1 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and you're listening to stuff Mom 2 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: never told you m as a lot of you probably heard. 3 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: USA Gymnastics has filed for bankruptcy. This after two years 4 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: of scandals involving Larry Nasser's sexually abusing female gymnasts, cover 5 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: ups and resignations that led to the stripping of us 6 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 1: A G s governing body status by the US Olympic Committee. 7 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: What does that mean? Two hundred thousand folks, from gymnasts 8 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: to coaches, to clubs to judges have no institution to 9 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: turn to when it comes to sponsoring or administering events. 10 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:52,520 Speaker 1: But it turns out filing for bankruptcy will allow USA 11 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: Gymnastics to maintain its position. It stops the process of 12 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: decertification and puts on hold all litigation. Yeah, that's a 13 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: big deal. One hundred lawsuits, three hundred and fifty plaintiffs 14 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: amounting to an estimated one hundred and fifty million dollars, 15 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: and any further investigation into the complicity of U S 16 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: a G is stopped. They are trying to evade justice, 17 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: and we owe the survivors so much more than that. 18 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 1: I don't know what's going to happen to us A 19 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: g but these talented young American female gymnasts are kicking ass. 20 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:31,759 Speaker 1: They just got first place at World Championships and Deha 21 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: Cutter and Simone Biles tied a Russian gymnasts slept Vonna 22 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 1: Corkina for most medals won by a female gymnast and 23 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:44,279 Speaker 1: both the most gold medals of any female gymnast in history. Also, 24 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: Biles spent the night before the qualifiers in Doha in 25 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: a hospital for a kidney stone. That's pretty impressive. In 26 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: this classic episode, we look back at the history of 27 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: women in gymnastics. Hey, stuff, I've never told you, Kristen here. 28 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: Before we get into today's episode on Olympic gymnastics, I 29 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: wanted to acknowledge some major news that was actually breaking 30 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: while Caroline and I were recording this episode. Um, there 31 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: has been a report that was published in the Indianapolis 32 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: Star newspaper which finds that USA Gymnastics, which is the 33 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: Olympic Gymnastic organization, has been systematically covering up allegations of 34 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 1: sexual abuse by gymnastics coaches. And this is something because 35 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: we weren't aware of how this was happening, we don't 36 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: talk about in the podcast, but we just wanted to 37 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: acknowledge that we realized that this has happened, and if 38 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: this is something that you all would like us to 39 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: come back and talk about in more depth, absolutely email 40 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: us at mom Stuff at how stuff works dot com. 41 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: But we just wanted to say a couple words so 42 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: that you all don't think that we are also turning 43 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: a blind eye to this major problem that is not 44 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:19,079 Speaker 1: only implicated USA Gymnastics as a whole, but also Bella Coroli, 45 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:24,359 Speaker 1: who has been accused in the past of psychologically abusing gymnasts, 46 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 1: and also his wife, Marta Caroli Um, who is the 47 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: current team coordinator for USA Gymnastics. So some sad news 48 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: to start off this episode, but important nonetheless for us 49 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: to acknowledge. And with that, let's get onto the show. 50 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff Mom Never Told You. From how Stuff 51 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 52 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: Kristen and I'm Caroline, and today we are talking gymnastics. 53 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: I'm I'm excited. I'm so excited. UM. So many little 54 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: girls that I grew up with did gymnastics. I was 55 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: not myself a joiner. I was a very shy only 56 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,359 Speaker 1: child and my parents were just like okay, with me 57 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 1: not participating. Yeah. I also I can't do a pull up, 58 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: So gymnastics was never something on my mind, at least 59 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, whole other ball field. I was 60 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: all about the ribbon dancer. I would try to do 61 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 1: the ball like body juggle thing that they do, which 62 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: really just looks like, you know, like people at Bonnaroo 63 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,039 Speaker 1: with this like well, it also reminds me of of 64 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 1: a video I just watched yesterday of an otter that 65 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: was on a rock and it was throwing a rock 66 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,039 Speaker 1: between its paws, and I like, this looks like that 67 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: gymnastics thing. Why don't the outer Olympics exist. We've got 68 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: the puppy bowl, I know, so we need the Auto Olympics. 69 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: Well yeah, because oh and oh works perfectly Oor Olympics. Hello, 70 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: already picturing the logo. It's so cute in my head. 71 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 1: Call us Television, we have ideas. That's how that works, right, Yeah, 72 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 1: it's just television. Just calls us Television, Inc. Gives you 73 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: a ring. But back to women's gymnastics, not outs okay, 74 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: which you were talking about today. Uh, some listeners had 75 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: requested it. But also, Caroline, I have as many people 76 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 1: do a real soft spot for women's gymnastics in the 77 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:45,919 Speaker 1: Summer Olympics. It's like the reason, well, no, there are 78 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 1: a lot of really good Summer Olympics events, but gymnastics 79 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: is such a crowd fave it is. And I was 80 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 1: just listening. Maybe some other listeners out there heard this too, 81 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: but I was listening to NPR yesterday and there was 82 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: a sports reporter who was talking about how swimming and 83 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: track and field had always been the glamour pusses, the 84 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: stars of the Olympics, and how uh, starting with Nadia Kamin, 85 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: that all changed and gymnastics captured everyone's imaginations. And I 86 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: mean that totally rings true for me too, because I 87 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: grew up either watching ice skating with my mother or 88 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 1: watching women's gymnastics with my mother. Like I don't I 89 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: literally literally until this previous Summer Olympics, in literally have 90 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 1: no recollection of watching swimming, and I certainly didn't really 91 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: care much about track and field. Oh I enjoy track 92 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: and field. I mean I watched it, but I don't. 93 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 1: I I literally don't remember watching swimming, but track and 94 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: field I was always like, yeah, they're very fast, but 95 00:06:53,880 --> 00:07:00,359 Speaker 1: but gymnastics there's so much like shows of incredible drink 96 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: and grace and power, And I mean, we certainly will 97 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 1: talk about that and talk about some of the women 98 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: who have exhibited all of that strength and grace and power, 99 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: but we're also going to address the issue of how 100 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: people speak differently about certain types of gymnasts and the 101 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 1: language they use. Yeah, so you watched the Summer and 102 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 1: Winter Olympic events with your mom. I am curious to another, Caroline, 103 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: did your dad watch any Olympics? Some more of a 104 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: curling man old Chad. I'm sure Chad watched the Olympics, 105 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: but I really my I don't think he ever watched 106 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 1: ice skating with us in the Winter Olympics, and I 107 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 1: don't know if he was around to watch the gymnastics. 