00's)

MARKUS RUHL(00's)

These are a few videos that point out masculine and feminine constructs altered within bodybuilding from the past to the present.

1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXttYXbKi0s

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbo

this is pointing out the importance of femininity with presenting the body...

2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOPbOCvMsLs&feature=related

Frank Zane

as you can see in this video there is a continual emphasis on aesthetics and artistic presentation. The waist is thin, the muscularity is present but not over emphasized, the movement of the body crosses into both gender realms, and it is applauded for. There is a balance of masculine and feminine gender.

3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmkj_kxUR84

Dorian Yates(6 time mr. olympia)

this is a transitional point where there was a huge transition from aesthetics to pure muscularity...listen to music presentation and how his posing routine differs from the previous one of Frank Zane. What is clearly emphasized?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWubJ5OrmjE

Ronnie Coleman (8 time mr. olmypia)

Clearly there is evidence of hyper-masculinity. He comes out as a king and is focusing on mostly on his muscularity and dominance which are gendered masculine. The analysts focus heavily on the muscle and masculine characteristics too. There is a huge distention of his abdominal which is a clear cut violation of bodybuilding's principles which are to have all of these in one, muscularity, symmetry and proportion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hZf9XyJpQo

phil heath

phil heath is a newer bodybuilder and will most likely be the future for the bodybuilding scene. it is important to see how he is over-conforming to the construction and function of bodybuilding today. listen how he is judged and promoted along the gendered masculine guidelines and not so much if at all feminine attributes. His behavior and music choices represents characteristics which are relative to the over-conforming behavior.

POINT: The point of this blog is to point out how the hyper-masculinity of today's bodybuilding has led to its own demise in many ways. The balance of femininity in the sport previously is what allowed it to expand and be more positively accepted by the public as a beneficial sport.

POST ANY COMMENTS OR RESPONSES IF ANYTHING IS UNCLEAR OR IF THERE ARE JUST QUESTIONS/COMMENTS IN GENERAL.

Derek Pavia

Gilbert Arenas fined for weapon in locker room

In the NBA most athletes are part of programs within their community and others choose to play basketball and nothing else. At times the media does expose a side of them that no one could have possibley thought existed. Last season the Washington Wizards were faced with a controversial situation in the team locker room. Gilbert, who plays the Gaurd position for the Wizards, was in a tough position when he and a teammate had drawn weapons on each other. This caused him to be suspended 51 games during the season, put on probation for 2 years and was required to donate 5,000 dollars to a fund for crime victims.

I believe that this was way too lenient for someone who drew a weapon on another person. Regardless if they were only messing around, this is unexceptable behavior for athletes who are seen as role models to younger children. This isn't enough punishment for such an act committed by someone who already knows the rules of the league. In fact, this should require a big fine and suspension from the game of up to one year. This is an example of formal deviance in sports because it is violating rules in the sport and jepordizing other team mates lives.

Lenore Moreno
KIN3321 SECTION 3017
T/TH 12:30-1:45pm

Land Paddling: A New Sport

Six years ago, Steve McBride, 46, left the high-tech industry to start Kahuna Creations, shaping surfboards, snowboards and long boards. One day, McBride was forced to skateboard for 10-miles to pick up his car at the shop. “After I finally arrived at the shop, my back was stiff, half my body was sore and felt all out of whack,” he says. “I thought there had to be a way to make riding a long-board skateboard on the road just like the stand-up paddlers in the water.” The solution was stand-up paddling, or SUP. McBride's land paddle uses a hard-carbon rubber dual tip that grips the road surface to allow the rider to simulate paddling through water. The effect is a smooth ride, great for traveling from place to place as well as a great form of exercise for both males and females.

“Land paddling is built upon the SUP popularity, and I think people are drawn to it for its uniqueness, ease of learning and non-traditional way to cross-train and work on fitness goals,” says Nakamoto, physical educator at Samuel Enoka Kalama Intermediate School on Maui. He explains that paddling gives his students a good core workout, just like regular stand-up paddling (SUP). Nakamoto and Mark Makimoto introduced the activity to other teachers at a physical education convention and several schools on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island will be incorporating the sport into their classes.

