Anna Rawson Regrets 'Dykes' Comment
by Bill Jempty on Feb 6, 2009 8:48 AM EST
30 comments
What is so controversial that she felt a need to apologize? From the Sydney Daily Telegraph:
AUSTRALIAN glamour girl Anna Rawson said she was trying to promote golf in a radio interview in which she referred to past female players as "dykes".
*****
She came under fire for her poorly chosen comments aired by NOVA 5AA in Adelaide on Wednesday.
"The tour has got so much better with so many young stars and great players,'' Rawson told the radio station in an interview arranged by her father Jim. "But the mentality unfortunately amongst the media and the industry hasn't changed.
"They still think we're at 25 years ago when the tour was full of, you know, a lot of dykes and unattractive females nobody wanted to watch.''
Rawson is talking about how the media perceives players on tour. Why should she come under fire?
The word Dyke isn't considered a slur against a female homosexual. Many lesbians use the word to describe themselves and others.
"I could never be with a woman, because I'm just fascinated by what men can do with their bodies that we can't,'' she said before admitting: "This interview will definitely get me in trouble.''
*****
"I was making a reference to how I feel society sees women's golf as a whole. I don't believe that. I wouldn't want anyone to think that was my opinion and I am sorry I said that, definitely.
"I was making a reference to how women make seven times less than men on the course and 20-to-25 times less on the sponsorship front. It's amazing how women's golf has grown and we have many great young players out here, yet society and the media haven't really caught onto that.
"That's what I was talking about, I wasn't talking about my opinion at all.''
So she can't ever be a lesbian (I can't either) and she says the usually lazy media can't or won't portray ladies golfers correctly today and the differences in prize money. Was any of this off the mark? No, so why the controversy?
Political correctness run amok.
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Where did you get your information?
Many lesbians use the word to describe themselves and others.
By that logic Bill, you, as a Caucasian, could call Tiger the “N-word” because sometimes Blacks use that word to describe themselves and others. Minorities can and do take ownership of pejoratives, but that doesn’t give you, Rawson, or anyone else permission to use the term.
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
by dianemarie on Feb 6, 2009 9:37 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
What I should have said.
Is that they use it and don’t automatically consider it an insult.
by Bill Jempty on Feb 6, 2009 9:41 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
You're missing the point
It is insulting if you or Rawson use that word.
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
by dianemarie on Feb 6, 2009 9:48 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
"Permission" ?
Since when do people in a free society need “permission” to us a word ? There might be a backlash by people who think they own a word – but those people are hypocrites if they use the word themselves – and they are just looking for an opportunity to be “offended” and lash out.
Here’s what I see – that was a dumb thing to say. No question about it. If she was trying to promote the game – does she mean that lesbians aren’t playing golf anymore ? She would have to have her head in the sand to believe that – even just on the LPGA Tour. Did she not know the meaning and implication of the word “Dyke” ? It’s not uncommon for bigger, more muscular women (straight or lesbian) to get tagged as a “dyke” – no matter how wrong the tag may be.
Most countries away from our wunnerful litigious US of A are less picky about slang – ESPECIALLY Australia. This boils down to an American writer just looking for a cheap pop.
Face it – it doesn’t matter what people say – there will always be someone out there who will be “offended”. The point is the intent of the useage.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Feb 6, 2009 10:14 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
You don't need permission to be foolish
American writer? That’s the Sydney (NSW, Australia) Daily Telegraph, not Sydney, Nebraska.
Rawson’s implication is that ALL LPGAers of the past were ugly lesbians. I’m betting that’s not the truth. And I’m still waiting for you guys to call Tiger the “N-word”.
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
by dianemarie on Feb 6, 2009 10:34 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
ain't that the truth
and boy do we human beings find interesting ways to make fools of ourselves. :-)
Anna Rawson is paid to hit golf balls and “shake her groove thang” on the modelling runway – not think. Her explanation of her choice of words is about as dumb as using the word to beging with.
"I was making a reference to how I feel society sees women’s golf as a whole. I don’t believe that. I wouldn’t want anyone to think that was my opinion and I am sorry I said that, definitely.
