Latest news with #sexism
Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
The Hockey Canada sexual-assault trial is over, but conversations about the sport's culture continue
For $35, aspiring young hockey players can purchase a T-shirt from a Canadian brand that has become popular in rinks across the country, with a slogan rooted in language that degrades women and girls as sex objects. Using veiled locker-room slang, the shirts read: 'Barduzz, Gettin Huzz.' Loosely translated, it means 'Scoring goals, getting hoes.' A hoodie version is also available in children's sizes. The clothing company, HockeyBenders, tours rinks and shopping malls around Canada, attracting throngs of cheering kids and interviewing groups of teens about the game on and off the ice. They are asked their preferences in girls, and 'how many blondes' and 'how many puck bunnies' they connect with on social media. One player, claiming 100 such girls, was dubbed 'lover boy' by the interviewer. Another, who admitted to just a few, was praised as a 'quality over quantity guy.' Those clips and others are then uploaded to TikTok, driving sales and boosting popularity and profit for the brand. The men behind the slogan say it's all in good fun. Cole Lequier, 25, started the business from his parents' home in Barrie, Ont., trademarking it in 2023. He said the company has sold more than 100,000 hoodies worldwide (including versions with anodyne messages that don't mention women). The brand is now in 150 retail stores, and has more than two million followers on social media. In a recent Instagram monologue, he described the void he believes HockeyBenders fills. 'I felt like, growing up, there wasn't many hockey clothing brands that had relatable slogans and sayings for hockey players,' Mr. Lequier said. 'So I saw a huge, huge gap in the market.' Andrea DeKeseredy sees it differently. Having worked in sexual-assault counselling and studied gender-based violence for years, she considers such slogans an example of hockey culture's refusal to evolve. She wonders how a brand that makes T-shirts and videos she considers demeaning to women grew so popular at the same time the Hockey Canada scandal and its allegations of group sexual assault by former world junior players loomed over the game. 'It shows the lack of true critical self-reflection and introspection that is occurring in Canadian hockey,' she said. 'It makes me sad. It's the opposite of what should be happening.' The Hockey Canada trial concluded last week, three years after sexual assault allegations against five national junior team players became known publicly. All five players – Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote – were found not guilty of sexual assault. In handing down her ruling, Justice Maria Carroccia criticized the complainant's testimony as lacking credibility and reliability. Mr. McLeod was also found not guilty of a second charge of being party to sexual assault. In dismissing the criminal allegations, Justice Carroccia avoided commenting on the players' overall behaviour. 'It is not the function of this court to make determinations about the morality or propriety of the conduct of any of the persons involved in these events. The sole function of this court is to determine whether the Crown has proven each of the charges against each of the accused beyond a reasonable doubt,' Justice Carroccia said. The trial heard uncontroverted evidence that Mr. McLeod, after having sex with a 20-year-old woman following a night of drinking in 2018, sent a text to numerous players inviting them to his hotel room for a '3 way,' while also texting one teammate to come to the room if he wanted a 'gummer.' Some players who went to the room received oral sex from the woman in front of their teammates. Later, the players recorded a video asking her to say she consented. The woman, known as E.M. because her name is protected by a publication ban, alleged she had been spat on and felt threatened, among other things. One player, who wasn't charged, later told a Hockey Canada investigator he saw her being smacked on the buttocks and heard her weeping in the room at one point. E.M. told investigators the players talked about putting golf balls and golf clubs into her vagina – a detail Justice Carroccia noted E.M. originally described to police as being said by the players 'in a joking manner,' raising doubts in her mind about whether E.M. acquiesced to the group sex because she feared for her safety. Lawyers for the players argued during the trial that she had consented. While the judge avoided any commentary on the players' conduct, the National Hockey League did not, issuing a statement Thursday condemning their behaviour. 'The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing and the behaviour at issue was unacceptable,' the NHL said in a statement, adding the five men are ineligible to play in the league pending further review. The trial has left a black eye on the game, according to people who spoke to The Globe and Mail, including parents, minor hockey coaches, former players, sexual-assault counsellors and academics. Researchers say the behaviour in the room, even if not criminal, shows a callous and problematic attitude toward women and sex. Parents and coaches say the trial could be an opportunity to teach kids about proper conduct and respect. However, several who spoke to The Globe are skeptical it will lead to meaningful change. For its part, HockeyBenders sees nothing wrong with the messages put forth in its videos and on its clothing, despite the criticisms by Ms. DeKeseredy. In response to a request for comment from Mr. Lequier and his director of marketing, Aiden Dale, an e-mail from 'The Hockeybenders Team' said the content is not for everyone. 