Err... Is this sexist?

[evilhamster]

This one

It seems to be quite sexist, or at least biased, not to mention being anti-Paralympics/Paralympian (disablist?) in one of the paragraphs. And I find it hard to believe it's written by a credible journalist at all. Amongstr other things, he seems to be saying that someone (Froch) who's not actually even top in weight band is better than someone like Jessica Ennis who's the best in her sport. Not to mention completely disregarding the fact that it's not Best At Sport, but Sport's Personality of the Year. Or have I just been looking at it wrongly?

Is it just me, or do you think the same?

That isn't sexism. That's misogyny. His loathing of women for not having penises is oozing off the page.

He makes a repeatedly well-made point about the prize not being for 'personality' rather than for achievement ( see 2 years ago Ryan Giggs won it), but other than that obv point the man's a regressive gonk. How you label him is up to you.

It's deeply misogynist, and my jaw also dropped at the patronising , 'thought-provoking' paralympics comment.

The reader comment about the daftness of preferring a golfer (described as a pastime and not a sport,) and someone who sits on an animal that does all the work over to Olympic Gold medalists says it all.

Sorry about the sexist/misogynist thing. English isn't my first language.

Didn't think a mysogynist hated women because we don't have a penis ??
Or did you mean because we are women?

Heard of a male theory that some females suffer from " Penis Envy" - what a load of BS. Me thinks it shows how obsessed he is with his own. I'm certainly glad I don't have all that baggage between my legs

The theory of penis envy was Freud, who had very strange ideas about all sorts of things, bless him. And probably did great harm to all the poor people who were 'treated' by him. Very unscientific, drawing massive generalised conclusions from his personal opinion. Some of his work led to some interesing stuff but it is desperately flawed.

Back to the column - this guy has issues and is desperately upset that he is not important enough to be given the job of drawing up the list for sports personality of the year. Clearly a misogynist.

I can't see anywhere on the page where you can complain to Yahoo. They wouldn't publish racist nonsense claiming black people can't be sports personalities, I don't see why they think it's OK to publish this.

That's seriously offensive.

I can (sort of) see the point about Wimbledon where women play fewer sets but equally, I understood that, until relatively recently, they received less prize money too.

I would love to see him go a few rounds with the (feeble) female boxers or other sportswomen he mentions...

edam - They have a twitter account @YahooUK which could probably be used.

He does have issues - very misogistic and ableist.

Oh, evilhamster that wasn't meant as a dig at your language skills. I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention:(

I am just so very, very angry at these men pontificating total twaddle and people believing them.

Yes, Desmond Kane getting a bit of stick on Twitter about this

I think withthedude was agreeing with you and saying it's even worse than just sexism.

Sometimes I look at things that people consider to be sexist/misogynistic and am a bit

Not this time. That 'article' is outrageously offensive, it completely dismisses the achievements of anyone who isn't an able-bodied man. Disgusting.

No, I know you didn't I've heard sexist used before, obviously, and not misogyny, because unless you grow up with a language, you won't hear and know every (well, most) words. I know it wasn't a dig!

So it is misogynist then?

I like this Guardian Piece on the difference between misogyny and sexism. I think Julie Bindel sums it up best.

Sexist and disablist, and overall pretty twattish.

I agree with Widow.

I haven't heard of the boxer bloke he's bigging up, which sort of proves how wrong he is.

In terms of inspiring personalities, Nicola Adams inspired me more than anyone in the Olympics.

Isn't that part of what the personality award is about?

From what I can gather he has a bit of a crush on a boxer called Carl Froch.

What a small-minded and repulsive man.

Isn't there a touch of the 'Ad hominem' about some of the responses to the article?

He wants Sports Personality of the Year to be for the person who can "punch harder, run faster, swim further, throw longer or get more shots across the net". There are plenty of awards for that. They are called Titles, World Records, Medals, etc. According to its T&Cs this award is for "the sportsman or woman whose actions have most captured the public's imagination in 2012."

That allows able bodied and disabled, men and women to compete on an equal footing. And given that we hosted the Olympics and the Paralympics, of course those will feature prominently. The fact that he is sooooo angry that there is an award where being physically bigger and stronger doesn't mean you win really shows him in his true colours.

I didn't even know who Cark Froch was...

That said, i'm ready to punch Desmond Kayne's lights out after the disparaging 'no woman could ever' stand up to the heat of a proper golf tournament.....

Bwahahahaha.

If do get a knockout, please can I be the SPOTY?

And he wonders why people aren't as interested in women in sports. Errr perhaps because there are so many male journalists with this backward attitude.

Are you sure that is the main reason? I doubt if it is all due to male journalists.

I think that would be a cop out.

More broadly, I still don't understand why the majority of Daily Mail readers are female.
(sorry, don't have a reference for that right now)

Sorry, Smudging, you did not state main reason