1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:09,960 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stuff Mom never told you? 3 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: From House stuff Works dot Com. Hello and welcome to 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: the podcast. I'm Caroline and I'm Christen. So back in 5 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: two thousand nine, Kristen the IOC, the International Olympic Committee, 6 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: made the decision to add women's boxing to this year's 7 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: London Summer Olympic Games. And before this it had been 8 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: the only sport reserve for men. So now we're all 9 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: equal A story over kind of kind Well okay, yeah, 10 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: not really. There actually is a debate raging currently about 11 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: women's boxing and basically, should women engage in a sport 12 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: whose main purpose is to inflict a damage on the 13 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: opponent and that we might even possibly knock them unconscious. 14 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: That does not sound very ladylike, Caroline, which it sure doesn't. 15 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: We might wet how what I know? It shouldn't be allowed. 16 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: Well one one note though, one historical note. Women have 17 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: boxed at the Olympics before, one other time at the 18 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: nineteen o four St. Louis Games, which was the first 19 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: time that the men's boxing debut at the Olympics, but 20 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: women's boxing was relegated to a display event. Well they 21 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,040 Speaker 1: were actually both display events, but after the display event 22 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: they were like, hey, men, come on and the women 23 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: women just just keeping the little sideshow act that you are. 24 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: Could you go make us some sandwiches exactly? But it 25 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: actually it has so much more history or beyond uh 26 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: nineteen o four. Back in the seventeen twenties the first 27 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: staged women's prize fights took place. This was in in England, 28 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: and in addition to punching and kicking, women could mall 29 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: and scratch their opponents, so it was more like just 30 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: like a cat fight in the ring instead of true boxing. 31 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: And then female prize fighting happened in eighteenth and nineteenth 32 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: century European fairgrounds and an exhibition halls. But then in 33 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 1: the nineteenth century also people started clamping down on the sport. 34 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: They were very uncomfortable was seeing two women in the ring, 35 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: and for that reason it was prohibited in many U. 36 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: S States and in Europe, and it was officially banned 37 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: in Britain, for instance, in eighteen eighty, but that didn't 38 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: hold back Barbara Buttrick, a Yorkshire born fighter who was 39 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: one of the those early renegades, and let's not forget 40 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: in eighteen seventy six, Nel Saunders and Rose Harland got 41 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: in the ring and duked it out over a silver 42 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: butter dish because you know what a women need with 43 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: a coppera medal um and what is considered the first 44 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: women's match in the US. So they probably maybe inspired 45 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: ms buttrick. Yeah, Because then in the late fifties and 46 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:05,519 Speaker 1: ninety seven, to be precise, Barbara became the first female 47 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,359 Speaker 1: boxing license holder UM and she was in Dallas, Texas, 48 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: and she fought the second female boxing license holder, Phyllis Coogler, 49 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: for the first women's World Championship. And I think it's 50 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: worth pointing out that that Barbara was just ninety eight 51 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 1: pounds and four ft eleven. She's a little step fire tiny. Yeah. 52 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: So then fast forward to and women's amateur boxing is 53 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: finally integrated into the rules of the US amateur boxing program, 54 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: and then is a pretty huge year for women's boxing 55 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: because of a bout between Christie Martin and dear Dreg 56 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: Gogerdy and Christie Martin one and she became the face 57 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: of women's boxing and actually made it onto the cover 58 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: of Sports Illustrated, thus marking the birth of modern professional 59 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: women's boxing in the US. But the funny thing is, 60 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: if you go back and read that Sports Illustrated story 61 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: interviewing Martin, she could not give a hoot about women's boxing. 