Equal Play?
Art, Barbie and the Women’s World Cup
It’s July. The school holidays have started. Politicians are disappearing into rabbit holes to lick their wounds and invent ever more grotesque policies. The NHS staggers on, war rages in Ukraine and holiday makers are getting upset that 48 degree temperatures are turning beaches into no-go areas.
But, in the good old Roman tradition of bread and circuses, it’s the time of year when media attention often turns to blockbuster films and major sporting events, so let’s focus our attention there and try to make some sense of what’s going on.
‘Keepers’
It’s worth taking a look at a rather interesting online art exhibition that has recently opened. Entitled ‘Keepers’, it reminds us that men have long been the key gatekeepers and rule-makers for sport.
The exhibition is on until 31 August and includes a wonderful take on the table football game that still dominates so many pubs, sports centres and living rooms. It is called ‘Barbie Foot’, the artist is Chloe Ruchon, and instead of the usual rows of plastic male football figurines, the bright pink table features varieties of Barbie dolls pierced by iron bars through their shoulders and wearing their trademark rictus smile.
And, for those of you on Twitter (which is now known as X), check out and follow ArtActivistBarbie (@BarbieReports) who in 2018 highlighted 2,300 works by male artists in the National Gallery, and just 21 by women! She regularly posts wry observations of what's on in art galleries and museums. One of her latest posts links to an article by Annikka Olsen entitled: '7 Artworks Featuring the World’s Most Famous Doll as Model and Muse'. Who knew that Barbie has been a potent source of inspiration for artists since her debut?
Football
This month sees the biggest Women’s World Cup in history with 32 teams participating and an anticipated global audience of 2 billion. But there are a number of underlying controversies which have been simmering for some time. Pay, organisational issues, sexual harassment, conditions and injury problems have all been causing concern.
In Jamaica, two crowdfunding campaigns were started after the team submitted a open letter on social media, complaining about lack of funding, the poor quality of resources and disorganised training camps. And earlier this year the Canadian team announced that it was planning to strike indefinitely over pay issues. Other teams, including Spain, France, Nigeria, England, South Africa and Australia are also grappling with pay and organisational issues.
Injury is another major cause for concern. As the tournament opens at least 36 players are known to have experienced Anterior Crucial Ligament (ACL) injuries. Dr Emma Ross, a specialist in female health, noted:
‘We know female athletes are up to six times more likely to have a non-contact ACL injury than their male counterparts’.
As is so common with women’s health issues, there has been very little focused research into why women players are so susceptible to this particular injury. There are now a number of theories developing, with attention being given to several areas including hormonal issues and the fact that very little notice has been taken of the shape and structure of women’s feet in the design of sports footwear. The male one-model-fits-all approach has also been noted in children’s training, where girls and boys experience the same methods.
Given the many obstacles, it is quite inspiring to see players being so resilient, positive and professional (and there is actually one particularly encouraging change whereby, for the very first time, participating players will be paid directly by FIFA). So even if football is not for all of us, we can at least cheer on these remarkable women who are continuing to challenge the status quo.
If you are interested in hearing a first-hand experience, the comedian Maisie Adam has recently completed a podcast, ‘The Beautiful Game’ available on BBC Sounds, where she talks about her passion for football and her childhood experiences.
And so to Barbie
It’s all very weird. On the one hand we have a self-aware, satirical film made by an acclaimed feminist director, in which Barbie is introduced to the real world. Tickets are impossible to obtain and pink is everywhere. John Lewis’ advertising declares that ‘ The Barbie-Core aesthetic is here!’ as it tries to sell you some pink suede mules for £109. Argument rages over whether one should see the bleak nihilism of ‘Oppenheimer’ before or after the pink frenzy of ‘Barbie the Movie’.
However, if you are disposed to look at the Mattel website, where Barbie dolls in all their manifestations can be obtained, it gets even weirder.
Mattel sells 58 million dolls every year. For £129.99 you can purchase and assemble the Barbie Dreamhouse (1795 pink plastic pieces), with its spiral staircase and pool with a slide. But you can also buy the ecological Dr. Jane Goodall Barbie, complete with accompanying chimpanzee and binoculars for £56.99. But the questions then begin – does Dr. Jane Goodall Barbie live in the Barbie Dreamhouse? And does she drive the Barbie Pink Corvette (£134.99 as seen in the movie)? And if not, why not? While we are at it, how does the Barbie Dreamtopia Mermaid get around, and does she know about the Barbie with a pet crocodile? The questions just keep coming, as do Mattel’s profits.
Mattel claims to be inspiring and empowering children. However, adults are recommended to have a stiff drink before navigating the Barbie web pages.
Equal Play
Play is as important to adults as it is to children. Women are still having to battle for equal rights in sport – we have only touched on women’s football here, but it’s all too easy to find worrying examples from other sporting activities. Think about the worlds of gymnastics, golf and darts for example……. the list goes on. And for children, gender stereotypes are at the root of so many problems, including body image, eating disorders and misogyny. The Fawcett Society report ‘Unlimited Potential’ says that ultimately: ‘stereotypes limit children’s freedom and stop them from being themselves’
‘Smashing Stereotypes’ is a long-standing Fawcett Society campaign, and the ‘Equal Play ‘ initiative is a further extension of the initiative. In partnership with the Wates Construction Group the key aim is to: ‘support parents, caregivers and influential adults to avoid gender stereotypes with their kids’