'The boys are two hardworking young hockey entrepreneurs and make videos for people to enjoy and laugh that's it. And like to keep everything they do positive. They like to stay in their own lane with their fans and followers!' the e-mail said, verbatim. Katherine Henderson, named Hockey Canada chief executive in 2023, is frustrated by the use of such language. It is the kind of attitude the organization wants to get out of the game. Hired in the aftermath of the scandal, Ms. Henderson is in charge of remaking Hockey Canada after the incident left its credibility and finances battered, including accusations from the federal government that the previous management regime tried to cover it up. While she believes problems such as misogyny and sexual misconduct are societal and not limited to hockey, Ms. Henderson said the past few years have forced Hockey Canada to ask itself whether there are behavioural issues and attitudes within the sport that need to be addressed. Putting such slogans on kids' clothing is 'disgusting,' she said. Beyond the courtroom, what will the legacy of the Hockey Canada case be? Tim Skuce, a former junior hockey player, now a professor at Brandon University, began studying problems in hockey culture about 10 years ago, including violence, sexual abuse and homophobia. His feelings are mixed about what the situation leaves behind. 'The phrase I've been using is hopeful pessimism,' he said. 'It really seems difficult to get to the underbelly of all this.' In the years leading up to the allegations, the game had seen a series of accusations involving sexual misconduct, including group sex assaults, raising questions about whether they were isolated events or part of a larger cultural issue in certain levels of hockey that wasn't being addressed. Not all of them resulted in charges and convictions, but the allegations became hard to ignore. In a hazing lawsuit filed in Ontario Superior Court against Canada's three major junior leagues, one unnamed player was quoted in documents saying his older teammates once boasted about coercing a woman into having sex with 15 players. 'I was certain that serious repercussions would follow, however, nothing happened as a result of this incident,' he said. Another player said, as a high-school student on his junior team, 'It was my duty to recruit potential 'party girls' and invite them to team gatherings.' 'I was partly responsible for bringing several young girls into this environment, often resulting in devastating consequences. Gang sex, sometimes as many as 10 to 15 players with one female, and violent behaviour, were very much a part of these team gatherings. At the time, I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment because I was receiving the much-desired praise and admiration of my elder teammates.' The statements were from research conducted by University of Manitoba professor Dr. Jay Johnson, retained as an expert in the lawsuit. Summarizing his analysis, Mr. Johnson stated in the court documents that gang sex was 'a focus of the male bonding and initiation process throughout a hockey player's career in Canadian major junior hockey,' adding, 'The goal was to encourage women to drink in order for them to become easy targets as sexual conquests.' Serious problems have extended beyond allegedly non-consensual group sex acts. In 2021, junior hockey player Logan Mailloux, who is from Ontario, was criminally convicted in Sweden for photographing a woman during sex and then circulating the pictures to his teenage teammates without her consent. And in January, 2022, professional hockey player Reid Boucher pleaded guilty to pressing the 12-year-old daughter of his junior hockey billet family to perform oral sex on him on two separate occasions. Meanwhile, additional group sexual assaults involving junior hockey players have been alleged, among them: one involving unnamed players on the 2003 world junior team, which Halifax police are investigating, and one from a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by eight Ontario Hockey League players in 2014. Where some see isolated incidents, Mr. Skuce sees a pattern of problems – and a response that seems to repeat itself whenever new allegations emerge. 'I've heard many, many times that we're on the cusp of something – is this the watershed moment – and it too quickly fades,' he said. Hockey, by virtue of its reach in Canada, has the ability to influence young boys, including their attitudes toward women, but this isn't talked about enough, he said. 'I think most of us who have played hockey, we inherited a set of norms that we didn't critique. We were just like fish swimming in water.' Details of the case have left him torn as someone who spent his life in the game and now drives his young son to the rink. 'I'm trying to hold contradictory thoughts at the same time. Hockey is a beautiful game, and it has some elements that are really detrimental,' he said. 'The hopeful pessimism is that this actually is a catalyst to embed the conversation – that it doesn't go away,' he said. Joel Widmeyer's hockey career wended through the junior and university ranks in Canada before he took up coaching his son's and daughter's teams in Waterloo, Ont. When not volunteering behind the bench, he often serves as a 'puck pusher,' helping other coaches run practices. 'To say that I am in the hockey culture would be an understatement,' Mr. Widmeyer says. He believes the issues raised by such allegations are not specific to hockey, nor are they limited to sports. He is not willing to condemn the game on its own. 