62 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: She liked boxing, but women, no, no, no, she says, 63 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: I'm not out to make a statement about women in 64 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: boxing or even women in sports. I'm not trying to 65 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 1: put women in the forefront. And I don't even think 66 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: this fascination with women in the ring has much to 67 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: do with that. This is about Christine Martin. Well, I mean, yeah, 68 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: quite a quite a fighting spirit there, um, but the 69 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:36,840 Speaker 1: whole profile of her just hammers home the thing of oh, yeah, 70 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: she's she's a boxer, so in that way in the 71 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,919 Speaker 1: ring she's you know, knocking out all these stereotypes. But 72 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: at home she's married to her coach and she really 73 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 1: likes to cook him dinner. For instance, include this quote 74 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: from her saying, if my house is on fire, I 75 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: want Mike Tyson carrying me out, not Christine Martin. So well, 76 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: so big first for a professional women's boxing, but Christy 77 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: Martin could care less. And then in we have the 78 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: first European Cup for women's boxing in the first World 79 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: Championship for women is held not too long ago, just 80 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: in two thousand one. Yeah, and speaking of there was 81 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 1: this New York Times article talking about how the trend 82 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: in women's boxing wasn't so much that all these women 83 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: were coming coming out of the woodwork to compete and 84 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: go pro so that they were all coming to Jim's 85 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: to get into shape. Right. But through this whole exercise trend, 86 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: actually a lot of the women who went into exercise 87 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: came out champions. Um and that. In that same New 88 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 1: York Times article, they interviewed one of the coaches who 89 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:48,359 Speaker 1: pointed out some gender differences among some boxers. Uh. He 90 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: told the Times that women are easier to train than 91 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: men because they are more relaxed and not as macho. 92 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 1: But then he goes on to point out how women 93 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: boxers do have more fragile psyche. Quote. You can't scream 94 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 1: at them like you would with a man, even though 95 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: sometimes I really want to those trouble making women. Um. 96 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:11,719 Speaker 1: One of the women who went into a gym, this 97 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: was I believe in in New York, Long Island Baby. 98 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: It was Kathy Collins, who is originally from Georgia. She 99 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: dropped a hundred one pounds in the course of her 100 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,600 Speaker 1: very strict exercise regiment, and then turned pro. She won 101 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: the first women's pro boxing match ever held in Madison 102 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: Square Garden and her fights have been on pay per 103 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 1: view and ESPN and USA Networks, and she she loves 104 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: the sport and she said that it really gives you 105 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: a sense of strength and a greater sense of self. 106 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:43,040 Speaker 1: But here's here's the latest controversy that has come up. 107 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: Because we'll get back to the Olympic stuff in a second, 108 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: But November two thousand eleven, we've just been we've been 109 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: solepaturely making these strides, getting more women in the ring, 110 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 1: toughening up, going into those those all male gyms, not 111 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:01,279 Speaker 1: given a hoot, No hoots given, no who's given. And 112 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:06,039 Speaker 1: then in November of last year, the Amateur International Boxing 113 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: Association this brilliant idea that female boxers should put on skirts. 114 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: Why not, they're women, right, they should be wearing skirts. 115 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: Maybe they should be barefoot in the ring too. Well. 116 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 1: Their argument was, how else are you going to be 117 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: able to tell if you're if you flip on a 118 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: on a boxing match, how else can you tell if 119 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: it's a woman up there but a question that that 120 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: I had, and when I first I said out why 121 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: I said it out loud when I read this, and 122 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: actually a bunch of people commenting on the articles about 123 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: this topic said the same thing. Why is it so 124 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: important to distinguish female boxers from mail boxers when you're 125 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: watching it on TV or whether you know, even if 126 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: you're a spectator in the arena? Is it not just 127 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: about the boxing? And so all these issues come up 128 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: about discomfort with the lack of gender division or obvious 129 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: gender division, UM, discomfort with women entering a traditionally may 130 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:06,119 Speaker 1: all dominated sport. Following this, this announcement, the skirt fiasco 131 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: UM the they held the European Championships in Rotterdam and 132 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: only two nations, Poland and Romania, decided to have their 133 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: boxers wear the skirts in the ring. UM and the 134 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: Polish coach told the BBC. By wearing skirts, in my opinion, 135 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: it gives a good impression, a womanly impression. Wearing shorts 136 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: is not a good way for women boxers to dress. 137 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: So much ridiculous there in that statement, right, and then UM, 138 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 1: on the heels of all these complaints, not only from 139 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 1: female boxers who are like what, I'm not going to 140 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,199 Speaker 1: wear a mini skirt and also outrage from the public. 