Gladiators grumble

[Tarmacadamia]

I can't tell if I'm just being a grumpy cow. Was anyone watching Gladiators last night, and did anyone else feel a bit irritated by Ash's "I'm doing this for all the LGBTQ+ kids out there" speech? He clearly failed to notice that the winning woman was a lesbian! He's absolutely right that gay men are underrepresented in sport, but actually there are a fair few high profile lesbian elite sportswomen - several women footballers, for starters. He clearly doesn't feel represented by them, so he shouldn't presume to represent them either, iyswim. I suspect he just hasn't bloody noticed them at all, because who notices women in sport. Grr.

Think you might be a bit grumpy on this one.

I don't see why a gay guy trying to represent his community means that he thinks the the lesbian in the same episode somehow is doing so less.

And he probably had no idea she was gay anyway, I doubt the contestants are out there listening to each others events and interviews, they're likely in the dressing room trying not to die from the pugil stick beating they've just had themselves!

I didn’t see the episode but from what you have said I think you are being a bit grumpy! So the male contestant wanted to be seen as a role model but you are cross because the female contestant wasn’t seen as one - is that right? Maybe she said something similar but it didn’t make the edit? Im going to have to go and watch it now!!

No, that's not really what I meant. If he's said that gay men and boys have very few role models in sport, and that seeing him on TV could make a difference to young gay viewers, I've had wholeheartedly agreed. But he was talking about lack of representation for all LGBTQ people, which made me think he hadn't noticed the lesbian doing very well in the same tournament, or the number of high profile lesbians currently in British sport.

My grumble isn't about LGBT representation, it's about how many men just don't notice women's sport at all, or don't think it really counts. This is something I'm quite sensitive to so I might be reading it wrong.

I probably am just being grumpy. Men are making me grumpy this week, for various reasons. As you were!
*Edited for embarrassing grammatical error

My 13 year old daughter rolled her eyes at his speech and pointed out that there were loads of lesbian sports women. She's really starting to notice that boys / men are treated differently and is actively pushing back against the be kind girls message so is probably grumpy too!!!

In some ways he has a point doesn't he? Lesbian representation is strong in women's sport, but a lot of male sport has a toxic masculinity problem.

That's exactly my point though - if he'd said "gay men" instead of "the LGBTQ+ community" he'd have been 100% right.

I'm really glad at least your daughter agrees with me!

I agree he used LGBTQ+ when he should have used gay. There is loads of great lesbian representation in sport, but he clearly hasn't noticed.

Maybe it's because there seems to be such squeamishness these days about singling out any part of LGBTQ, like the rainbow is sacrosanct and it's backwards and wrong to acknowledge the different groups within it.

Give him a break 😆 - the poor bugger had just lost, he was knackered and more than a bit emotional so the finer details probably didn't occur to him at that particular moment.

Yes, it jarred. Kerry on the other hand just got on with it.

I am also getting seriously fed up with gay/bi male contestants talking about how hot the male gladiators are and how nice it is to be wrapped in their legs.

Just stop fucking making a child's television programme about sex.

It wouldn't be acceptable at all for a straight male contestant to say how much he'd love to have one of the female Gladiators legs wrapped round them, so it's not OK when the men are gay either. The male gladiators are always very respectful/unsexual about it, and the female contestants and gladiators are also both respectful of each other.

Just fed up with it now.

It's quite common with men (gay or straight) who don't see women as equally human.

Not on the same point, but it irritated me when both female competitors pointed out the physical traits in the gladiators - her legs are so big, and she's so heavy are the two comments I think I heard. Both then made a point of saying oh not in that way comment afterwards, as if they were insinuating they were fat. These gladiators are meant to be big, heavy, strong, and the male gladiators are celebrated for it- and I hope the female gladiators celebrate it themselves too. It made me a little sad that we still feel like we have to apologise for it for women, that if we comment on anything, it's perceived as fat, not strong.

I haven't actually noticed that (it's the kids watching it really, I've only got half my attention on it), but that's a bit grim.

There was a comment from a female contestant early on about how gorgeous Sabre is, but it didn't sound sexual I didn't think, just admiring - I personally would kill for a body like hers!

Gladiators is camp but it's very clearly marketed at kids, so that's pretty icky if contenders are making it about sex.

Yes that got on my nerves too. What is great about this programme is that it's celebrating strong, healthy bodies for what they can do, rather than what they look like - or at its best it is anyway.

I think last night was the 3rd comment along those lines I've heard from male contestants.

The comments from women are, on the other hand, comments of admiration.

Most of the male contestants also comment on the male gladiators with admiration. It's the ones with a sexual undertone that really stand out to me.

Yes to the women showing young girls what female strength and power looks like, which is excellent.

Yes to the women showing young girls what female strength and power looks like, which is excellent.

Absolutely. And the majority of the women contenders have been earthy, sporty women with great attitudes, not people you instantly imagine posing for Instagram down the gym, which is so great for young girls to see.

That sounded judgemental, but you know what I mean. It's about sport and fitness, not image, on the whole.

I think that Betti's comment about the Gladiator's thighs was entirely meant as a compliment, then the reaction by the crowd made it seem otherwise, which was why she them said ' completing you btw' and looked a bit worried. I think it's more interesting that the crowd interpreted it as an insult. Betti is strong and muscular herself so would be unlikely to judge a woman negatively for muscular thighs.

Huh.The programme used to have a gay presenter and a woman, but now it's two staight males.

That's a very good point msgoodenough

Agree with you, OP. When I heard his comments I thought, why not just say 'as a gay man' and keep the focus on that. I didn't think it was horrendous but it definitely jarred for me and made me a bit grumpy too!

Who was the gay presenter? The only male presenter I remember was John fashanu

When I read the title I read it in the tone of the catchphrase, glad-ee-ators Reddddeeee. So glad-ee-ators grrrrummble. Cheered me right up.