John Inverdale, for example ...

[Wuldric]

Women get judged by how they look rather than by how they perform. This comment by John Inverdale has me seething. How is it even remotely acceptable in this day and age?

[maidmarian2012]

I just complained. What a tosser.

[TheDoctrineOfAllan]

Good article.

I'm actually beginning to appreciate the laconic Murray.

[tribpot]

Yes, I can imagine that whilst a female player who isn't a 'looker' (TM Inverdale) can at least compensate by being actually good at tennis, the wives, who are deemed to serve no useful function but to watch and clap (which I very much doubt is the extent of the spouse-of-major-athlete role), must be decorative or be forever derided. Awful.

[scallopsrgreat]

I don't know if anyone has seen this great piece by Hadley Feeman in CiF. I would imagine the usual don't read the comments applies! But she shows how the sexism extends to partners of the players too.

[NigellasGuest]

how do you get people who tweet like that banned from twitter?
I'm sure people on twitter have been arrested or something for other misdemeanours? This makes me feel ill and upset all at once. There were similar tweets about Katie Walsh, the Grand National jockey, earlier this year. I wanted to complain then!

[TheDoctrineOfAllan]

I think unthinking comments have wider and more permanent currency now, Napa. People forget that Twitter etc is "publishing".

So back when I was young and mean, I might have said "I don't like Sampras because he looks like (something unkind)", but i would have said it to my mum!

And to be fair I never thought it was Sampras's problem that I didn't like his looks, in the way that the hatred to Bartoli is almost "get off my TV screen, if you don't meet my standard of fuckability, you don't have a right to follow your talent and your dreams because my view of you is more important than your view of yourself"

[TheDoctrineOfAllan]

Me too, Buffy.

[NapaCab]

Man, it's depressing to see how many men out there (on the twitterverse at least) think they have a god-given right to sexual stimulation from any woman with a public profile, no matter what the reason.

Where does that sense of entitlement comes from with some men, the 'right' to judge a woman on her looks? It just doesn't happen with women and men in the same way. Some high-profile male sports stars are ugly as sin and no woman comments on that. Their profile is based on their skill, not their looks.

I would have hoped we had moved on from these backward ideas but it actually seems to be getting worse. I don't remember Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova experiencing this level of criticism of their looks. Maybe I am idealizing the past...?

[ToomuchIsBackOnBootcamp]

Am trying to complain on BBC online form but it keeps sticking. Am hoping its because so many other people are trying to do the same!!

[russetbella1000]

Haven't read all comments here but just made my complaint-hope everyone else does too, what a twat!...

www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complain-online/

[cafecito]

I am so confused

I think she is beautiful, exceptionally talented, clever, inspirational

I hope JI is fired for being none of the above

[ICutMyFootOnOccamsRazor]

I've been getting more and more pissed off about this since Saturday.

I've complained to the BBC both about Inverdale's original comments and about their pathetic 'apology', but I would be shocked if he gets sacked.

As someone said upthread, casual racism would get him dumped pretty sharply, but sexism is still seen as somehow less unacceptable .

[WoTmania]

LittleSporks - that public shaming link is indescribably awful.

[LittleSporksBigSpork]

No one was pretty in that heat. Her picture in the Independent afterwards shows her to be very attractive. If I were single, I certainly wouldn't kick her out of bed.

Of course the issue isn't actually her looks. It's the fact her looks are being used by men to determine her personality and whether or not she should win (tw: very sexist and violent twitter comments) and far more stomach turning horrible comments about her solely based on that - not anywhere in the same league as the comments against any male sportman's appearance and their appearance isn't tied to whether or not they should win.

[KarlosKKrinkelbeim]

I'm not sure thinking you know the appearance of a bunch of women on an internet forum is nasty so much as deranged.
It's actually quite pitiful and I feel bad for being mean to him now.

[Wuldric]

It's been a long day. Slightly wearing too. Have had to tell lots of chaps what to do, when they should blimming well know what to do in the first place.

So I missed this one -

"cohorts of less than obviously attractive women"

Dear oh lord. Words fail me. Nasty stuff.

[GoshlyoHeavens]

I think Willo you're being diengenuous. Look around at everything. See how it is.

Some people are pissed off with it, me included.

[Thisisaeuphemism]

a cohort of less than obviously attractive women? Dearie me.
I think a public apology would be good. Plus the bbc need to send their employees on some kind of education course. I imagine they are acutely alert to avoid racism. It seems the message for sexism hasn't got across.

[Wuldric]

Okay, Karlos, I'll do it.

Willo, think about the term 'you are'. When you contract that, it becomes 'you're'. So imagine our delightful John Inverdale, coming across Bartoli. He would say to her 'You're not a looker.'

When something belongs to you, as in a car or even an opinion, it takes the possessive form 'your'. As in - you are entitled to your sexist opinions just as we are entitled to think you're a twat.

[KarlosKKrinkelbeim]

Casual racism would merit the sack
casual sexism? Go right ahead, John
It's total BS

[Wuldric]

No, it's not unjustified. It's absolutely justified and what would happen in any organisation other than the BBC. Sky sacked Richard Keys and Andy Gray for their sexist comments (that were broadcast unintentionally). It comes to something when Rupert Murdoch is more progressive and has a better equality agenda than the BBC.

[Willo62]

Buffy, we agree, wholeheartedly.