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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that The Jump (TV show) is sexist (as well as dangerous!)

29 replies

PinkShampagney · 12/02/2017 22:07

For those who don't know The Jump is a Ch 4 reality TV show featuring celebs in various winter sports events. The format is that the lowest scoring in the winter events for the week are eliminated by participating in a ski jump. Shortest jump is eliminated.

Ski Jumping is partly technique but substantially speed and power (you have to push off at the point you leave the ramp to get lift).

I fully accept that in the early stages, a competent woman will be able to out jump a competent man.

But the bottom line is that a good male jumper will always out jump a good female jumper.

The current world record for a man is about 250m and for a woman 200m - and those are the best in the world. Consistently the women jump shorter than the men.

AIBU to think that the show is sexist because - unless there is some sort of handicap system - in the later stages (once the incompetent are eliminated) the best man will generally always beat the best woman?

OP posts:
Original poster
PinkShampagney · 12/02/2017 22:08

*I fully accept that in the early stages, a competent woman will be able to out jump AN INcompetent man.

oops

OP posts:
ProudBadMum · 12/02/2017 22:09

But the female celeb might be better than the male celeb

Would you be happy if it was a women only or men only thing?

VodkaJelly · 12/02/2017 22:10

Dp loves this programme, I hate it. And as for the rugby players scrumming each other, the women didn't stand a chance against them.

Original poster
PinkShampagney · 12/02/2017 22:19

But the female celeb might be better than the male celeb

Have you watched it?

It's very unlikely that this would be the case for the final winner. They have a range of celebs in this programme (across the series). They tend to divide into really good skiers who have been doing it for life (men and women); mid ranging quite fit and skied a bit; and bottom end - never skied doing it for money/profile/exposure (risk of death and serious injury!).

The winner is always from the good life long skiers group.

Give that the longest jump depends on power, the best (of the good skier types) woman will never beat the best man. Or at least it is very very unlikely - unless the man unexpectedly falls over.

And as PP noted, some of the winter sports events are mixed too. Ski cross (tonight) is a "no rules" short skate "assault" course. Racers are allowed and encourage to push each other over. Strangely the winner in a 2 man, 2 woman race was the rugby playing man.

OP posts:
PickleSarnie · 12/02/2017 23:03

But surely the skiers have a massive advantage over the non skiers regardless of gender? If i was to have a skiing conpetitoon with my husband, I'd win hands down despite being female. It's not a particularly level playing field at all. It's also not the Olympics though. It's a , fairly ridiculous, reality show.

DarthMother · 12/02/2017 23:11

Didn't Joey Essex win it one year? He doesn't strike me as the sort who would be a life long skier.

oneplus2is3 · 12/02/2017 23:25

I agree OP and feel exactly the same about Ninja Warrior-there should be separate score boards to allow women to compete fairly!

Original poster
PinkShampagney · 13/02/2017 00:01

But surely the skiers have a massive advantage over the non skiers regardless of gender?

Yes this is true up to a point. Firstly, there are some heats events that favour men skiers over women anyway (ski cross - the violent take them down shoving assault course game - which favours heavier set men who can skate/ski over a similiar ability woman).

Secondly, there are normally both men and women who can ski but the final decider (both to keep people in (eliminator) and the actual final) is a ski jump. So the finalists will be men and women who can ski (probably more men than women because of some of the heats events favouring men anyway) and the winner will be a man - who is likely to jump further.

The ski jump is simply the person who jumps the furthest. A man who lands a jump with more leg muscle, more weight and more speed will always jump further than a woman of same ability who lands a jump.

It really annoys me. And that's before we get on to the insanity of letting barely trained novices engage in this very dangerous stuff anyway.

OP posts:
Original poster
PinkShampagney · 13/02/2017 00:05

Speaking of which - just googled - and oh look - Bradley Wiggins is out after breaking his leg

www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/2848184/sir-bradley-wiggins-has-quit-the-jump-after-breaking-his-leg-in-a-horror-smash-on-reality-show/

Poor man. This is the problem. I mean this is a superfit sportsman. There shouldn't be this rate of injury on this show.