108 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 1: I think I think I do remember track and field 109 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: being like the prime time event that we would watch together, 110 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 1: all of us. Oh, did you ever watch speed skating? 111 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: Side note? That was one of my favorite and still 112 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: is one of my favorite winter powerful thighs, Such powerful thighs. 113 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: Um when the Olympic Summer Olympics were in Atlanta. In 114 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: for listeners who might not know, Caroline and I are 115 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: sitting right now in Atlanta, Georgia, Um, where we work 116 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: and live. Was it a big deal for you? You 117 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: know your family lives right outside of Atlanta. Yeah, we 118 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: got out of town. Oh you did. Yeah, my parents 119 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: were not having it. Yeah we my They did take 120 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: me to the Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta, and 121 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: I remember that being pretty cool. It was hot, it 122 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 1: was so hot, and I remember going and you could 123 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 1: buy all sorts of Olympic swag, and they had like 124 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: this massive display of pins, like pins to stick on 125 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: your clothes. And I remember being so excited to get 126 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: the soccer pin. Because little Carol loved to play soccer, 127 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: it was too afraid to join a team. So even 128 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: though I loved playing and I had a great time 129 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: doing it and I was not terrible for someone who 130 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: had no practice or training, I never joined a team. 131 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 1: And so buying that little pin was like my little 132 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,199 Speaker 1: joiner moment. I love that story so much. Do you 133 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 1: think you still have that pen? Oh? I'm sure I do, uh, 134 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: because listen up, there's a denim vest hanging in my 135 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:28,680 Speaker 1: childhood closet covered in pens. Oh my gosh, um, if 136 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: my mom hasn't thrown it out every once in a 137 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: while she gets real like up in arms about how 138 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 1: much stuff is left at the house. Um, but also no, 139 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: so uh, you know. We we visited Centennial Park, I 140 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:41,560 Speaker 1: bought the pins. I felt bad about not playing on 141 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: a soccer team, and then my parents swept us out 142 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: of town to go to our lake house in Michigan, 143 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: where I was sitting on the couch the morning they 144 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: were reporting on the Olympic Park bombing. So I remember 145 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: running out to my mother and being like, there's a bomb, 146 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: you know, in Atlanta, and my mother being like, mommy's talking. 147 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: Just wait a second, and I'm like, really nothing, okay. Yeah, 148 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 1: that that was kind of embarrassing. That and the fact 149 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 1: that our Olympic mascot was named. It was nicknamed Izzy, 150 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: which stood for what is it? Yeah, people didn't people 151 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: did not know what it is. Um, it was toothpaste 152 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: with eyeballs. Basically, it really did look like that. It was. 153 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: It was pretty sad. We were the laughing stock of 154 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: the mascot world. Yes, yeah, yeah, I mean that's a 155 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 1: that's a tough crowd right there. Meanwhile, not not terribly 156 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:43,200 Speaker 1: far away from you, I was a young kid who 157 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 1: had Olympic fever. Long story short, my parents were friends 158 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:53,720 Speaker 1: with the family of a Canadian rhythmic gymnast, so I 159 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:58,079 Speaker 1: got to go to the Olympic village, which was very cool. Um. 160 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 1: I also collected as many pins as I could. I 161 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 1: was also very proud of a souvenir shirt that I 162 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:09,319 Speaker 1: bought in Athens, which is outside of Atlanta, where the 163 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: University of Georgia is where a lot of events took place. 164 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 1: Um And because of the Athens Greece link, my souvenir 165 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: shirt was in all these like Greek olympiad um athletes, 166 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,680 Speaker 1: and I didn't really notice until I think, like my 167 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:28,439 Speaker 1: brother pointed it out that they were totally like penises 168 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 1: on the shirt. Sweet little congers. She didn't know. I didn't. 169 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 1: I didn't. I didn't know. I didn't know to look there. Um. 170 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: But ninety six was the year of the Magnificent Seven, 171 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:45,439 Speaker 1: and I was watching on television because we weren't it 172 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: was such a hot ticket. We couldn't go to gymnastics, 173 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: and I was watching it not far away from where 174 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: it was happening. And I remember very vividly sitting in 175 00:11:55,679 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: my parents living room watching Carrie strug twist her ankle 176 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: during the vault and then hobble back and land that 177 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:11,280 Speaker 1: second vault, and then her coach comes up and scoops 178 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 1: her up. It's like an iconic moment when he carries there. Yeah. 179 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: And then on SNL Chris Katan you know, started like 180 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 1: the whole sketch where he was Carrie Drugs little brother 181 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: like Kippy or something. Um. But yeah, I I had 182 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: huge gymnastics fever that year. Well yeah, because I can't 183 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: walk in a straight line. How can they do all 184 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: that they do on a balance beam? I mean it 185 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:40,079 Speaker 1: truly was magnificent. But I have a feeling that And 186 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 1: then no, no shade on Carrie Strug and the other 187 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: gals who, by the way, we're rocking some amazing wind 188 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:49,839 Speaker 1: suits and bangs back then I have a feeling that 189 