'A narrative has been that sexual violence or predatory sexual behaviour is at the core of the hockey culture – I couldn't disagree more. I have played at many levels and not once, at any level, was violence towards women condoned, encouraged or trivialized,' he said. 'I think this is a societal issue, which I do believe is getting better. I have a daughter and I think of what she's growing up in versus what my wife grew up in.' He is an optimist and believes the legacy of the scandal can be constructive, regardless of whether people believe the players or the woman. It is an opportunity to teach future generations about right and wrong and how they should carry themselves. Last year, Mr. Widmeyer's son took part in a program that was tested on 13-year-old players on three Ontario minor hockey teams, provided by the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region. The project included three 90-minute sessions examining personal relationships, consent, masculinity and how to navigate interactions with young girls. Coaches and parents were excluded. Mr. Widmeyer said the sessions sparked discussions within their family about scenarios the players talked about as a team, including what happens if a girl is intoxicated during an intimate situation: 'How do you handle that?' 'I think the legacy should be more programs like the one that my son was put in voluntarily,' Mr. Widmeyer said, adding that he would like to see such courses be mandatory for kids. Matt Patterson, a hockey dad and nurse who volunteered as a trainer on his son's Toronto team, wants to see more leadership from Hockey Canada in the aftermath of the trial. Hockey Canada's handling of the allegations in 2022, including not disclosing that it used a multimillion-dollar fund built by player registration fees to pay out sexual-assault claims, without telling parents and players how their money was being used, damaged his faith in the organization. 'I'm very mistrustful of Hockey Canada until I can see something positive going on,' he said. But he is hopeful the high-profile nature of the case will leave a lasting impression on young players, which could be positive. 'If anything, they might be a little bit more careful about putting themselves in a position where they could get in trouble. They might think, I really should treat women a little bit better, or treat them with respect,' Mr. Patterson said. For Hockey Canada, the scandal has not only been a blow to its reputation – its finances have also taken a hit. Though the organization still holds more than $41-million in reserve funds on its books, it reported a $31.6-million operating loss in 2023 from cancelled or paused sponsorships, mounting legal fees and other items. It lost another $12.5-million last year, according to its annual financial reports. Former CEO Scott Smith and the board of directors stepped down in late 2022 amid calls for their resignation in Ottawa. Now Ms. Henderson's job is to stabilize the operation and chart a path forward. In a wide-ranging interview, she said that the past few years have pushed the organization to confront the realization that, particularly at the higher levels of competition, there may be cultural issues that need examining in terms of how players conduct themselves. 'I think one of the things it forced us to do is to go back and actually look at the system of hockey,' she said. 'There's a number of places where dark corners can show up in hockey that maybe a good systemic look hadn't been done in a way that allowed us to say, well, here's where there's weaknesses.' The organization has started more closely tracking incidents of on-ice maltreatment, known as Section 11 violations, for the signals those infractions are sending about culture. They include abusive behaviour, spitting on other players, discrimination, racial and homophobic slurs, taunts, unsportsmanlike conduct and physical harassment of officials. The data is crunched by a researcher at the University of Ottawa and published online, which has brought transparency to where problems are showing up. What they're finding is that cultural problems, such as violations of Section 11.4 – gross misconducts resulting from taunts, insults, or intimidation based on discriminatory grounds – coincide with higher, more competitive levels. 'I started to see the first tranches of data coming through and I could tell, okay, this is where this is happening the most. So clearly there's an issue here,' she said. 'It's not happening with seven-years-olds. These 11.4's are happening amongst elite male hockey players that are in the ages of 15 to 17, let's say, at a much higher rate.' 'So we're going, okay, so what's going on? Is this male development? Is there something in the hockey system that's having an effect on these kids? Or is this kids that we're putting together in a place where you know, testosterone-driven, puberty-driven behaviours are not being checked properly.' The data, and other research, is contributing to a forthcoming study titled, 'The effect of the elite male hockey system on the character development of young men,' led by researchers at McGill University in Montreal. 'We've done a whole huge culture audit at the elite end,' Ms. Henderson said. 