OP posts:
FrauL · 13/02/2017 07:34

I was also watching last night, and thought it was sexist for a different reason. The male celebs' "dress code", for want of a better word, was to put on their ski suit and safety gear. The female ones obviously had to wear the same, but without exception, each and every one had a full face of "obvious" make up and an elaborate hairdo underneath. Because, if you're female, nothing makes you more likely to jump far than heavy eyeshadow and perfectly tousled curls. Irked me, anyway...

WhirlwindHugs · 13/02/2017 07:38

Yes, interesting point. I watched earlier for the first time and everyone's jump technique was appalling anyway but I can imagine that explains why all 3 favourites to win are men.

KathArtic · 13/02/2017 07:56

Beth Tweddle broke her neck last year!

harderandharder2breathe · 13/02/2017 08:07

I agree with whoever mentioned Ninja Warrior! Loads of the stuff on their requires a long arm reach.

RufusTheSpartacusReindeer · 13/02/2017 08:09

I dont watch the programme but going by your OP i agree that it is sexist

CoraPirbright · 13/02/2017 08:11

Astonished this show is still being allowed. Poor Tina Hobley is still walking with a walking stick over a year on for her injury on that stupid programme.

RedHelenB · 13/02/2017 08:14

They are adults, sportsman/women - they know the risks!

TheProblemOfSusan · 13/02/2017 08:20

I can't for a second imagine why at highly trained sportsperson would be mad enough to do this show.

Skiing is dangerous. Jumping and doing any other kind of competitive event on skis is insanely dangerous. Even actual ski jumpers have a high rate of injury. I can't believe they can get insurance to even film this show.

AnnPerkins · 13/02/2017 08:23

I'm just amazed they're still doing it after last year. Clearly the viewing figures make the very real risk to life and limb worthwhile.

AutumnalLeafs · 13/02/2017 10:52

Every time I watch I can't help but wonder what the production company's insurance premium is for that show. It must be exorbitant!

There are so many injuries - serious ones - as someone above said Beth Tweddle broke her neck - and these are for the most part high earning individuals whose loss of income due to injury will be high.

It can't all be "they accept the risk so their problem" type insurance because Tina Hobley was injured due to negligence - someone was on the landing slope when she jumped when it should have been cleared.

I agree with the OP it's sexist. I'd be surprised if a woman who wasn't a professional skier ever won it - unless of course all the men broke their legs along the way.

kittykarate · 13/02/2017 11:19

I'm not sure it's sexist, if you've ever looked at professional ski jumpers they are very light weight, so the big rugby boys will generally be at a disadvantage in the jump. The advantage the rugby boys have is that they are used to getting 'beat up' a lot as part of their sport, so they will probably continue through minor injuries.

If I remember correctly, the first 2 seasons were won by substitutes that were brought in to replace injured contestants.

SukeyTakeItOffAgain · 13/02/2017 11:30

Joey Essex hadn't skied before I don't think. He was just too daft to have any fear :o

Given that they're all beginners at ski jumping, I don't think you need to be concerned about that 50m difference OP. Last night a bloke went out, and he only jumped about 9m. The women beat him.

As for the rugby boys beating the others up, I think Jason Robinson and Gareth Thomas went for Spencer Matthews because they decided he was a twat.

And the danger element, they must know what they're getting into. Without has already left with a leg fracture.

SukeyTakeItOffAgain · 13/02/2017 11:31

"Without" is clearly Wiggins Hmm

AutumnalLeafs · 13/02/2017 12:52

I'm not sure it's sexist, if you've ever looked at professional ski jumpers they are very light weight, so the big rugby boys will generally be at a disadvantage in the jump.

Don't the men generally jump further than women though because they have more power and more muscle? PP says professional ski jumpers male jump further than professional ski jumpers female.

SukeyTakeItOffAgain · 13/02/2017 13:05

It won't make any difference when they're this crap.

kittykarate · 13/02/2017 13:11

Don't the men generally jump further than women though because they have more power and more muscle?

The professional ski jumping men will most likely have more power per kg probably than professional ski jumping women. You could also argue that Women's ski jumping is a sport that doesn't have the focus/nutrition/training thrown at it as it really has only been in major competitions recently (first Olympics in 2014).

I'm not an expert in the sport though, and it will be a balance between the heavy weight of the rugby boys and the lighter weight, but less powerful women.