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: their performances might pale in comparison to the Rio Games, 190 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:57,440 Speaker 1: where we have none other than three time world champion 191 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: Simone Biles, who is representing the OS and might make 192 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: gymnastics history. Oh she's incredible. I never thought I would 193 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,960 Speaker 1: say these words out loud in a sentence, but I 194 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: could seriously watch videos of her flipping around all day long. Yeah, 195 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:18,959 Speaker 1: she she I was just telling Kristen before we came 196 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: into record that I feel that Simone Biles is able 197 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: to defy physics because if you watch her videos of 198 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:30,559 Speaker 1: her routines, it literally will look like there's not enough 199 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: time and space for her to continue flipping so that 200 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 1: her head is above her feet, you know, allowing her 201 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 1: to land on her feet and not her head. And 202 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 1: she does it, She pulls it off and I don't 203 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: know how Yeah, I mean, and she is so talented. Uh, 204 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 1: she's basically the Serena Williams of gymnastics, only very compact. Yes, 205 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:56,439 Speaker 1: much shorter, but probably as strong. I mean, that girl 206 00:13:56,559 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 1: is nothing but muscle um. And we're going to talk 207 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: more about files later in the episode, but I also 208 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: want to mention that I'm going to be keeping an 209 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:09,800 Speaker 1: eye out for Deepa car Mocker, who is the very 210 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 1: first female gymnasts from India ever to qualify for the Olympics, 211 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 1: and she stands a good chance to win a medal 212 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 1: at rio because apparently her vault is incredible. She can 213 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 1: do this type of vault. I forget what kind of 214 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: it's called, but this vault that is deadly because if 215 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 1: you overshoot it, you can break your neck very easily 216 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: and die. Um, but she can do it Deepa has 217 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: got it nailed, so they're thinking that she might. She's 218 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: definitely a metal contender. You said, you said deadly vault, 219 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 1: and I immediately am like spy thriller and I'm like 220 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 1: picturing her as a spy and like all she does 221 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 1: is like tumble and vault around and and and kill enemies. 222 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: But I would watch that Netflix show. Yeah, hello, yes, 223 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 1: And I you totally brought my mood down the when 224 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: you said that it's deadly because she could she could 225 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 1: hurt herself. Yeah yeah, I mean only a couple other 226 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 1: gymnasts have performed the style of vault just because it's 227 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: so uh it's it takes such a intense level of skill. Okay, 228 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: I'll be watching deeper, but maybe through my fingers over 229 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: my eyes. Yeah yeah. Um. And a quick disclaimer for 230 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 1: gymnastics fans out there, We are just going to focus 231 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: on Olympic gymnastics because if we tried to cover the 232 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 1: entirety of the sport, which thrives on the college level 233 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 1: as well in C double A gymnastics is huge. Um, 234 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:43,760 Speaker 1: we would be here all day. Oh yeah, I mean 235 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: when I was in college, when you and I were 236 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 1: in college, we were in college together. The gym dogs 237 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: were a huge thing u G as women's gymnastics team. 238 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 1: Gym dogs were so popular. Dogs with a spelled d 239 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 1: a w G. Because we are in the South, Doug 240 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: Jim dogs. So we can't be here forever talking about 241 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 1: the entirety of the sport. Nor can we be here 242 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 1: forever talking about the gym dogs and how often my 243 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 1: roommate went to see them UM at the coliseum in Athens, Georgia, 244 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: not Greece. But we should point out that there's actually, 245 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 1: out of all of the different types of gymnastics, there's 246 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 1: only three at the Olympics, artistic, rhythmic and trampoline. And 247 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: rhythmic is the one with the ribbons, right, yes, the ribbons, 248 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 1: the pins, the ball and the seeming lack of spines 249 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 1: because they can just twist all which way. It's it's 250 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: the closest you will get at the Olympics to a 251 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: circus performance. It's incredible. UM. But yeah, we're we aren't 252 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 1: going to talk about rhythmic. We're just going to focus 253 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: on artistic um trampling gymnastics. That sounds like a lot 254 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: of fun, but we're not talking about that today. Um. 255 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 1: And we are obviously going to talk about people like 256 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 1: Simone Biles and Nadia Komanacchi and Mary lou Retton who 257 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: have really, um, you know, made the sport what it is. 258 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 1: But we also want to talk about how women's gymnastics 259 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:14,160 Speaker 1: is especially vulnerable to sexist sports media coverage. Yeah, big surprise, 260 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: no surprise there at all. But first we're gonna summer 261 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 1: salt right in to a little bit of history courtesy 262 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:27,120 Speaker 1: of gym Turnet, which I discovered. There's a whole internet 263 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:29,680 Speaker 1: devoted to the gymnastics and it is referred to as 264 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: the gym turnet and I love that. But there's also 265 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:36,680 Speaker 1: a site Jim turn dot net I eat Gymternet, which 266 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:41,400 Speaker 1: is just terrific. It's just this treasure trove of gymnastics information, 267 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,320 Speaker 1: more gymnastics information that one could possibly ever even want 268 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 1: unless you are so into the sport. Um. So we 269 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: reverenced that a lot. And also there was a great 270 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: piece over Fusion focus specifically on gymnasts of color in 271 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 1: the Olympics. So let's get in our podcast. Time is 272 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,359 Speaker 1: back to Let's go back to nineteen twenty eight, right, 273 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 1: we're not going back to ancient Greece. No, no, we're 274 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 1: skipping ancient Greece hopping into American women have been able 275 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:16,399 Speaker 1: to vote for eight years. Terrific, wonderful. And the Olympics 276 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:20,399 Speaker 1: are in Amsterdam, and this is the first time that 277 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: women gymnasts are invited to participate, but not American lady gymnasts. Right, 278 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 1: American women did not go. There weren't that many women 279 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:33,439 Speaker 1: gymnasts in the Olympics. And in nineteen thirty two, those 280 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:37,640 Speaker 1: l A Games did not invite the lady gymnast back, 281 