141 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: The president of the Amateur International Boxing Association Association said, 142 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: after we hear about its comfort and how easy it 143 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:54,959 Speaker 1: is to compete in the uniform, it may be compulsory. 144 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: So he's he's trying to argue that skirts are just 145 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,959 Speaker 1: an easy, breezy kind of thing that you could just 146 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:02,560 Speaker 1: toss on and go just hop into the ring. No 147 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: need for sure. It sounds like a makeup ad um. Yeah, 148 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: well and a B A or excuse me, a I B. 149 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:11,559 Speaker 1: A spokesman recently came out and said that, oh, well, 150 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: we never we never intended to make the mandatory after 151 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 1: the president had said that they could become compulsory depending 152 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: on people's reactions to them. And on February thirteenth of 153 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:24,560 Speaker 1: this year, boxer Tyresha Douglas was quoted by Sports Illustrated 154 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: as saying, we're women, and women should be wearing a 155 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: woman's uniform. I mean, women can wear shorts, but it's boxing. 156 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: We need to look more feminine under the headgear. You 157 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:35,319 Speaker 1: don't know if it's a man or a woman. If 158 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: we don't have boobs. We're women and we need to 159 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: let people know we're women because you can't tell. But 160 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: not surprisingly, Tyresha was very much in the minority. There 161 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:49,839 Speaker 1: have not only been some amateur boxers who have headed 162 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: up a change dot org petition to get the Amateur 163 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: International Boxing Association to abandon this skirt plan um, others 164 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 1: have just spoken out in press against it because this 165 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:05,839 Speaker 1: decision um has followed quickly on the heels of the 166 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: trials for the Olympics. So there's been all of this 167 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:13,959 Speaker 1: focus on women's boxing lately, and the skirt issue keeps 168 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: coming up, and so far, to Rishia Douglas is the 169 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:20,439 Speaker 1: only person I've heard who is really outright in favor. 170 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: I found well world champion fighter Mary Calm. She's from India. 171 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 1: She compared female fighters to female competitors in sports like 172 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: tennis and wear gender specific uniforms. But I mean, I 173 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: think it's stupid and tennis, you know why, I mean, 174 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,559 Speaker 1: why should a female athletes have to wear a skirt? 175 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: Why can't she just wear what is comfortable or what 176 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 1: her coach wants her to You know what, did it matter? 177 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 1: It just seems with something like boxing too, skirts just 178 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: don't It's clearly a thing to feminize these athletes and 179 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: it's not it's not that necessary. For instance, Jara Hodge 180 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: over at Gender Focus put it very well when she said, um, 181 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:03,959 Speaker 1: the attitude is clearly persisting today. This idea of um 182 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,959 Speaker 1: a team of foxes and not boxes, which was a 183 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: quote from the nineteen sixty U S Women's chat coach 184 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: Um and they. She says that it's clearly persisting today 185 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: as many female professional athletes report feeling pressured to act 186 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:21,559 Speaker 1: and look feminine outside of sport in order to compensate 187 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: for their masculine strength. And what better segue than into 188 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 1: the gender dynamics of boxing, because, according to some sports scholars, 189 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: boxing is the ultimate egalitarian sport if you're a guy, 190 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: because once you get up in the ring, it doesn't 191 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: matter your class, your race, all your weight and size 192 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:48,839 Speaker 1: obviously will will play a role, but once you're in 193 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 1: the ring, it's all all of that goes away, and 194 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 1: you have one opponent and one mission and that is 195 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 1: to take him down. But when you toss a woman 196 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: in there, everything goes top. Feet are to be right, um. 197 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: Some researchers went to an Australian boxing gym and talked 198 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: to talk to a bunch of people, but really focused 199 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:11,239 Speaker 1: on interviews with three men and three women at this gym. 200 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: And this was a study in qualitative sociology from Faul 201 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 1: two thousand four called Suffragettes and Satin Shorts, Gender and 202 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 1: competitive Boxing, and it was interesting. They pointed out that 203 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:26,079 Speaker 1: competitive boxing can be studied productively as a paradoxical gender 204 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: regime that simultaneously enables and constrains how women quote unquote 205 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 1: do gender. Um there was one scholar that they quoted 206 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: um as saying raw aggression is thought to be the 207 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: province of men, as nurturing is the peculiar province of women. 