Simone Biles attacks Riley Gaines

Thought the same. Simone is only 28 and could feasibly be aiming at keeping herself high profile for decades. Advocacy is one way to do that. Obviously, her actions over the last week will not have helped!

I suspect that Biles was trying to pivot to get herself into a position to be a high profile figure beyond gymnastics. Social media is a huge part of how they do this and we should accept that both of them will use tweets and tv appearances to support this. Biles' tweet went down badly so she is not doing tv - I bet Fox News would have loved to get her on. Riley Gaines took the opportunity.

Why isn't it accurate to say that any social media activity that Simone Biles does is promoting her books and her Netflix series and other income streams?

There seems to be something rather hypocritical about the treatment of these two women.

Great, a suggestion. I will add that. Thanks.

How is this then everyone?

A worthy woman seems to be:

one who chooses to take a large cut in earnings at the start of her career to cover the vital campaign to protect female sports categories.

will pay for all her accrued costs out of her own pocket unless she gets donations, and she cannot actively seek donations or provide any merchandise or content for those donations.

will take abuse and never discuss it publicly lest it might be seen as unkind to the abuser, or capitalising on unasked and unprovoked abuse from public figures, or just merely unkind, likely unwomanly.

will remain silent unless the media or campaign supporters who are perceived as having the exact credentials takes an interest in her campaign.

will always remember that she never gained Olympic medals and she was just a sore loser in 5th place.

will never mention any other issues that she is interested in.

Is on the speaker circuit and has her name with various agencies where she talks about … stuff not related to swimming.

“Engagement farming” is in the eye of the beholder. And that’s from someone who thinks it’s a common social media phenomenon. When is someone on social media speaking about an issue, like Biles originally did, not “engagement farming”?

The Fox TV interview, where she says Biles “grovelled”, comes after Simone Biles’ apology, and after this excerpt above. So Simone has apologised, but Riley Gaines is still tweeting and giving interviews.

I absolutely would accept Riley Gaines is making hay whilst the sun shines on this issue. She's not letting it die down quietly.

Good for her. Maybe this will give pause to the next person who decides to use their huge platform to launch body-shaming, slanderous personal attacks on someone just because they advocate for women and girls rights in sports.

RG said herself in an interview that her younger sister is an elite level gymnast so the issue of men in women's competition could have direct, on-going implications for RG's family for years to come.

ie. not engagement farming.

Yes! Is on the speaker circuit and has her name with various agencies where she talks about … stuff not related to swimming.

Biles is not tweeting and giving interviews because of the reaction to what she said. The degree of pushback she received from the people that she has receives may have caused her to go silent. Which is a real shame because if she actually engaged with discussion, then she might be able to clarify her position.

Please don't lie, Gaines made two tweets after and ONE interview that wasn't even to do with it.

"Why don’t you simply say what you mean?"

Because I have not focused my point on you. I have seen the sentiment expressed by quite a few people recently.

And no one is saying you cannot have an opinion. People are disagreeing with your opinion, seems also to be one that is being expressed on twitter right now, and pointing out the issues with it.

Biles isn’t continually tweeting and giving interviews, then retweeting those, so no.

Okay, so Gaines is a full-time womens-rights activist. That’s the same thing?

By “some people’s” do you mean mine? Why don’t you simply say what you mean?

It is okay, too, to have another opinion. I know you all like RG as she’s a women’s rights campaigner - and that part is great. But it is also realistic to recognise that other aspects may not be as worthy. It is the same for all of us.

Simone Biles is also the same: fallible.

I think we are seeing some people’s belief that women who disagree should treat those they disagree with gently. I think this is coming from a ‘gentle disagreement’ perspective.

Exactly. That is the 'big win'.

Which is an interesting point wherever one stands on the issue, and has been noticed beyond GC circles. It also wasn't accompanied with a statement that TWAW, which is equally significant.

Having now listened to the interview I still don't agree with Jessawoo's parsing. The point that Riley seemed to be making is that the grovelling apology wouldn't have been made a few years ago but public opinion about men in womens sport has changed and people are no longer afraid of being called transphobic for saying its wrong.

This could be an accurate interpretation as well.

You hypocritically ignore the engagement farming Biles is making off this.

Gaines is a full time WOMENS RIGHTS campaigner. Please get it right.

The other words are from this interview

https://x.com/highbrow_nobrow/status/1932839462058213844?s=46

now issuing a groveling public apology and backtracks after tweeting pro-trans propaganda, if you will.” (Grovelling to ME)

No, imo she is grovelling to the world in general because she has realised that she has upset virtually everyone with her ill-considered ignorant tweet.

So what?

Does it make her any less right?

No, RG did actually say this but on Fox News, not in a tweet

Rileys actual words
“I accept Simone's apology for the personal attacks including the ones where she body-shamed me. I know she knows what this feels like. She's still the greatest female gymnast of all time."

Jessawoo's parsing of those words

Gaines: I accept her apology and see this as a really big win. (The apology to ME)

I You have this famous public figure (Bigger than myself, not explicitly referring to medals or sporting prowess)

now issuing a groveling public apology and backtracks after tweeting pro-trans propaganda, if you will.” (Grovelling to ME)

There seems to be a disconnect between Rileys actual words and what JessaWoo claims they mean

"God forbid a woman should earn some money to pay her bills"

Indeed! A worthy woman seems to be:

one who chooses to take a large cut in earnings at the start of her career to cover the vital campaign to protect female sports categories.

will pay for all her accrued costs out of her own pocket unless she gets donations, and she cannot actively seek donations or provide any merchandise or content for those donations.

will take abuse and never discuss it publicly lest it might be seen as unkind to the abuser, or capitalising on unasked and unprovoked abuse from public figures, or just merely unkind, likely unwomanly.

will remain silent unless the media or campaign supporters who are perceived as having the exact credentials takes an interest in her campaign.

will always remember that she never gained Olympic medals and she was just a sore loser in 5th place.

will never mention any other issues that she is interested in.

Anything more to add to the list?