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:43,520 Speaker 1: largely due to UM, the International Gymnastics Federation's determination that 282 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 1: it would be economically like foolish to fly all these 283 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: European girls over to l A to compete in a 284 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: country where the sport was not popular. Yeah. Well, I 285 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: mean you also have to keep in mind the context 286 00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: of the time. Right nineteen thirty two, You've got the 287 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 1: Great Depression, and so for a lot of people it's 288 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:04,920 Speaker 1: just not economically feasible to be able to travel UM. 289 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 1: And at the same time, you have a lot of 290 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 1: gymnastics programs being dropped from U S schools because of 291 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 1: financial issues. So basically people are kind of in general 292 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 1: hunkering down and trying to weed out things that aren't 293 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,400 Speaker 1: uh super vital to their day in and day out lives. Yeah, 294 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 1: so it just wasn't a ton of interest. Um. But 295 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: then in n six, team USA goes to the Olympics 296 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 1: for the first time. But it's it's sort of a 297 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: dark time to premiere at the Olympics because these were 298 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 1: the Berlin Games. Um. And I say it was a 299 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,360 Speaker 1: dark time not just because the team didn't meddle um, 300 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: but because it was essentially like the Nazi Games. Yeah. 301 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:57,439 Speaker 1: So that really emotional and beautiful uh torch relay that 302 00:19:57,480 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: we have every year for the Olympics, you know in 303 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: atlant night was so emotional because you had Muhammad Ali 304 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,639 Speaker 1: lighting the torch at the very end. It was just 305 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: I just I remember that so clearly, um, watching him 306 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 1: do that. Hitler started that. I had no idea. I 307 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:18,880 Speaker 1: didn't know that either because as NBC, who basically owns 308 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,160 Speaker 1: the Olympics, as NBC just tried to like cover that 309 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:28,480 Speaker 1: up or the ioc um. Yeah. So the torch relay 310 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: started that year, started in Greece and ended in Berlin, 311 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:35,119 Speaker 1: and I realized that this has nothing to do with 312 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 1: gymnastics specifically, but we can't that's an important Olympic side. Yeah, 313 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,399 Speaker 1: we can't not share this. Um. The Torch Relay started 314 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 1: in Greece, ends in Berlin and the final runner that 315 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:53,679 Speaker 1: year passed through rows of Swasseka flags and it was 316 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 1: Nazi propaganda, yeah, because they were basically trying to associate 317 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 1: themselves with these superior athletes and intellects of ancient Greece. Yeah. So, UM, 318 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: never gonna look at the Torch Relay quite the same 319 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:13,879 Speaker 1: again because it started as a Nazi propaganda. They even 320 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 1: had Lenni riefenstall Uh film this relay and release it 321 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:22,920 Speaker 1: in her documentary about the Olympics called Olympia. So a 322 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 1: little bit of a Nazi history for all you smnty listeners. 323 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 1: And honestly, since nineteen thirty six was the Nazi Olympics, 324 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 1: no big loss that t m USA did not medal, 325 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 1: It's fine, It's totally fine. Um. We should also note 326 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:43,320 Speaker 1: that during that time only team medals were granted. It 327 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: wasn't until nineteen fifty two in Helsinki that individual medals 328 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:53,159 Speaker 1: were given and when gymnasts could compete as individuals like 329 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:58,199 Speaker 1: a simoon biles Ah well, speaking of individuals, from nineteen 330 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 1: fifty six to sixty four, you have Soviet Union gymnast 331 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:05,960 Speaker 1: Larissa Lady Nina I think, I think that's right, Lady 332 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 1: Nina winning eighteen medals and this makes her the most 333 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: decorated Olympian ever until freak of nature Michael Phelps comes 334 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 1: along American swimmer and Phelps is back in Rio. Yeah 335 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,119 Speaker 1: I know, but okay, another side note, like have you 336 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:26,440 Speaker 1: seen those diagrams of him and his like wingspan and 337 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:30,359 Speaker 1: like all of these ratios where they show that he 338 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: is like a physical freak of nature and that is 339 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 1: how he is able to just dominate swimming. Anyway, it 340 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: should be interesting to watch this year. Okay, moving on 341 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:45,640 Speaker 1: to nineteen six in Montreal, this is when we have 342 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 1: Romania's Nadia combin Hi becoming the first gymnast to score 343 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: a perfect ten and she does it on the uneven 344 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 1: bars and this was a huge moment for the sport. 345 00:22:55,600 --> 00:23:00,160 Speaker 1: This was really it's worldwide coming out party beca as 346 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 1: people start paying way more attention because oh, whoa, you 347 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: have this gymnast scaring a perfect ten? How how is 348 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:09,880 Speaker 1: that possible? We must start watching this thing and then 349 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:15,879 Speaker 1: fast forward to when Mary Lou Written slays the Olympics. 350 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:19,480 Speaker 1: She becomes the first American woman to win the all 351 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:24,440 Speaker 1: around gold. So the US is like, oh, we are 352 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:26,880 Speaker 1: all about the Olympics now. This is when you start 353 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:33,119 Speaker 1: to see little girls around the country just flooding gymnastics classes. Yeah. 354 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 1: We'll keep in mind too that in eight four the 355 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:39,560 Speaker 1: Soviet block was boycotting the Games, which meant you didn't 356 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: have those like gymnastics dominating countries that were typically it 357 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 1: was what so it's the Soviet Union, You've got Romania 358 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:51,199 Speaker 1: in there. I want to also say it's basically like 359 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: Eastern Europe and today Russia. Um, that really dominated for 360 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 1: most of um Olympic history. Yeah until the eighties. When 361 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 1: you have Merrily Retten in her haircut, that's right, got 362 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:07,720 Speaker 1: that haircut. It's kind of like a bowl cut. Would 363 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 1: that be the best description? Yeah? So classic. Um. But 364 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 1: she landed three perfect tens. She got one for her 365 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 1: floor exercise um and two for vaults. But speaking of 366 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:24,639 Speaker 1: perfect tens, big moment in two thousand and six when 367 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:28,240 Speaker 1: the perfect tens scoring system was swapped out with open 368 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: ended scoring to reward more difficult routines. That so that 369 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:36,760 Speaker 1: NPR sports reporter that I was talking about earlier his opinion, 370 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 