I saw a good documentary about the Tour de France one time and it spent a long time interviewing some of the podium girls. They seemed thoroughly nice and it wasn't at all exploitative or seedy.

This puritanical rage that is sweeping the world at the moment is not healthy. There were a few things that had clearly gone beyond any acceptable limits and a few people that will rightly get trashed but let's not lose too much joy and beauty as collateral damage.

agree.. the world is getting dumber by the second.

Join the petition to get them back ;

https://www.change.org/...-keep-women-in-a-job

Seems like a decision best left up to women...

If most women find these roles to be demeaning or harmful to their pursuit of equality, then we should probably do away with them. Given that podium girls serve (seemingly) no purpose other than to be eye-candy for men, we (men) don't actually have any compelling argument for keeping them around.

My controversial hot take:

Darts is not a "Sport". Its a hobby or pastime. If a fat, drunk person can do it with a cigarette in their hand, its not a sport. See also, bowling.

regarding the OPP, the podium presenters should be local kids or charming puppies.

This.

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http://www.jt10000.com/

Signed by me, no harm in this, Im sure the women doing it are happy and earning good money doing it.

Darts is not a "Sport". Its a hobby or pastime. If a fat, drunk person can do it with a cigarette in their hand, its not a sport. See also, bowling. //


Ha, you just described John Daley, so throw golf in there as not a sport too!!! And most motor car sports, the ones where fathers race sons and daughters..

Totally! The only thing I'd add is that it's entirely feasible that even members of the objectified/persecuted group can be active or unwitting participants in its promotion. For instance, there are anecdotes of black police officers being even more violent and less tolerant with black suspects than white officers. Another example is outspoken female critics of the women's march on Washington last year.

Really though. Ring girls, cheerleaders, podium girls....aside from providing employment opportunities to those individuals, it's difficult to justify their purpose in sport or in this sociological experiment we're living in.

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There's ALWAYS a place for puppies!

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Some riders used to drink and smoke during the early Tour De Frances

My cat would like to have a word with you. He's DONE with puppies.

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Interviews with Chris McCormack, Helle Frederikson, Angela Naeth, and many more.
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Triathlon is not immune:

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Or better yet "the" women. They are not forced against their will for it, they are compensated for their time like any other job. It's not like we as a people don't have bigger issues to deal with in our own individual countries and the world.

Right, except we can deal with those issues and this issue. Also, it's not whether they are forced or fairly compensated. it's a bout what it says about us as a society, and also what it says to young impressionable females.

At the very least I find it weird watching the TDF and seeing the podium girls kissing the jersey winner at each stage. I would be ok if they got rid of that tradition.


If I paid a Patriots fan to run through Philly deflating footballs I think it is still ok for Patriots fans to be bothered by that (sorry if you are not from America and don't get that reference, but if there is one group of people I am not concerned about offending it is Patriots fans so I used that example). I do not agree that because a person accepts money to do something demeaning, the fact that they did so willingly and were compensated makes the act no longer demeaning. You could make the case however that podium girls are not doing something demeaning, but that does not seem to be your argument.

It's hard to argue that Sagan's actions here aren't at least partially as a result of the objectification of the role itself. We don't have any reports of a young Sagan otherwise going around the streets groping women, yet here we are. He's matured quite a bit since this happened, but in this moment in time, she's an object to him.

I think the TDF should do away with podium girls. It objectifies women and most of them look uncomfortable being there. The whole spectacle comes across forced and awkward. It sends the wrong message to both women and men.

I can appreciate their looks, but again it’s not right nor does it set a good example. There are far too many women who’s entire existence is wrapped around their physical appearance, which is sad.

Why ban podium girls at men's races? If we want equality, and yes we do, let's introduce podium boys at women's races instead.

Edit: 35 years using computers and I still can't touch-type.

Look uncomfortable being there? Sounds like a serious case of male guilt.

That is a sought after job. Of course you probably sense discomfort in Miss America contestants.

x2 on this.

The podium girls serve no function. Get some local kids from the local bike club or soccer club to hand out awards. If you have the podium girls and cheerleaders and other such non functional eye candy jobs, there will always be people who step up to take them. Especially given that the TdF basically devalues women cyclists with a pretty lightweight women's set of stages can't see a good reason to keep podium girls around when women cyclists can't even get a fair shake at the sport's big events.

Definitely. The few times I've tried to watch it's cringe-worthy.

lets "ban" the "men" who think others dont need or want of like or whatever the podium "girls"

I have no idea what this means. Are we talking about transgender now?