If you'd like to try land paddling, you’ll need a long-board skateboard and a Big Stick (brand name) to help propel the rider and steer. At $149 for a Big Stick and boards starting at $139, paddling on land is cheaper than in the water.

Sources:
http://www.kahunacreations.com/
http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/August-2009/Surfing-the-Street/
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/action/2009-05-22-land-paddling_N.htm
http://www.paddleboarding.com/content/paddling-city-streets

Video:
http://www.kahunacreations.com/videos/

This is a deviation from normally accepted sports because this individual was able to think outside of the box and create his own sport. McBride was able to combine different aspects from two other sports to create a new sport. He used paddleboarding which is done on the water and combined it with longboarding. Mcbride created a variation of a paddle to fit his sport. This sport is unique as it applies to everyone, from children to the elderly. Anyone can try their hand at this sport considering how easily adaptable this sport is. "My grandmother, she's this huge German woman," says Corey McBride, McBride's 23-year-old son. "She got on a board with the Big Stick, and she didn't have to move her foot or anything." If a grandmother can do it, anyone can, male or female! This is giving us a glimpse into the future of sports; we will be seeing alterations to traditional sports that will spawn entirely new sports. Companies and individuals will be using these newfound sports to target a broader audience.

Sara Yi
KIN332i Section 2796 T/Th 12:30-1:45 PM

NFL Hits: How Hard Is Too Hard?

Source: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5702113


This past week in the NFL there were an unusually high number of head injuries and concussions throughout the games. 2 prime examples were the hits delivered by James Harrison of the Pittsburg Steelers to both Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaqoi of the Cleveland Browns. Harrison stated October 18, “I don't want to see anyone injured, but I am not opposed to hurting anyone." (See: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/10/18/james-harrison-i-try-to-hurt-people/ for further information)

Based on Harrison's two hits and the other injuries of last week, the NFL has decided to instate a policy where players will be suspended for "dangerous and flagrant hits". These rules will especially apply to helmet-to-helmet contact. Fines will also be given.

I think the NFL is taking it too far with suspending players for hits. The first issue is: how do you define a "devastating hit?" American football is defined by hard hits by aggressive players. If the NFL tells the players who have been taught for years how to tackle aggressively AND legally that they will immediately have to lessen their power when they hit, it is not going to happen. It is extremely difficult to change the technique of an elite and specialized athlete; especially when it is the technique demanded by society and the team administration. The ambiguity of "devastating hit" will create a number of issues. There are thousands of hits that occur every week in the NFL and no new rules are instated and the old rules are not enforced. So why now? One weekend held a significant number of injuries and now the NFL jumps to player suspension. If on Wednesday, October 20, 2010, the NFL decides to immediately start suspending athletes for delivering a "devastating hit" to an opponent, I think there will be quite a lot of suspensions in the future. A clear definition of “devastating hit” needs to be given before anything takes place.

The textbook talks about overconformity in "power and performance sports." American culture looks to football because it embodies the definition of masculinity and power. Football spectators watch week after week anticipating viewing a hit that makes them cringe or “feel” it themselves. The norm of American football is the enjoyment of watching the violence and aggression. These players are playing to give the fans what they want and now the NFL is saying that players are being too powerful and hitting too hard. Now these “devastating hits” are considered deviant because they fall outside of the normal acceptance range.

Another issue is the use of harsher fines as a threat to NFL players that they need to change the way they play. These athletes have average salaries in the high six figures and that does not include signing bonuses, team salary cap, and possible endorsements. With the ample amount of funding available, the harsher fines will not be very effective in my opinion.
Now I don’t totally disagree with the NFL’s decision to implement suspensions and fines. I agree with the punishment for helmet-to-helmet head shots because those are apparently dangerous and should be handled immediately to reduce player head and neck trauma.
The video talks mostly about receivers being affected the most by these collisions. There is a hierarchy to this. The receivers are put into these situations because the quarterback places the ball in the danger zone. The quarterback and his receivers need to be on the same page so the play can be executed as it is supposed to. The video also talks about “incompetent” quarterbacks and receivers. Whose job is it to educate the players about their positions? THE COACH! The coaching staff needs to educate their players about the rules AND the requirements of their respective positions.