1: and I'll be interested to hear from from gymnasts and 371 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 1: gymnastics fans out there, because I don't know. UM. But 372 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,880 Speaker 1: he was arguing that switching to this new system made 373 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: it less exciting or I mean, he still loves gymnastics 374 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:52,560 Speaker 1: and loves to watch it, but he said that there 375 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: was something thrilling about watching gymnasts try to strive for 376 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: the perfect ten. Um. In my had I was like, well, 377 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:03,159 Speaker 1: but when you want to score, that reflects the difficulty 378 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:05,679 Speaker 1: and all of this stuff. I don't know, So someone 379 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:07,479 Speaker 1: needs to write in and tell me what they think 380 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 1: and what I and what I should think. Honestly. Well, 381 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: I mean it just makes sense, like of thinking about 382 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: any kind of grading system, you can get a one hundred, 383 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:19,240 Speaker 1: like just that feeling of you cannot do any better. 384 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 1: But with this open scoring system, it's always possible to. 385 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:25,840 Speaker 1: I mean, with some someone like someone Biles coming along, 386 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:28,919 Speaker 1: you know she would have nothing but perfect tends, and 387 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:30,919 Speaker 1: so in that way it would get kind of boring, 388 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 1: I would think. So I would argue the opposite. UM. 389 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 1: When we look though at the gendering of the sport 390 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: because of how much focus is on women's gymnastics. It's 391 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: one of those rare sports where people care seem to 392 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:52,160 Speaker 1: care a lot more about uh, the women's sport, dan 393 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,400 Speaker 1: the men's sport, even though hello, pommel horse could watch 394 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 1: that all day. Um, it's so feminine codd which I 395 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:02,400 Speaker 1: think is part of why it is so popular, because 396 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: it's it's so athletic and it takes so much strength, 397 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 1: but it's softened by all of the glitter and the 398 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 1: fancy leotards and the hair, which are really fun, but 399 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 1: some argue that they're distracting, and really all the scrunch 400 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:22,160 Speaker 1: ees good scrunchy style. And gymnastics isn't the only feminine 401 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 1: coated sport like this In the Winter Olympics. Of course, 402 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,040 Speaker 1: you have figure skating, which I feel like it is 403 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:31,280 Speaker 1: sort of the the gendered equivalent. Diving is also arguably 404 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:36,000 Speaker 1: feminine because it's all about grace and tiny puddles don't 405 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: make any ripples. I love watching diving. I know what's 406 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:44,239 Speaker 1: it scares me because Greg lugainis no just next I'm 407 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,440 Speaker 1: worried about next snapping Yeah, well oh when he hit 408 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:50,920 Speaker 1: his head, Yeah no, I'm yeah, we just people hurting 409 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:53,960 Speaker 1: themselves in general. It makes me very nervous. But what's 410 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 1: interesting about that whole feminine coated thing, you know, moving 411 00:26:56,520 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 1: on from from tiny puddles and broken necks, uh, is 412 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:04,480 Speaker 1: the fact that that is most of what's broadcast when 413 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 1: it comes to women, right, Like the sports that are 414 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:12,400 Speaker 1: more female or feminine coated are more likely to be broadcast, right. 415 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:14,359 Speaker 1: But I think that's also like the chicken egg thing. 416 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: I don't think that we like love gymnastics because it's 417 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:25,760 Speaker 1: what we see the most, but rather broadcasters show mostly 418 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 1: these more like feminine coated sports. So there was a 419 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:35,679 Speaker 1: unc study of the Beijing Summer Games which analyzed, um, 420 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 1: you know, how much like what kinds of sports were 421 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 1: broadcast when, and they found that six of women's prime 422 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 1: time coverage was exclusively gymnastics, swimming, and diving. And then 423 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: if you add in beach volleyball and any sport where 424 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 1: women compete in leotards or swimsuits, that goes up to 425 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,879 Speaker 1: so I mean there there is I think there is 426 00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:05,399 Speaker 1: a very gendered aspect to the kinds of Olympic female 427 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:09,400 Speaker 1: Olympic sports that are the most considered the most mainstream. 428 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:18,120 Speaker 1: But the thing is gymnastics culture is undeniably fun and girly. Yeah. 429 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,600 Speaker 1: I mean, let's just look at the history of the haircuts. 430 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:23,480 Speaker 1: I mean, what what were we looking at that had 431 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:26,400 Speaker 1: the whole history of gymnastics fashion. That's the gym turnet. 432 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 1: The gym turnet. Oh my god, it's it's a pretty 433 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:36,680 Speaker 1: detailed breakdown of the evolution of gymnastics fashion. And it's 434 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: fascinating because you go from like the little Merrily Retten 435 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,720 Speaker 1: bowl cuts. You've got the feathered bangs all the way 436 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: up to these slick, slicked back ponytails with the scrunch eese. 437 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 1: I love it. It is unapologetically girly. So um one 438 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: thing I didn't know about gymnastics hair because my you know, 439 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: personal three with gymnastics only stretches back to really like um, 440 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 1: Erica Peterson over on the gym turnet starts off the 441 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: timeline with the sixties bouffont I mean, which I just 442 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: love imagining gymnasts today with a buff wouldn't that mess 443 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: you up? Let if it gets caught on something, No, 444 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 1: I know, it makes no sense. But then she mentions, 445 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: how was Pivotal with pigtails? Yeah, which is like fun 446 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: to look at. But it's also kind of weird and 447 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 1: creepy on the other side, because all of a sudden 448 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,240 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy two, with girls starting to wear pigtails, 449 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 1: you do see a shift from focusing on like adult 450 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 1: lady people gymnasts to the focus on very small, young 451 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:55,560 Speaker 1: looking girls being the gymnasts on TV. Yeah. I mean, 452 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 1: and it's not just them looking young, I mean the 453 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 1: sport itself like shift down in age. And the way 454 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: Peterson describes it was as it was out with the 455 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 1: old debutante up dudes and in with the charming youths. 