"I was making a reference to how women make seven times less than men on the course and 20-to-25 times less on the sponsorship front. It’s amazing how women’s golf has grown and we have many great young players out here, yet society and the media haven’t really caught onto that.
Say WHAT ??
And what do you mean by “I’m still waiting for you guys to call Tiger the "N-word" ? I’M OFFENDED !! (j/k) Are you assuming that one of "us guys” WANTS to call Tiger a name ?
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Feb 6, 2009 10:53 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That's the whole point
You (collectively, not you individually) have no problem calling any woman you perceive to be non-heterosexual a dyke. At the same time, you girly-boys are too politically correct to call Tiger an equally derogatory name.
I understand Rawson is using sex to sell the Tour to men, which means she thinks golf is inadequate to get proper attention. If she wants to pimp herself, I have no problem. But she’s inappropriately labeling anyone who doesn’t fit her over-feminized charactature.
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
by dianemarie on Feb 6, 2009 11:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
TWEET - 5 yard penalty
in case you didn’t notice – Anna Rawson is a woman – it wasn’t one of “US” that tossed out the blanket “dyke” on the past generations of professional women’s golfers…and it appears she sure as hell didn’t pay attention to her own countrywoman – Jan Stephenson, who was the pinup girl for women’s golf before Anna Rawson was even born.
Why the attack on us men ? We didn’t say it – and didn’t say it was a good thing to say. And why would you insinuate that we would even want to call Tiger Woods a name ? According to your post – if we DON’T call him names, we’re a bunch of PC Girly-men.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Feb 6, 2009 2:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
over-thinking
CG, you’re over-thinking what I’ve written. A non-Lesbian (male or female) using the “D-word” is as offensive as a non-Black using the “N-word”. Pejoratives are oppressive, but I don’t expect you to understand that.
Mr. Jempty thought it was OK to use the “D-word” because Lesbians use it among themselves. I disagree.
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
by dianemarie on Feb 6, 2009 3:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
lol
ok – so you’re going to continue being insulting – you’re proving your point except that pointing you’re pointing your finger in the wrong direction.
Pejoratives are only oppressive to the politcally correct. Slavery as it existed in the 19th century doesn’t exist today – SO – using a pejorative is not “oppressive” – unless that person allows it to be oppressive. (as an example) If I walked up to you and called you some sort of a nasty name, would you think I was being “oppressive” when I have no control over you or your life ? No – you would either laugh in my face or deck me.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Feb 6, 2009 4:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You’re just looking for a way to continue this discussion, aren’t you?
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
by dianemarie on Feb 6, 2009 5:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
No problem
I definitely think Tiger is nice.
by Double Eagle on Feb 7, 2009 1:46 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Is it really the perception...
…of the media that the LPGA is the same as it was 25 years ago? I’ll admit I’m not out there reading everything there is out there on the LPGA, but my impression is that all the media would prefer to cover is Michelle Wie, Carolyn Bivens, or the surge of international players.
by red tees on Feb 6, 2009 8:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
the media doesn't have a perception problem
They just cover what they believe the public wants to see. But a great many people I’ve talked to about women’s golf in recent years still believe that almost all of them are lesbians. None of those people were actively following women’s golf – besides Sorenstam and maybe Gulbis, they wouldn’t have known any names. I believe that is the perception problem that Rawson was stumbling over.
Bad choice of words and that the clarity of her point wasn’t good and her later clarification of it was near nonsensical, but Rawson wasn’t totally out of line here.
by hound dog on Feb 7, 2009 6:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
good points
…except maybe for the part about Rawson being out of line. It was a rude and ignorant statement – something you’d expect a snotty high school girl to say.
“journalists” are less interested in getting to know their subject except for selacious material. Wasn’t it this time last year that Ochoa was rumored to be a lesbian, and now she’s getting married…to a man, no less ? :-)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Feb 7, 2009 9:29 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Well, now
She can get slammed for marrying an ultrarich 40 year old guy. If Lorena weren’t owning women’s golf, you could go the sugar daddy route. Or calle de dulce de leche.
by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 7, 2009 9:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
she does...so you can't...