'And we're looking at what are the coaches saying to them, what are the rules that are being given to them, what's being allowed in the dressing room and what isn't?' The goal, she said, is 'ultimately understanding where are the issues germinating, and then what's the appropriate interception? Is it Hockey Canada? Is it the local hockey? Is it the coach, is it the minor hockey association?' The organization presides over national programs only. Hockey Canada doesn't control how the sport operates down to the grassroots. Provincial hockey associations hold much of the decision-making sway in their regions. So while Hockey Canada has implemented mandatory courses on consent and sexual-assault education for national team players and staff, it can't mandate them everywhere. It becomes a discussion with each provincial member, then a question of funding and logistics. The organization conducted 11 national team courses last year for its various age groups. 'The dressing rooms that we have control over – actual control over – are very small compared to what goes on in the membership,' she said, adding that provincial members have '2,800 minor hockey associations with dozens of teams in each one.' Going forward, Hockey Canada and Ms. Henderson will ultimately be judged on how future problems are handled. 'If this was to happen again,' Ms. Henderson said, 'I think we have a plan to say if something happens, we know what to do. It's not just people sitting around at a table trying to decide what to do next. We've thought through those things.' There is now a detailed crisis management plan, Ms. Henderson said. The code of conduct has also been rewritten, placing more emphasis on values. 'A code of conduct should be less about, here's all the things we don't want you to do,' Ms. Henderson said. 'We want you to be respectful, we want you to have pride in wearing the Canadian flag, and here's the onus that comes with it.' She believes the cultural questions hockey faces in Canada extend beyond the game into other sports and all corners of society. But she accepts the criticism hockey has been getting. 'People think that attitudes have to change and then the behaviour changes, and that's actually wrong. The behaviour changes first.' 'I think that's how you change culture.' Landon Kenney has heard stories from within the sport that don't get told publicly. As one of the educators at the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region, he has talked to several junior hockey teams about subjects like sexual assault and consent. His office was one of the support centres Hockey Canada contacted in 2022 to conduct workshops for various age groups of national team players and staff. Those lasted about a year and a half. Hockey Canada has since shifted to White Ribbon, an organization focused on addressing violence against women and girls. 'Sometimes we'll get particularly vulnerable people who will share, like, 'You know what, because of the team setting, because of a whole bunch of different stuff, I did feel like I was pressured into having sex with people that I maybe didn't super want to. I did feel like I had to be part of this culture where I showed these nudes to my teammates, because that's what we all did together, even though I didn't feel great about it,'' Mr. Kenney said. Concerns over false accusations are brought up often. 'There's this kind of undercurrent, particularly with more elite teams, this worry of false accusations and everything, that kind of run rampant,' he said. 'The stats show that false accusations are so rare. But the stats don't always help.' Mr. Kenney said educating players when they're young, before toxic attitudes can become entrenched, is important. But getting the backing of coaches and organizations can be tough. 'When we do this sports team training, we want to have really big buy-in from the coaches,' he said. 'When we talk about the harms that come from locker room talk and stuff like that, if the coaches aren't on board with cracking down on that, then it's going to resort to normal very, very quickly.' In the aftermath of the allegations in 2022, the centre's work with some of the teams felt a bit like a box-checking exercise, he said. 'In these cases it felt very, very often like we did not have the buy-in, that the coaches also very much viewed it as like, okay, let's get this over with.' Karley Doucette, education and communications manager at the centre, said she is bracing for blowback now that the trial is over. She said the centre has publicly supported E.M., which has resulted in phone calls 'about what awful humans we are.' Given that, she said, 'I'm a bit worried about what might happen.' Jake Stika, executive director at Next Gen Men, which runs workshops in schools and for hockey teams to teach boys positive masculinity, also worries about what the trial leaves in its wake. 'I'm very concerned, if I'm honest with you,' Mr. Stika said. 'What's troubling to me is that our culture remains stuck debating guilt or innocence, credibility, and technical definitions of consent, instead of focusing on genuine care for one another,' Mr. Stika said. He also believes such problems are not limited to hockey. 'In basketball locker rooms that I was in growing up, I played until my mid-20s, there were some awful things said about women, about gay people, there were stories about guys doing hopefully consensual things with women that they picked up,' he said. 'So I wouldn't point the finger and say it's a hockey issue.' A debate during the trial over so-called consent videos that were shot by Mr. McLeod on his phone after the alleged incident set a bad example, Mr. Stika said. In one of the videos, E.M. says, 'This was all consensual' and 'I enjoyed it. It was fine,' after Mr. McLeod can be heard telling her, 'Say it.' Defence lawyers said the videos are evidence E.M. agreed to the sexual acts that transpired earlier that night, while the Crown said they indicate she was coerced into providing a statement after the fact – an argument the judge ultimately rejected. Mr. Stika said the debate in court misses the point. 