It’s another world cup, and
this time, it’s in Brazil, the street party capital of the world except now
they are pretending not to be in party mode (what with all the demonstrations
and all). It can only be expected that there will be big hair, pouty lips
and miles of flesh in abundance.
Not only are Brazillian women famed to be some of the world’s most beautiful, they are also the women who have had the most plastic surgeries. As the football goes on, a million and one side shows carry on simultaneously, mostly involving dance, cavorting and ‘behind-the-scenes’ action.
Traditionally, the number one
soccer event in the world opens with sexy- the last time, the globe swooned not
only to the lyrics but to the provocative swaying of Shakira‘s Waka Waka in
South Africa 2010. With more than 683 million views as of June 2014, she was
the popular choice for this year’s opening, but JLo and Pitbull supplied the
sexy fix just as much with the not-so-popular We are One in an opening that has
been mostly described as ‘disastrous’.
Running, kicking, sweating, diving and disrobing on
those screens will be an almost overwhelming number of incredibly attractive
men with foreign accents and soccer-level thighs in the best physical shape of
their lives. For female fans, this is both a blessing and a curse.
Female fans of men’s soccer
put up with a lot of crap to watch the sport they love, much of it from male
fans — accusations that they’re only into it because their boyfriend is, that
they don’t really understand the intricacies of the game, that they have no
business occupying space at viewing centers or at games that real, male fans
could be occupying. They’re catcalled, derided, and quizzed as though they
don’t belong there.
Basically because men’s
football is so very male-dominated, female fans tend to be very wary of doing
anything that makes them stand out as “female” or “feminine”. They will wear
trousers to games, not skirts; flat shoes, not heels; they won’t wear too much
make-up; they don’t want to be accused of being there to look at the boys, not
to watch the football. It’s almost as if this gendered/sexualised element of
watching football would detract from how much you enjoy the sport.
Having spoken to more than a
dozen female fans, the conclusion is that with our without fake eyelashes and
push-up bras, female fans are authentic. Some grew up playing it with the
boys, some fell in love with the sport alongside a parent, others became fans
after getting swept up in World Cup fever as adults. They’re in it to see the
national team spirit, to support the best athletes in the world, to see the
usual configuration of professional European leagues completely upended and
reordered on the world stage.
Advertisers pay scant attention to the statistics, and
at their peril. 2011 statistics show that though soccer is not the most beloved
sport for the ladies in the United States, African and English women love to
watch the beautiful game far more than any other sport. Women have been a big
part of the viewing audience for the better part of the last decade, at least
for the major events.
According to Forbes, 5.2 million women tuned into the
Women’s World Cup final between Japan and the U.S. (compared to 8.3
million men), making it the fifth-most viewed sporting event among females.
Well informed sports retail concerns both online and in-store have the good
sense to create and offer distinct female lines. Now, female fans are
doing more than cheering and providing comfort: they have genuine interest in
the game, just for the love of it.
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