…I’m missing the point…but I’ll bet you’re right – someone out there will slam her for the age thing.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Feb 7, 2009 12:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Bad choice of words
from Rawson. And there’s plenty of reason to be offended by the use of that word. You could claim cultural immunity, but Rawson spends a whole hell of a lot of time here and knows what that work implies here.
by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 6, 2009 10:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Thanks...
for all of the interesting insight. The bottom line for me is, she was wrong – the “media” and “industry” do not think of women’s golf the way she described and they certainly don’t promote it that way – if anything, over the past 5 years or so I would say it’s completely the opposite. I don’t know why she would want to highlight such a negative stereotype.
I agree that there are probably many ‘non-fans’ of women’s golf who might have that perception, but you can’t fight ignorance – and she didn’t mention them, she said the media.
by red tees on Feb 7, 2009 5:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
would you say...
…it was a blond moment ? DOH !!! (Ooooo – the sterotypes just keep-a-flowin’) :-D
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Feb 7, 2009 9:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
but...
…don’t you think all the hot chicks and young moms stuff of the past 5 years and more is an effort to pose an laternative to the old stereotype without really challenging its homophobic logic?
by The Constructivist on Feb 7, 2009 10:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
"homophobic"
one of the most ridiculous words to enter the English language…maybe ever. Nobody cares what it actually means – and when it’s thrown out, the entention is to either embarrass or obfuscate. It’s right in there with “have you stopped beating your wife yet ?”
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Feb 8, 2009 7:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
To some extent...
I believe there was a concerted effort to refocus the image to “hot chicks” and " young Moms"…but I’m not sure I can take the leap to believe it was because people are homophobic – maybe just uninterested? Trying to tap into larger audience is a good thing, but I sometimes wonder if it really helps women’s golf – I mean, do most men really care about Anna as a golfer or just her photographs? Is the interest in her helping the Tour or just helping her? I guess if it brings people through the gates and helps the sponsors feel successful any marketing strategy is on the table.
I just don’t think Anna did the tour any favors with her comments. But it certainly brought her some nice attention. They say any press is good press, right?
by red tees on Feb 9, 2009 8:06 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
ok, I should have said "heteronormative logic"
Sorry to be unclear, I wasn’t talking about anyone’s intentions or attitudes toward homosexuals or homosexuality—I was talking about how weak a response it is to the disparaging jokes about the Lesbian Professional Golfers Tour and all that to say, in effect, “Hey, we have plenty of heterosexuals here, too.” There are all kinds of other responses open that don’t play into heteronormativity, ranging from a general celebration of the tour’s diversity and inclusiveness to a focus on pro-gay philanthropy and activism.
by The Constructivist on Feb 9, 2009 10:50 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
2+2
The sad news that LPGA founder, Betty Jameson, passed this weekend has been noted in another thread. A comment was made:
It’s a shame that original band of ladies doesn’t get more talk and appreciation.
Maybe the Founders don’t get appropriate attention because everyone thinks they’re “dykes and unattractive females.”
I’m irritated by the language Rawson used. I think she’s more interested in self-promotion than challenging income inequity. As long as the Tour is viewed as a T&A show, which Rawson and Gulbis perpetuate, the lack of parity will persist.
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
by dianemarie on Feb 9, 2009 9:34 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Anna
There is 100% parity between the tours relative to income generated by sponsors, TV, pro-am participants and paying spectators. Unlike the socialist NCAA, the PGA doesn’t have to share it’s hard revenue with an underperforming lesser entity.
The “D” word is our word. The lesbians did not make it up and we may not wish to give it back nor give permission for them to take ownership of that ‘pejorative’ (what a neat word). We do not like using it, but do not tell us (or any human being) what words YOU think we should not use. Grow up and get over yourself and get past whatever hurdle is keeping you from joining the human race.
by Vince Spence on Feb 10, 2009 9:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
You’re a real sweetheart, aren’t you? You seem to have trouble with loss of control while the world passes you by. You’re the first person to mention “revenue sharing,” but don’t limit it to the NCAA. MLB, NFL and probably NBA revenue share to one degree or another. Socialism run amok.
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
by dianemarie on Feb 12, 2009 8:46 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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