208 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 1: The female boxer violates the stereotype and cannot be taken seriously. 209 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: She is parody, she has cartoon, she is monstrous. Yeah. 210 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: One guy the researcher talked to said, boxing isn't a 211 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: female sport. Women are feminine. It's in the society. It's 212 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:00,719 Speaker 1: probably not right. They've got rest that are going to 213 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: get whacked. Although they have done research on whether or 214 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: not female boxing endangers are breasts, specifically whether or not 215 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 1: it could um uh cause breast cancer down the road, 216 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:17,680 Speaker 1: No risk, Your breasts are safe. Yeah, boxing is pretty 217 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: it's a pretty safe sport. But the very fact that 218 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: that safety issue is one of the first things that 219 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: people bring up when they talk about women's boxing as 220 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 1: opposed to men's boxing, which we have, you know, just 221 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: accepted as yes, a little bit more more violent and 222 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: aggressive sport, but it's not, I mean, it's not something 223 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 1: that is on the forefront of our minds, it seems like. 224 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 1: And that's one of the reasons why these, uh, this 225 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: gender issue with boxing is really fascinating, because people are 226 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 1: so uncomfortable with the idea of women punching at each other, right, 227 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:53,679 Speaker 1: and some of the guys in the gym that these 228 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:56,439 Speaker 1: researchers meant to we're just that they were they were 229 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: totally uncomfortable with women who came into the gym on 230 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,080 Speaker 1: a regular basis. It's one thing if maybe you bring 231 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 1: your your steady girlfriend or your wife in there, somebody 232 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:06,199 Speaker 1: who's not going to try to distract you with her 233 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 1: her feminine wiles. But yeah, for the most part, women 234 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: in these boxing gyms were considered to be distracting or 235 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 1: weakening to men well, and I think that this is 236 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:20,119 Speaker 1: um one of the reasons why this Olympic women's boxing 237 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: landmark is is such a good thing, not just because 238 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 1: it's opening up that final sport to women, but because 239 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: a lot of the coverage that I've seen of the 240 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 1: boxing trials, which are now over, has been really positive. 241 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: You know, it's really painting these these women as athletes 242 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: is really strong and diverse and compelling, not terrifying and 243 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: monstrous and parodies of themselves. Yeah, exactly, they're just strong athletes. Well, 244 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 1: with that said, should we look at who the winners 245 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: of the boxing trials are? Absolutely absolutely starting off with 246 00:14:56,600 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: Marlon Esparza. She's the flyweight. She actually had to gain 247 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 1: six pounds to fit into to fit her small frame 248 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 1: into the really strict weight classes that the Olympic committee approved, 249 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: so they only approved weight three weight class divisions for 250 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: a hundred and twelve pounds, one thirty two and one 251 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: sixty five, which has actually caused a lot of concern 252 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: about women either gaining too much, losing too much, or 253 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: dropping out. Asparsa, like I said, gained six pounds and 254 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 1: she postponed college because she had her sight set on 255 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 1: the Olympics, and coincidentally, her last bout happened to be 256 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 1: against Tyresha Douglas, who we mentioned earlier who was pro skirts. 257 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: Pro skirt just just thrown up. Well. In the lightweight division, 258 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: we have Queen Underwood, who was a favorite going into 259 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 1: the trials. And then there's also Clarissa Shields who is 260 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: the middleweight Caroline Clarissa Shields is sixteen years old. That's amazing. Yeah, 261 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: she's a high school junior from Flint, Michigan who started 262 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: boxing at the age of eleven to make her imprisoned 263 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 1: father proud. Yeah, there's a really touching NPR story about 264 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 1: um about Shields and her her boxing journey. You want 265 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:11,920 Speaker 1: to give it a lesson, um. But the thing is, 266 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 1: the journey does not stop for these three women. Even 267 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 1: though they made it through the trials, they now have 268 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: to go on to the World Championships in China where 269 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: they have to finish in the top eight of their 270 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: weight category in order to qualify for the full Olympic 271 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: event in London. So three women to pull for. And 272 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: you pointed out that they you know, the IOC boiled 273 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,280 Speaker 1: it down to the three weight classes for men's boxing. 