- Joined
- Mar 18, 2005
- Messages
- 46,262
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- Location
- on the Seven Bridges Road
- Website
- thepondsofhappenstance.com
I've been verbally 'abused' at sporting events, and have verbally 'abused' others. Do not come into the blue seats in an Islander jersey and expect no one will say anything rude. I've never seen it directed on the basis of sex.
I don't have a problem with fans busting on other teams' fans.
I was watching some show last night on ESPN--"His and Hers"--and they were talking about the #morethanmean video. The female reporter--Jemele Hill--noted that she had been subjected to the same sorts of garbage. And she made two good points. The first was that some of these over-the-line insults are coming from established figures: players, other members of the media, and even show biz figures (here's an old story about Artie Lange being "funny").
The second point was that the idea that this kind of verbal abuse is funny and/or allowable stems directly from the idea that fans get to behave like douchenozzles to other people when they're in their role as "fans."
Not having a problem with fans being assholes to people they don't know--just because of the color of their shirt--is a part if the problem, imo. And frankly, a lot of the "busting" fans do on other fans (and on players, coaches, and refs) is misogynistic and/or homophobic.
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