'Consent is ongoing and can be withdrawn, that's what a true consensual relationship is. And when you treat it like a contract, it's like, no, you signed the dotted line, you're stuck with these terms and conditions now,' Mr. Stika said. 'It's just such a flawed way of thinking about human relationships, let alone intimate relationships. You want to uphold consent because you actually care about the person.' Though recent cases of alleged misconduct have brought more scrutiny to hockey, examinations of its culture are nothing new. Alexis Peters, a sociology professor at Calgary's Mount Royal University began studying potential links between hockey and gender violence more than 25 years ago. As a registered nurse who was once married to a professional hockey player, Dr. Peters felt uniquely situated. Looking back, she suspects her work was ahead of its time. Even though the judge found no criminality in the Hockey Canada case, some of the actions inside the hotel room that were not in dispute still showed desensitized and callous attitudes toward women and sex, Dr. Peters said. In 1999, her study presented seven standardized questionnaires used in sexual-assault research to 102 Junior A players in Ontario, along with a control group of 74 men who hadn't played hockey past Grade 11. The questionnaires measured topics such as hyper-masculinity, desensitized attitudes toward sex, and acceptance of interpersonal violence as a way to solve problems. The group of hockey players scored higher than the control group in those areas, while scoring lower on emotional empathy. 'It measured attitudes, not behaviours. We cannot assume that because they have those attitudes they would go and sexually assault somebody, or they would go and beat somebody up. 'But the research suggests they were at higher risk of all forms of violence, including sexual violence.' The findings called for prevention strategies, she argues. 'You can't just teach them consent. You've got to change the culture,' Dr. Peters said. 'Because they're internalizing these values about what it means to be men, and they're rewarded for it from the time they're five. 'I would argue a lot of it is cleaning up the language,' she said. 'It's a start.' Dr. Peters faced pushback for wanting to explore the subject, and for asking questions that were considered taboo. 'I'm always perceived as the woman who hates men and hockey players. But I'm not taking sides,' she says. 'Nobody wins in this – it's scorched earth.' Dr. Peters has often thought about updating the work. But a lack of funding and support, including getting hockey leagues in Canada to provide access to players, has always stood in the way. 'A thousand times, you have no idea how much I've wanted to,' she said. Teresa Fowler, another researcher with years of experience studying masculinity in sport culture, is hopeful the Hockey Canada situation will have a lasting impact. 'Not just brushing it off and saying, 'Oh that's just hockey boys,'' said Ms. Fowler, an associate professor in the faculty of education at Concordia University of Edmonton. But she is also concerned. 'In the context of hockey culture, the implications are profound,' Ms. Fowler said. 'This outcome will likely reinforce longstanding attitudes that normalize the sexualization of women and girls.' She is working on research for Hockey Canada that involves interviewing players anonymously, but it has been challenging getting players to participate. 'We had to extend it another year because it's really hard to get participants to talk with us because of the shroud of the trial,' she said. 'As much as we tell them Hockey Canada will have no clue who speaks with us, there's still this fear of talking.' In past research where Ms. Fowler has interviewed players, some weren't necessarily aware of the harmful nature of their attitudes or actions. 'When we were interviewing these players the sexism just rolled off their tongue like it was nothing. It's like, do you not realize? 'Oh no, that's just how we talk,'' she said. 'There's no comprehension about how wrong some of these things are.' In the early 2000s, long before TikTok, a popular website known as the Junior Hockey Bible went viral in Canada. It offered a lengthy glossary of hockey terms. Women were 'swamp donkeys' and 'puck sluts.' A 'closet show' was defined as a player letting his teammates watch as he has sex with the 'sluttiest broad in the league,' adding, 'Many true team players will let their girlfriends be watched.' Among the anecdotes about 'bitches' and 'whores,' purportedly submitted by followers of the site, were tips on 'tag-teaming your local puck bunny' and advice for those girls on how to act: 'You have a job to do in the bedroom, concentrate your efforts on that role.' But the website was also a marketing venture, designed to promote a clothing brand known as Gongshow Gear, which had gained popularity in the game. When Gongshow's founders were confronted about the site in 2004, they took it down and issued a public apology. The Junior Hockey Bible has since been scrubbed from the internet. Gongshow Gear declined to comment for this article. Nearly a quarter of a century later, another upstart hockey brand is promoting itself with T-shirts, hoodies, and videos that objectify young women. Has anything changed? A request sent to HockeyBenders by The Globe, seeking comment about the criticisms it faces, was directed to a marketing agency that represents the brand. A list of questions, including whether HockeyBenders obtains parental consent before interviewing young players and posting their clips on the internet, was not answered. 