Jacquelyn Boone
KIN332I Section 2796 T/Th 12:30-1:45

Reference:
1. Coakley, J. (2009). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies. New York: McGraw-Hill

Television Network Controls Game Pace

An article on Yahoo Sports talks about how television networks control the pace of games. After the Monday Night Football game between the Jaguars and the Titans, a reporter asked Titans Coach, Jeff Fisher, why he kept trying to move the ball down the field during the final minutes of the game even though the game was already decided in their favor. Coach Fisher's excuse was that the other coach called a couple of timeouts which meant he couldn't call for a kneel down. This is where Fisher told reporters that one of the referees had asked him to take a timeout because they needed a couple of commercial breaks but he refused to take any. Coach Fisher then assumed that this was the reason for why the Jaguars called two timeouts near the end of the game. The situation that occured on the field shows the influence of the media in sports. Every sport has certain times during a game where they have to take television timeouts. Timeouts in games come from coaches because of strategic reasons and because some of them are mandated by the networks. Television networks need timeouts because they gain revenues through ads. As a sports fan, I get annoyed with the media timeouts because it interrups the flow of the game. TV timeouts also make games last longer even if they are blowouts such as the football game that the article was talking about. There was no need for timeouts during 30-3 game with less than two minutes to go. I am the only one who is bothered by network timeouts?


Gaspar P. Kin 332I S2796

Article:

NFL players reluctant to seek help

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-seekinghelp092610

The article discusses the issue of NFL players not seeking help when they need it. Every day players are demanded to perform their best and keep everything together. However, this constant stress can be too much for some players to cope with. Although the NFL provides therapists and several other ways of assistance, it is often ignored altogether. By society's standards, NFL players are supposed to be tough, over-masculine, aggressive, and strong. The article explains how the need to be over-masculine could be the main cause why players refuse to seek help. For example, a player could be facing family issues while trying to deal with the constant threat of being replaced by the next best player. All he would have to do is pick up the phone and call a hot-line. Yet, this could make him seem weak or vulnerable, so he blames the issue on the environment he is in, and tries to fix the situation himself.

Many players have resulted to suicide as a way to deal with their internal struggles. The problem becomes what to do to prevent this. The NFL already offers hot-lines, therapists, and counseling, but clearly it is not working. So how do we fix this tragic problem?

Allison Evans

KIN 332i Sec03 T/Th 12:30

Women Coaching....Football? Yes!

Click here for a great article on ESPN's outside the lines on Natalie Randolph, a woman coaching boys high school football.

Cheerleading Uniforms TOO Hot

In an article on the internet, some cheerleaders from a high school in Connecticut were protesting their too skimpy uniforms. The uniforms bared their midriffs and had to use very short shorts. The girls from Connecticut said they were embarrassed to stand in front of fellow students and parents when they cheered. The uniforms are not within school dress code, yet they wear them at school outings.
This has everything to do with gender roles and social constructs. As girls, cheerleaders are supposed to look “hot” as they perform, even if it is not dress code. These girls are going against the gender norms, unlike another team in Florida who protested to wear basically only bras as they cheered on teams. It is possible to say however, that the Connecticut girls are still following gender norms by trying to be feminine wholesome athletes, while the Florida team follows the norms of objectifying women as only sexual beings. Which is in the right? There is no right answer until the school districts step in and draw a clear line. The constructions of school dress code and sporting attire need to both coincide with each other. In conclusion girls are allowed to dress according to social constructs and gender norms even though it goes against school policy, making sport more important than actual morals.



B. Rhoades kin 332I.S3200