456 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:13,400 Speaker 1: You this uh and and four years later, in nineteen 457 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: seventy six, Nadia Komen introduced the pony You got that 458 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 1: that famous ponytail, and they all had yarn tying their 459 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,239 Speaker 1: hair up, yarn ribbons. That was like a thing for 460 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 1: a while, And I vaguely do remember going to school 461 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: with girls who use that fat yarn to tie their 462 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 1: hair up. I had some of that fat yarn. Not 463 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:38,000 Speaker 1: to brag, I did not have fat yarn, but it 464 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 1: is interesting to see the little leg yarn dangling out 465 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:45,320 Speaker 1: of their hair. I love how the yarn is so fascinating. 466 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: It is it is. It's weird. It was just a 467 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:49,640 Speaker 1: different type of I mean, like, how is it different 468 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 1: than a ribbon because it's yarn and that's so like, 469 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: that's so like after school craft to me, you know 470 00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 1: what I mean. Listen, if you're living in like a 471 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:02,880 Speaker 1: Soviet block country, you might not have the finest ribbons 472 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: at your disposal. Really, like, is it that hard to 473 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:09,280 Speaker 1: get ribbon? I don't know. Someone tell me, yeah, I 474 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:11,600 Speaker 1: don't think. I don't think life is any sy in 475 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 1: the Sea Union. Is it really so hard to get ribbon? 476 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 1: I mean, I watched the Americans on f X. Seems 477 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 1: like they carry Russell always has perfect hair um. But 478 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 1: really with comen as, ponytail ponies have kind of been 479 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 1: the name of the game. Uh, except with some eighties 480 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 1: and nineties highlights of course, Mery lou Retton's bowl cut. 481 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,280 Speaker 1: And then you have the carry shrug. It's not a 482 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: crew cut necessarily fathered pixie somehow, like in the front 483 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 1: it's all like poof, well, sort of like a reverse 484 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:49,560 Speaker 1: mullet because it's short on the bottom but full on 485 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 1: the top. Business in the back on the front, yeah, 486 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:56,160 Speaker 1: well yeah, and then you do have the moment in 487 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 1: gymnastics history, which I never would have known if it 488 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 1: weren't for the gym turn it. Uh, the little blip 489 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 1: in hair history where they used their ponytails. They didn't 490 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:10,080 Speaker 1: pull them all the way through, so it was like 491 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:14,000 Speaker 1: the dangly ponytail bun. And apparently that was popular just 492 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago, like in the last Olympics, 493 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago. But I remember, I remember 494 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:21,760 Speaker 1: girls doing that when I was in middle school. So 495 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:24,760 Speaker 1: it seems like my middle school is finally trickling down 496 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:27,760 Speaker 1: to the international gymnastics stage. You're pretty ahead of the 497 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 1: game there, What can I say? You know, Maryatta, Georgia 498 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:35,080 Speaker 1: just way ahead of the curve, definitely setting trends. Um. 499 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:37,800 Speaker 1: I mean Marietta was probably knee deep and scrunches when 500 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:41,800 Speaker 1: you were growing up, that is for sure, um. And 501 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:46,000 Speaker 1: the scrunchy game was so strong in the nineties. Now 502 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 1: you know, an Olympic gymnast would not probably touch a 503 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 1: scrunchy with a ten foot poll um. But you have 504 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 1: also the phase of visible hair clips everywhere. The glitter 505 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 1: glitter by came a thing. That's still kind of a thing. Yeah, yeah, well, 506 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:06,720 Speaker 1: I think the glitter has been phased out a little 507 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:10,200 Speaker 1: bit in favor of a sleek bun and more of 508 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: a statement lip, a bright red statement lip, for sure. 509 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:16,560 Speaker 1: I love it looks great. I mean, why shouldn't you 510 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:20,280 Speaker 1: match your lip color to your leotard? I say that 511 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:24,560 Speaker 1: every day. That's one of my It is weird that 512 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 1: you're wearing plaid lipstick right now and a blad leotard. Yeah, 513 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:34,160 Speaker 1: my my chambre uh lipstick is just making me look dead. 514 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 1: So maybe I should rethink this trend. If I could 515 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:40,760 Speaker 1: wear a shambre leotard, you know, I'd do it with 516 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 1: pretty much anything made out of chambre, and I'll prove it. Um. 517 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 1: But of course there have been also many articles devoted 518 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:56,200 Speaker 1: to two leotard's because there's been such terrific leotard fashion 519 00:33:56,680 --> 00:34:00,040 Speaker 1: in gymnastics, once with the little collars on them in 520 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 1: the seventies and a little peter Pan collar. Hello, totally 521 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 1: cool that with your little pigtails and yarn fat yarn. 522 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:15,279 Speaker 1: It's it's a great look. Um. But leotard technology is 523 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 1: a real thing, that's right, she said. Leotard technology. Um. 524 00:34:20,200 --> 00:34:25,800 Speaker 1: They evolved from essentially polyester swimsuits to these high tech 525 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:31,279 Speaker 1: razzle dazzle get ups that cost hundreds of dollars UM. 526 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:34,439 Speaker 1: And by the six season seventies, leotards have become more 527 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:38,360 Speaker 1: form fitting for mobility and safety. So it's probably the 528 00:34:38,360 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: same reason that the bouffant went out, like it keeps 529 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 1: getting caught on the balance beam saying you're like gymnastics 530 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 1: dress you're wearing. They can finally take off their their 531 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:55,719 Speaker 1: formal evening gloves um, at least for the the uneven bars. Yeah, 532 00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:00,640 Speaker 1: but I didn't realize this that leotard's, even starting in 533 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 1: the sixties and seventies, are typically high cut to make 534 00:35:04,719 --> 00:35:10,920 Speaker 1: your legs appear longer. Is that important in gymnastics, Absolutely, 535 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:15,440 Speaker 1: because it's all about appearance in lines and grace and 536 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:18,120 Speaker 1: so they're short. Yeah, they're very short and so by 537 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:22,040 Speaker 1: making and their legs are very muscular. So probably having 538 00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 1: that higher cut um leotard makes their legs peer both 539 00:35:26,239 --> 00:35:30,440 Speaker 1: longer and leaner. I'm also tapping into my my Ballerina 540 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:33,400 Speaker 1: past oh. I was just thinking of like every women's 541 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:37,440 Speaker 1: magazine every spring. It's like, remember, ladies wear a high 542 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 1: cup bathing suit and it's like, well, it's not going 543 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 1: to distract from my saddle bags anyway. Um, moving on 544 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:48,600 Speaker 1: to people who do have leg muscles. UM. Nowadays Team 545 00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:51,880 Speaker 1: USA uses leotards that are made out of this shiny, 546 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:56,640 Speaker 1: high tech as Kristen says, razzle dazzle material called mystique. 