274 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: They've gut ten. Yeah. Uh. And coach Christie Halbert said 275 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 1: that about three thousand women register as amateur boxers in 276 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: the US in ten weight classes, and she said that 277 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: keeps the sports safe and to make it fair, to 278 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: celebrate the diversity of the human body. And so the 279 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: Amateur International Boxing Association is actually lobbying the i o 280 00:16:56,440 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 1: C to get more women into the Olympics. There's also 281 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: one quote from Queen Underwood's coach, Bashir Abdullah that I 282 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,159 Speaker 1: wanted to point out because it fits so nicely in 283 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: our conversation about gender and boxing, because initially he was 284 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 1: very uncomfortable with the idea of coaching a female boxer, 285 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: which kind of reminds me of Clint Eastwood. A million 286 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: dollar baby um and he said, I didn't want to 287 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: see women in this sport, which was based on his 288 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: religious beliefs, but he also wanted to keep his job 289 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: as a boxing coach with the U. S. Army, so 290 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:32,919 Speaker 1: he adapted when the Army's World Class Athlete program accepted women, 291 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: and he was very glad that he did. And he 292 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:39,400 Speaker 1: told inn PR there are great athletes in this women's sport. 293 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: They're more focused, they're coachable, they're more determined, and they're 294 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 1: more disciplined than mail boxers, right, which echoes what trainer 295 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:49,719 Speaker 1: Tom malloy said that you mentioned earlier that women are 296 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,919 Speaker 1: better at learning how to box, I guess, although malloy 297 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: did follow it up with how we might cry if 298 00:17:55,359 --> 00:18:00,159 Speaker 1: you yelled at us too hard? Were fragile? Fragile people? Well, 299 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,879 Speaker 1: somebody else talking about Queen Hunderwood that I like this 300 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 1: quote US boxing coaches that Joe Zanders was talking about 301 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:09,919 Speaker 1: her and said, Queen can hurt you. Queen is a killer. 302 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:12,400 Speaker 1: She has a nice doll like smile, but you can't 303 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 1: take that seriously because she has some dog in her 304 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:18,199 Speaker 1: and she will get after you. It's great embodying, you know, 305 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:22,359 Speaker 1: both ends of those. Uh, that that gender dichotomy that 306 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: everybody harps on so often. You know, Queen Underwood, man, 307 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: she's not gonna mount. And speaking of knockouts, we have 308 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 1: talked about, you know, the violence associated with boxing. But 309 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:38,879 Speaker 1: the I A b A, the same association that wants 310 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,680 Speaker 1: to put these women in skirts. According to fifteen years 311 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: of data, they have shown that women's Olympic style boxing 312 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 1: is safer than men's and compared to other sports, women's 313 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 1: boxing is incredibly safe. Yeah, and it has a very 314 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,440 Speaker 1: low rate of concussions and hand injuries and pretty much 315 00:18:56,520 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 1: no rate at all of lower extremity injury, and not 316 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: to mention that the female athlete has a more flexible neck, 317 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:08,719 Speaker 1: less shoulder and neck musculature and less upper body strength 318 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 1: than the male athlete, which means she might not pack 319 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,120 Speaker 1: as hard of a punch, but she might take one 320 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:18,120 Speaker 1: a little bit better than the dudes. Um, And just 321 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 1: to hammer home the point of the safety of women's boxing, 322 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 1: according to study from Australia, it is much safer than 323 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:35,880 Speaker 1: pony riding, polo, touch football, even cricket and soccer. Okay, 324 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: well there you go. But um, that's study by the 325 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: a I b A actually pointed out that you know, 326 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:44,160 Speaker 1: and what we already know this that boxing is an 327 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:46,879 Speaker 1: excellent workout. That's why all those people are going to 328 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 1: boxing gyms to try to get fit. For the average 329 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 1: on forty pound woman, it burns nearly eight hundred calories 330 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 1: per hour, compared with riding a stationary bike at six 331 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: d and fifty calories per hour and jogging at nine 332 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,400 Speaker 1: in hundred. But women are protected. They wear leather groin protector, 333 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,160 Speaker 1: they wear hard plastic cups inserted into a sport spra, 334 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: and they wear depending on the weight, they either were 335 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 1: eight ounce gloves for women up two hundred forty pounds 336 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 1: or ten ounce gloves for the heavier women, and of 337 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 1: course amateurs wear headgear two So they're in a safe sport, 338 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 1: they're getting fit and they're they're protecting themselves at the 339 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:23,959 Speaker 1: same time. But the one big restriction women out there 340 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,919 Speaker 1: who are thinking about boxing, if you are pregnant, you 341 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: are not allowed to box. Although there was a pregnant 342 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,639 Speaker 1: curler in the last Olympics, but I guess you know, 343 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:39,680 Speaker 1: curling is a pretty low intensity sport, low contact. Yeah. 344 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:41,240 Speaker 1: If I remember seeing there was, it was like a 345 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:45,879 Speaker 1: big splashy headline like pregnant olympian. Oh she's curling. Nothing 346 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: against curlers out there, or pregnant women or pregnant curlers. 