'Where are the parents?' wonders Ms. DeKeseredy, the former sexual-assault counsellor who studies gender violence. 'As a mother, I would be horrified to know that men are, first of all, exploiting my child on the internet for profit. It concerns me some of the questions that they're asked and encouraged to answer, and are praised for the way they answer them,' she said. 'And I wonder if that's kind of part of the problem with hockey, too – it seems like it's a free-for-all.' She struggles as a fan of the game who is repulsed by such behaviour. 'I have a son who would love to play and it gives me great pause to put him in hockey because of those videos,' she said. 'This argument that, oh, it's all just good fun and you guys just take it too seriously, we're not harming anyone. No, it's all connected.' She is not encouraged the conversation is moving in the right direction. 'It shows that we're not taking the steps to talk to kids about this, so we are doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Lady Starmer deserves better than putting up with ‘banter' from Donald Trump
We are all Victoria Starmer. No, really – ask any woman if she's had to fix a smile on her face and grin through gritted teeth while an older man makes 'lols' and instigates 'banter' about our appearance or demeanour. Then ask her if she eye-rolled, silently, the moment she turned away. Shocked? You really shouldn't be – though you might not have seen it. We never let on, you see. We titter and giggle and do all the things you have to do simply to get through the ordeal so they'll leave you alone – an exaggerated wink, a rib-nudge, an elbow pat, a waggling eyebrow Barbara Windsor would be proud of; Carry On, Mr President, perhaps. But us women see you, Lady Starmer. We feel your pain. We see you making a rare public appearance, being trotted out like a secret weapon off the back of a US-EU deal on trade, ahead of a talk on Gaza; we see you being brought up by the US president in an impromptu press conference in the same breath as he lols about whiskey; as he is almost drowned out on his Scottish golf course steps by some rogue bagpipes: 'Whisky? Well, we'll talk about that. I didn't know whisky was a problem. I'm not a big whisky drinker, but maybe I should be one of them. Maybe I'll have some whisky today…' We see you, doing your level best not to look openly confused by the 'last person at the bar, let me tell you my life story'-style rhetoric while smiling at the cameras alongside your husband, Keir Starmer. Stoically and majestically ignoring Trump's word salad segue from whiskey to 'making the prime minister happy' – by way of you, poor love. For this is where 'first lady as plot device' really came into fruition (though the other first lady, Melania Trump, was notable in her absence): 'We want to make the prime minister happy,' Trump said, grasping Lady Starmer's arm (and they always do. At some point, they always do). 'We want to make, by the way, your first lady, I would say first lady. She's, she's a respected person all over the United States! 'I don't know what he's doing, but she's very respected – as respected as him! I don't want to say more. I'll get myself in trouble. But she's married. She's a great woman and very highly respected.' Oh, Donald… pray, keep your word and don't say more. Do anything but say more! Because we've heard it all before, really, we have. We've all been in encounters with men like this – the ones who joke about getting themselves into trouble; the ones who sometimes veer from calling you a 'great woman' to a 'naughty girl'. It is usually, at this point, that we try to edge away – physically – from the old lech with a twinkle in his eye. And The Donald is no stranger to accusations of lechery (and worse) – for not only is the president under pressure to release all files relating to the Epstein case, which he has so far refused to do despite a 2024 election promise; but in May 2023, a jury in New York found him liable for the sexual abuse of writer E Jean Carroll. The court ruled Trump more likely than not sexually abused Ms Carroll and awarded her $2 million (£1.6 million), while he was also accused of sexual assault by two other women. If that wasn't enough, there were the infamous 'grab em by the p***y' comments in the Access Hollywood tape from the set of Days of Our Lives in 2005, when he was recorded talking about groping women and how 'you can do anything' when you're a 'star' (then, in a statement issued on his behalf, blamed it on "locker room banter"). Or, any one of his many other controversies which belie his attitude to women, such as calling a former Miss Universe "fat" and claiming he would date his daughter Ivanka if she were not related to him; and the comments he made right before the US election in 2024 to refute historic sexual assault allegations by the businesswoman Jessica Leeds, in which he said it 'couldn't have happened' because she 'would not have been the chosen one'. Women usually have a signal we give each other when we are in the orbit of men like this; we mouth things like 'handsy' to each other or make a 'vomit' shape with our fingers and warn our friends to be careful not to stand too close. 