547 00:35:57,239 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 1: I don't believe that's a reference to the X Men character. Um, 548 00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:06,560 Speaker 1: but it's super shiny and it compresses and supports. And 549 00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:12,319 Speaker 1: if you are one of those people getting a mystique leotard, uh, 550 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:14,879 Speaker 1: that's all sorts of shiny. If you are buying one 551 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:18,239 Speaker 1: that has thousands upon thousands of Sparrowsky crystals on it, 552 00:36:18,239 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 1: it can take more than a year and a half 553 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:22,239 Speaker 1: or up to a year and a half to make 554 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:27,759 Speaker 1: and cost five Yeah, that's crazy. Who's paying for that 555 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:30,200 Speaker 1: or the families having to pay for that? I think, Um, 556 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:32,879 Speaker 1: when you're at that level, it would be USA Gymnastics. 557 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:36,280 Speaker 1: It's probably paying for it. Wonderful, I would hope. Um. 558 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:40,840 Speaker 1: But also in terms of the leotards being cut and 559 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:44,520 Speaker 1: made in certain ways to emphasize different parts of the body, 560 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:49,839 Speaker 1: modern leotards are super shiny to show off musculature, right, 561 00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:54,280 Speaker 1: things show how how fit these ladies are, these athletes, 562 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:59,880 Speaker 1: and just that level of muscle is is so is 563 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:03,520 Speaker 1: just unbelievable to me, especially when I remember, like, oh wait, 564 00:37:03,560 --> 00:37:08,799 Speaker 1: she's sixteen. Wow. Um. And then finally you have the 565 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:13,160 Speaker 1: makeup there's always been. I feel like women's gymnastics might 566 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:17,560 Speaker 1: be the only Olympic sport where makeup is required. Is 567 00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:20,920 Speaker 1: synchronized swimming not on an Olympic sport. It is it 568 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:24,440 Speaker 1: is they were makeup. That's a requirement. Okay, Well, so 569 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:28,400 Speaker 1: then I stand corrected. Perhaps it's one of two. Then 570 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:31,680 Speaker 1: I guess you gotta get a lot of good waterproof 571 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:36,359 Speaker 1: mascara for that one, Lots and lots of waterproof mascara. 572 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:43,440 Speaker 1: Olympic gymnast Alicia Sacramone told Fashionista that quote, you just 573 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:45,560 Speaker 1: kind of have to match your eyes shadow to your 574 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:50,000 Speaker 1: leotard because that's a big deal. You gotta match, big deal. 575 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:53,040 Speaker 1: But no nail polish. They're not allowed to wear nail polish. 576 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:55,359 Speaker 1: It's like, Okay, you can put glitter in your hair, 577 00:37:56,040 --> 00:38:01,680 Speaker 1: you can wear a razzle dazzle leotard, you can wear 578 00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:05,200 Speaker 1: eyeshadow and a statement lip, but you can't wear nail polish. 579 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:09,239 Speaker 1: That is weird. I wonder what that's about. I don't 580 00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:14,120 Speaker 1: understand I'm sure a gymnastics expert in the audience can 581 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:17,880 Speaker 1: tell us maybe the gymnastics organizers need to get together 582 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:20,920 Speaker 1: with the track and field organizers and they track and 583 00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:23,279 Speaker 1: field people can help the gymnastics people see the light, 584 00:38:23,560 --> 00:38:25,680 Speaker 1: because I'm telling you, those track and field ladies have 585 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 1: some of the best nail art I've ever seen. Although 586 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 1: flow Joe nails on on a gymnastics vault would might 587 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:40,080 Speaker 1: be a bad situation about that. You just got like 588 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:45,080 Speaker 1: a crumpled bit of buffont and evening wear and fake 589 00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:49,560 Speaker 1: nails on the floor just everywhere. Um, but the thing 590 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:53,920 Speaker 1: is like as fun as all of these like superficial 591 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:58,360 Speaker 1: features of gymnastics and gymnastics culture are to watch and 592 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:03,279 Speaker 1: to talk about, you do kind of wonder like why 593 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:06,440 Speaker 1: why do they need to match their eyeshadow to their leotard? 594 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:09,640 Speaker 1: Why would they Why would an athlete of this caliber 595 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:14,480 Speaker 1: be judged not only on that, but also you know, 596 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:18,239 Speaker 1: even them just like having to smile. Yeah, well, I 597 00:39:18,239 --> 00:39:22,359 Speaker 1: mean it's the same thing. You know, you see cheerleaders 598 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:27,040 Speaker 1: at all levels, including competitive cheerleaders um on teams who 599 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:31,280 Speaker 1: are expected to do the same thing, where makeup, straighten 600 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:35,000 Speaker 1: their hair, you know, look perfect and smile, even though 601 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:38,319 Speaker 1: they are also like nothing but muscle as they do 602 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:41,360 Speaker 1: tumbles and all sorts of whatever cheerleaders do. But I 603 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:44,680 Speaker 1: think the difference is that cheerleaders are there to entertain 604 00:39:44,719 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 1: and cheer people up, so of course they would be 605 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:51,759 Speaker 1: expected to smile. Well sure, I guess I'm thinking of 606 00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:55,520 Speaker 1: like the competitive cheerleading tournaments and stuff that it's the 607 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:58,040 Speaker 1: same thing that you could argue, like, Okay, I get why, 608 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:02,560 Speaker 1: like the Dallas cowb Ways cheerleaders need to have perfect 609 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:04,759 Speaker 1: hair and makeup and all of that stuff, But like, 610 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:09,040 Speaker 1: why do girls competing on some state level need to 611 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,120 Speaker 1: where all of that glitter makeup. I don't know. I 612 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:14,160 Speaker 1: don't know why they're expected to other than it is 613 00:40:14,239 --> 00:40:19,120 Speaker 1: such a feminine coated sport and athletic event and maybe 614 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:21,680 Speaker 1: there's just different expectations. Yeah, I mean, and I'm going 615 00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:24,680 Speaker 1: to say, like I I don't get why the Dallas 616 00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:27,279 Speaker 1: Cowboys cheerleaders have to have perfect hair and makeup. You know, 617 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:29,840 Speaker 1: I'd much prefer them and just like overalls in a 618 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:36,040 Speaker 1: fresh face just kind of chilling, you know, wearing levies 619 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:41,560 Speaker 1: and a cowboy hat. Yeah, why not writing a literal cow? Sure, 620 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:45,200 Speaker 1: there we go cow leading. It's the new it's the 621 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:48,879 Speaker 1: new sport for women. Um. And this issue of kind 622 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:52,600 Speaker 1: of stopped telling gymnastic smile was raised in a New 623 00:40:52,640 --> 00:41:00,840 Speaker 1: Republic Peace that cited a gymnastics host who really hates 624 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:04,720 Speaker 1: how these competitors are expected to keep on smiling even 625 00:41:04,760 --> 00:41:08,600 Speaker 1: if they're injured, saying, you know, a man that's competing 626 00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:10,799 Speaker 1: or a teenage boy who's competing with an injury is 627 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:13,520 Speaker 1: a hero. He's being a man and he's stepping up. 628 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:18,080 Speaker 1: But a female gymnast, you know, she can't ever just 629 00:41:18,280 --> 00:41:20,799 Speaker 1: kind of scowl and walk off. Well, that's why it 630 00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:23,120 Speaker 1: was so great when Serena Williams not too long ago, 631 00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:25,919 Speaker 1: they were like, why aren't you smartling, Just like, really, 632 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:28,040 Speaker 1: I'm not allowed to be tired or have a bad 633 00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:29,640 Speaker 1: day or whatever. It's yeah, it's the same thing, and 634 00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:33,040 Speaker 1: it's the same thing about telling any woman to smile. Um. 635 00:41:33,080 --> 00:41:35,240 Speaker 1: But I mean, you also have to keep in mind 636 00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:39,600 Speaker 1: that there is that kind of seedy underbelly of gymnastics 637 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:44,359 Speaker 1: in terms of allegations of abuse and eating disorders and 638 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:48,480 Speaker 1: other sorts of you know, body and health dysfunction basically, 639 00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:51,520 Speaker 1: and so you you imagine if like stuff like that 640 00:41:51,640 --> 00:41:54,200 Speaker 1: is potentially going on, and you're still telling people to smile. 