347 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: We like all of these people, but pregnant boxers, now 348 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 1: that is just a risk that should not be taken, right. Um. 349 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:59,159 Speaker 1: So yeah, three awesome athletes to keep an ear out for. 350 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:05,119 Speaker 1: As the Olympic trials continue to China for those World Championships, 351 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,399 Speaker 1: I really hope that they will place so that we 352 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: can see them in London this summer. So let's hear 353 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 1: from any of our listeners who do box, male or female, 354 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:17,439 Speaker 1: but you know mostly female. I want to hear if 355 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: you got involved in the sport because you want to fight, 356 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: or if you want to get in shape, or if 357 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: it was intimidating walking into that boxing gym? Right? Did 358 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: you have to deal with a lot of angry stairs 359 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 1: from men who you were clearly distracting. Did you have 360 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 1: a Clint Eastwood like coach to help you along the way. Yeah, 361 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:36,879 Speaker 1: someone surly who came to love you. Let us know 362 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: all of these things. Mom Stuff at Discovery dot com 363 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: is the email address, and I have a letter here 364 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:47,680 Speaker 1: from Justina in response to your episode about gendered toys 365 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: and those pink legos that are causing such a curfuffle. 366 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: She writes, I have no problem with petitions and putting 367 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:57,879 Speaker 1: pressure on companies to not overdo the gender thing, but 368 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:00,399 Speaker 1: I believe the key to successfully mix it up with 369 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,719 Speaker 1: toys is parenting and what you model at home. My 370 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 1: husband and I have one daughter and one son, and 371 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: when they were little, we had toys from all over 372 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: the gender spectrum for them to play with. But it's 373 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: not enough to simply place your kid in a room 374 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:15,560 Speaker 1: full of toys. You as the parent, need to spend 375 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:17,879 Speaker 1: some time playing with him or her. And if your 376 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:19,880 Speaker 1: little girl is building a lego house with her mom, 377 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: she is learning that women can build and even better. 378 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: Our kids saw and still see mom repairing electronics, doing 379 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: computer set up for the home network, and also cooking 380 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:30,920 Speaker 1: and doing embroidery. Their dad also cooks and cleans and 381 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: is to go to math and physics tutor. Mom takes 382 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:37,879 Speaker 1: care of chemistry, social studies, and English essay critiques. So 383 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 1: thank you, Justina, and I have a correction here from Julie. 384 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:44,399 Speaker 1: And this is actually a correction we've received from several 385 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: people on our Facebook wall, so it's good too. It's 386 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:48,879 Speaker 1: good to point this out. Um. She said that I 387 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 1: listened to the Tattoo podcast recently and realized that you 388 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: said in the Bible Rebecca was married to Abraham. In fact, 389 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 1: she was his daughter in law married to his son Isaac. 390 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,880 Speaker 1: So thank you. I'm glad could finally lay that to rest. Yes. Um, So, 391 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:07,359 Speaker 1: if you have any boxing stories, random thoughts, corrections, anything 392 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:09,400 Speaker 1: at all you'd like to send our way, you can 393 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,919 Speaker 1: get in touch with those myriad ways. Mom stuff at 394 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:15,360 Speaker 1: Discovery dot com is our email address. You can find 395 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at mom 396 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:21,240 Speaker 1: Stuff Podcast, and you can see what we're doing during 397 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 1: the week on our home website, how stuff works dot com. 398 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,399 Speaker 1: Be sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff 399 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 1: from the Future. Join how Stuff Work staff as we 400 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:38,439 Speaker 1: explore the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The 401 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 1: House Stuff Works iPhone app has a ride. Download it 402 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:48,680 Speaker 1: today on iTunes. Brought to you by the reinvented two 403 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 1: thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are you