WWE

Being a wrestling fan when I was younger the topic of the WWE a form of masculinty was very interessting to me. When I used to watch wrestling when I was younger I was addicted. I loved the story lines and I would order all the pay-per-views so I wouldn't miss any of the big matches. As I grew older I started to realize that what I was watching was a big joke. I always knew wrestling was fake but the entertainment and drama sucked me in. When I became older though I realized, why am I watching oiled up men wrestle around and yell at each other in their underwear. I believe sports such as NFL Football and NBA Basketball truly represent masculinity. The WWE is a form of entertainment and NOT a sport. The WWE is scrpited and has a pre-determined outcome. It is essentially like watching a movie. The WWE does feature strong muscular men but I don't believe they represent masculine ways. Since when has it been masculine to roll around with other guys in your underwear? I believe the WWE falsely portrays manhood and shows us everything not to be. Wrestlers Chris Benoit and Eddie Gureero died because of steroid abuse. Does taking steroids to become a musucalr wrestler really reprsent masculinity. Before I would consider the WWE to represnet hegemonic maculinity I would take a closer look. The WWE even features story lines where the men wrestlers fight the women wrestlers (divas). It is definitely not masculine or socially accepted for a man to wrestle a girl. In my opinion wrestling is a form of entertainment similar to that of a movie, it is pretend and nothing else. The real form of manhood and masculinity lies withinin professional sports.

The Curious Case of Caster Semenya

As one of the biggest sports fans you will ever find I hate to say that I don't enjoy following the Olympics, especially running. I'm just like any other college guy who loves watching football, baseball, or some basketball. But this is one of those rare occasions where the Olympics and a woman athlete has caught my attention. After reading and talking about South African runner Caster Semenya in class I have become interested in her story. We now all now her controversial story that many of her opponents and people believe her gender should be tested because of her success. I believe that if Caster wouldn't have been so dominate and broken records her gender would not have come into question but that is part of life when you win big and get yourself into the spotlight. Usually I believe a woman could portray many qualities of a man and just be super athletic but after seeing pictures of Caster Semenya I thought otherwise. Looking at pictures of Caster makes me feel lazy and want to hit the gym. This girl is ripped and could pass for being male. She is very strong and masculine looking. I don't think its right for people to discriminate her just because of her success and the way she looks but if she has nothing to hide then why not take a gender test. If I were in Caster's shoes I would laugh at the critics take a gender test and prove to the world that I'm that dominate and to take a hike. Just like everything in life and especially in professional sports, the more successful and dominate you're the more you put yourself into the spotlight and in the mouths of critics. I also don't agree with her family being so upset. I know it is disrespectful for critics to call your alleged "daughter" a male, but if theres nothing to hide then why not take a gender test. The IAAF should test every single athelete to ensure this problem goes away and not to single out Caster and make her feel discriminated against. Its unfortunate but in the society we live in today if a female looks like Caster and is that dominant it is going to raise question marks just because the stereotype of a female shouldn't be that masculine or dominate at a sport.