'Girl code' serves us well when dealing with older men with bad reputations, particularly when they are powerful and entitled. It's usually enough, thankfully, to make any woman give them a wide berth at a party – or press conference. Of course, even when in the company of someone like Trump, Lady Starmer was a consummate professional. We shouldn't be remotely surprised – after all, she was a lawyer who now works in the NHS as an occupational health worker. She must have experienced her fair share of tiresome old men. And when Trump went on to say Starmer has a "perfect wife", espousing: "I respect him much more today than I did before, because I just met his wife and family. He's got a perfect wife and that's never easy to achieve, right?" (to which, the prime minister replied: "I take no credit for that') she simply smiled and laughed and acted every inch the good sport, like women have done – and will continue to do – for time immemorial; because it's easier, because it's polite, because we are tired. All I (and perhaps she?) really wanted to do, however, is pretend to throw up.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘You should apologise': AFL legend, journo in heated clash
St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt has demanded an apology after his comments were called 'sexist' during a heated TV exchange on Monday night. The Saints champion and veteran football reporter Caroline Wilson exchanged verbal barbs on Channel 7's The Agenda Setters as the panel discussed North Melbourne's abysmal 101-point defeat to Geelong on Saturday. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Wilson said it was now up to North Melbourne president Sonja Hood and chief executive Jennifer Watt to come out and address the club's woes in public. Wilson said it was also up to Hood to scrutinise the club's football department and coach Alastair Clarkson. Riewoldt said Clarkson would not be happy if Hood decided to question the four-time premiership coach's operations, despite the club enduring another disastrous season where they sit 17th on the ladder with just four wins this season. Hood was on a public relations drive and was full of praise for Clarkson when he was appointed coach of the Kangaroos on a five-year deal that reportedly made him the highest paid coach in the sport. Riewoldt described Hood's behaviour at the time 'sycophantic' with Wilson taking umbrage to the term. 'That is bordering on sexism,' she said. 'If a male president had lauded getting a premiership coach … you wouldn't call it sycophantic. I bet you wouldn't.' Riewoldt responded: 'What are you talking about … I resent the fact you think that's a sexist comment. That is a ridiculous thing to say. 'How is someone being sycophantic got anything to do with their gender? 'That's ridiculous and you should apologise. 'It's not sexist Caroline.' Wilson said she was not going to 'cop' Riewoldt's comment. 'You're making ridiculous statements like that. You're wrong to say she was sycophantic,' she said. 'You should apologise to her Nick for calling her sycophantic. That's ridiculous.' The tension seemed to have simmered when the show returned from an ad-break. Wilson last week made plenty of headlines when she put Channel 7 host Craig Hutchison on the spot asking him not to fire her on air. The pre-planned segment, which Hutchison clearly did not know was going to happen, related to the media mogul's awkward appearance on radio network RSN last week after he announced a raft of sackings at the station. Earlier this month, the TV host's SEN group purchased RSN in a $3.25 million deal and immediately set about cutting costs, including giving popular hosts Daniel Harford and Michael Felgate the flick. Many long-time listeners of the station only learned the news when Hutchison fronted Felgate's Racing Pulse show last Thursday. So Wilson took the opportunity to make a cheeky plea over her own future on the Channel 7 show. Set up by Riewoldt in a section called The Spill, the former St Kilda captain put the vague question to Wilson: 'The hour on air of the Agenda Setters is the highest risk of all.' The long-time Age reporter replied: 'Well, certainly if you're on air with Craig Hutchison. 'This is no respect, disrespect I should say, to Michael Felgate or Daniel Harford for that matter. 'But if you're going to remove me from the show, can you please not do it with me on-air?' Wilson delivered the jab with a straight face and Hutchison did not take it well. 'This is not something to joke about,' he shot back. There was plenty of drama elsewhere on Monday night with Channel 9's Footy Classified showing previously unseen footage of Giants captain Toby Greene appearing to kick Swans defender Dane Rampe in the groin region. The new vision shows Greene lashing out, kicking directly behind him between Rampe's legs during a heated confrontation before the start of the game.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Footy legend can't contain his anger after being branded a sexist by his co-host on live TV
Footy legend Nick Riewoldt demanded an apology on live TV after he was labelled a sexist by veteran AFL journalist Caroline Wilson on Monday night. The fiery exchange unfolded on Channel Seven 's The Agenda Setters as both panel members were discussing the dire state of North Melbourne. Alastair Clarkson's men were trounced by 101 points at Marvel Stadium on July 26 by Geelong, with Jeremy Cameron booting 11 goals. Bailey Smith was a standout in the midfield for the Cats, chalking up 43 disposals. Tellingly, the thrashing was the third time this season the Kangaroos have conceded a score of 150 or more - and the third time in five games they have allowed at least 130 points. Riewoldt was discussing where it's gone wrong for North when he labelled club president Sonja Hood 'sycophantic' over her praise when the team signed Clarkson as head coach in 2023. The fiery exchange unfolded on Channel Seven's The Agenda Setters when both panel hosts were discussing the dire state of North Melbourne That offended Wilson, who loudly questioned whether Riewoldt would have formed a similar view if Hood was a man. 'That is bordering on sexism, if a male president had lauded getting a premiership coach... you wouldn't call it sycophantic. I bet you wouldn't,' she said. The St Kilda great was seething at the accusation from Wilson. 'What are you talking about? I resent the fact you think that's a sexist comment, that is a ridiculous thing to say,' he said. 'How is someone being sycophantic got anything to do with their gender? That's ridiculous and you should apologise.' It is unknown if the footy identities resolved the tension - or if Wilson apologised - as an ad break broke up the clash. Meanwhile, two-time Kangaroos premiership player David King is concerned for the club's future with Clarkson at the helm. 'You have to be worried, don't you?' King said on SEN. 'Nothing has changed defensively, and when nothing (has) changed what are you building? 'Clarko for five years was perfect, but I thought there would be a more significant improvement in the third year (2025). 'In my own heart of hearts, this club desperately needs stability. It's been through turmoil. It's spat out coach after coach for six or seven years.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Almost half of women have been dished sexist insults playing sports, survey shows
ALMOST half of women have faced sexist jibes while playing sport – with many being told they "throw like a girl", "look like a man", or are "not strong enough". The shocking stats come from a UK-wide survey of 3,000 female athletes and amateur players, revealing the widespread abuse women face on and off the pitch. The poll found 42 per cent had been told women weren't as good at sport as men, while nearly one in three (32 per cent) had been labelled 'soft' or inferior. Male strangers on the street (47 per cent), male athletes (44 per cent), and even male coaches (36 per cent) were named as the most common culprits behind the abuse. Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, deputy chief medical officer at AXA Health Insurance, which commissioned the research, said: 'It can be a lose-lose situation for women sometimes. 'Despite the progress which has been made to improve access to women's sport, the research shows there's still a long way to go to making sport an equal playing field for all. 'Comments about physical ability or derogatory statements about gender have no place in sport or exercise.' Other barriers holding women back include menstrual health – with 39 per cent saying their performance was affected – and 29 per cent reporting low energy levels. Olympic gold medallist Sam Quek said: 'Speak up and you're difficult – stay quiet, and you're weak. 'As a woman in sport, I've experienced and also heard a number of insults, problems and accusations. ''Oh, she's hormonal, oh, she's on her period, she throws like a girl, she's not strong enough – the list is endless. 'One area in women's sport which I have loved to see evolve is the menstrual cycle and women's periods, because whether you like it or not, it does affect sporting performance. 'We are not using it as an excuse, we just needed a greater understanding.' The research also revealed that 78 per cent believe female athletes don't get the credit they deserve, despite 94 per cent of parents saying it's important to set a good example when it comes to exercise. Shockingly, 58 per cent of women who've been on the receiving end of sexist abuse admitted it made them consider quitting sport altogether. To change things, nearly nine in ten (88 per cent) said people in sport, from coaches to spectators, need to do more to stop the abuse. Suggestions include calling out bad behaviour (74 per cent), promoting equal chances (65 per cent), and praising women when deserved (56 per cent). Dr Bradshaw added: 'Sport and exercise – from running to rugby, lacrosse to lifting weights, can have huge benefits both physically and mentally, and help keep bones, joints and muscles healthy as we age. 'It's important we ensure that women are treated fairly, so we need to normalise flexing training plans to suit women's needs, such as using the stages of the menstrual cycle to benefit training. 'We know that certain stages of the cycle women can feel more fatigued, but there are stages where they might feel stronger, too – so they can use this to their advantage. "Women menstruating are also more likely to suffer injuries, so this should be factored into training plans. 'And as female athletes get older, we need to ensure they have the confidence to challenge expectations and reset their own priorities to find what works best for them, rather than giving up entirely.' Sam Quek added: 'Sport for me is magical. It's for everyone. "To any female involved in sport who has been told they're too much – you're not, you're you. And to any female who has been told we're not enough, we are enough.' SEXIST ABUSE FACED BY WOMEN PLAYING SPORTS: 1. Being told women aren't as good at sports as men 2. Mocking or belittling women's sports as inferior or 'soft' 3. Being told that you 'throw like a girl' as an insult 4. Sexual comments or harassment during or after playing sports 5. Being wolf whistled 6. Being told you're 'too emotional' to handle high-pressure situations 7. Being told you should 'smile more' while playing 8. Criticism focused on appearance instead of athletic performance 9. Being asked about relationship status or family plans instead of their skills 10. Doubts cast on your sexuality for playing 'masculine' sports 2