641 00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:57,960 Speaker 1: It's like maybe we have bigger fish to fry. Yeah, 642 00:41:58,000 --> 00:42:02,400 Speaker 1: I mean, um, I can verify that at least among 643 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:08,480 Speaker 1: rhythmic gymnastics, eating disorders that are promoted by coaches are 644 00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:12,719 Speaker 1: a huge problem. Um. And then there's a whole infantilization 645 00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:16,080 Speaker 1: aspect where I mean, if you just look at the 646 00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:21,560 Speaker 1: physiques of many top tier gymnasts, they have, you know, 647 00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:26,880 Speaker 1: small breasts and very petite frames, and there's this idea 648 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:30,040 Speaker 1: that essentially they are trained to kind of delay puberty 649 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:34,600 Speaker 1: as as long as possible because, um, it's apparently harder 650 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:38,840 Speaker 1: to u tumble and vault when you have sea cups. Um. 651 00:42:38,960 --> 00:42:41,960 Speaker 1: But Elsbeth Reeve, who wrote that New Republic Peace, was 652 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:46,799 Speaker 1: talking to NPR saying that the sport was very much 653 00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:51,680 Speaker 1: focused on these little girls dancing on a playground. Like 654 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:57,279 Speaker 1: the way that the NBC commentators would, you know, talk 655 00:42:57,360 --> 00:43:01,120 Speaker 1: about these gymnasts was very infantile. Wi sing not to 656 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:04,799 Speaker 1: mention the fact that these athletes are pretty much exclusively 657 00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:09,520 Speaker 1: referred to as girls and also princesses. Like princess rhetoric 658 00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:13,120 Speaker 1: comes up a lot where a girl getting there and 659 00:43:13,200 --> 00:43:15,759 Speaker 1: see I'm doing it now we're an athlete getting there. 660 00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:20,040 Speaker 1: Is you know, this princess who is living a fairytale 661 00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:24,040 Speaker 1: life and she's wearing this be juiled leotard and and 662 00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:26,600 Speaker 1: look at her and all her loveliness. Yeah. I mean, 663 00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:29,080 Speaker 1: we've read from a lot of like sportscaster type people 664 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:33,719 Speaker 1: and people in the sports world about how when you're 665 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:37,759 Speaker 1: looking for stuff to talk about as these athletes are 666 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:42,080 Speaker 1: on camera, people want to hear a story. They're watching 667 00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:44,279 Speaker 1: it on television at home. They want to hear a 668 00:43:44,320 --> 00:43:48,160 Speaker 1: story and it's almost like fairytale porn. They're like, oh 669 00:43:48,200 --> 00:43:50,160 Speaker 1: my god, I want to hear more about how this 670 00:43:50,239 --> 00:43:54,000 Speaker 1: young girl overcame so much to be here, uh, you know, 671 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:56,919 Speaker 1: to show up with her fat yarn in her hair. 672 00:43:57,560 --> 00:44:01,920 Speaker 1: And the same is true when in your calling, when 673 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:05,400 Speaker 1: you're pitting athletes against each other, in the case of 674 00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:10,399 Speaker 1: calling some of them divas or or princesses. Yeah, I mean, 675 00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:14,120 Speaker 1: you're you're basically either a diva or a princess a 676 00:44:14,160 --> 00:44:17,800 Speaker 1: lot of times. Um. And you'll you'll notice that usually 677 00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:24,440 Speaker 1: the divas are Russian who exhibit quote petulance to criticism. Um, 678 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:29,000 Speaker 1: You'll hear the word temperamental applied to quote unquote difficult 679 00:44:29,800 --> 00:44:35,680 Speaker 1: gymnasts a lot of times. Um. In in London, you 680 00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:41,080 Speaker 1: had Russia's Aliyah Mussafina, who was constantly called a diva, 681 00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:46,200 Speaker 1: not only by sportscasters but also you know, by people watching. 682 00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:48,440 Speaker 1: And I think it's because she had a bad performance 683 00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:50,080 Speaker 1: and when her coach came up to her to try 684 00:44:50,120 --> 00:44:53,839 Speaker 1: to talk to her, she brushed him off, and they're like, oh, 685 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:57,240 Speaker 1: what a diva? How dare how dare this young woman 686 00:44:57,360 --> 00:45:00,800 Speaker 1: not talked to that man? Uh? But yeah, that's the 687 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:06,760 Speaker 1: kind of thing who was saying that. In Russia. It's like, guys, 688 00:45:06,960 --> 00:45:09,920 Speaker 1: we don't operate the same, Like we're gonna show our emotion. 689 00:45:10,040 --> 00:45:12,920 Speaker 1: If we're happy, we're happy. If we're upset, we're upset, 690 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:16,560 Speaker 1: and you're gonna know which is Yeah. I mean, there's 691 00:45:16,600 --> 00:45:20,319 Speaker 1: no denying kind of the geopolitics of the American princesses 692 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:24,920 Speaker 1: versus the Russian divas, because that, you know, Russian and 693 00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:31,280 Speaker 1: Eastern European v us rivalry is still very much going strong. Um. 694 00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:34,800 Speaker 1: Because you've got to remember that women's gymnastics was dominated 695 00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:38,760 Speaker 1: throughout the Cold War era by those Soviet black countries 696 00:45:38,800 --> 00:45:45,120 Speaker 1: like Romania, Hungary and Russia. Um, and in Mary lou 697 00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:50,800 Speaker 1: Retten's phenomenal performance only intensified the battle so called battle 698 00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:56,920 Speaker 1: if these women are apparently like representing not not only 699 00:45:57,080 --> 00:46:04,120 Speaker 1: gymnastics but also nuclear warfare potentially, Oh my god, I'm 700 00:46:04,160 --> 00:46:09,200 Speaker 1: just picturing like the costume potential, Like everybody comes out 701 00:46:09,320 --> 00:46:13,640 Speaker 1: dressed as uh, like missiles and things weren't there. Weren't 702 00:46:13,640 --> 00:46:16,640 Speaker 1: there like fashion, they were like pageant beauty pageants during 703 00:46:16,640 --> 00:46:18,760 Speaker 1: the Cold War, where women would dress and they would 704 00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:21,640 Speaker 1: like do their hair up like an atomic blast. Yes, 705 00:46:23,040 --> 00:46:26,080 Speaker 1: that's probably even more difficult than wearing a buffont, to 706 00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:30,880 Speaker 1: be honest, Um, but I mean, just like sexism, baldfaced 707 00:46:30,920 --> 00:46:35,640 Speaker 1: sexism is also pretty common. NBC commentator Al trout Wig 708 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:39,520 Speaker 1: in two thousand and eight was commenting on a gymnast's 709 00:46:40,360 --> 00:46:44,000 Speaker 1: injury that she sustained leading up to the Olympics, and 710 00:46:44,040 --> 00:46:47,480 Speaker 1: instead of just you know, talking about the injury or 711 00:46:47,560 --> 00:46:52,520 Speaker 1: saying like, man, that's unfortunate, you know, get better, uh, 712 00:46:52,600 --> 00:46:55,560 Speaker 1: trout Wig says it's like having a tear in your 713 00:46:55,560 --> 00:46:58,560 Speaker 1: wedding dress right before you walk down the aisle, which 714 00:46:58,600 --> 00:47:01,080 Speaker 1: to me, honestly sounds like a tear rble line from 715 00:47:01,920 --> 00:47:05,919 Speaker 1: Atlantis Morisset's ironic. You know something that's not ironic? Yeah, 716 00:47:05,920 --> 00:47:08,440 Speaker 1: And I gotta say that trout Wig is cited in 717 00:47:09,480 --> 00:47:14,200 Speaker 1: everything that we read about sexist coverage of women's gymnastics. 718 00:47:14,239 --> 00:47:17,000 Speaker 1: He just loves loves tsk, not those kinds of one 719 00:47:17,120 --> 00:47:19,840 Speaker 1: one liners, especially about the diva stuff, like he seems 720 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:24,360 Speaker 1: pretty big on dismissing female athletes as divas. But the 721 00:47:24,400 --> 00:47:27,200 Speaker 1: good news amid all of the sex with sports coverage 722 00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:30,839 Speaker 1: is the fact that the gym Turnet exists. And we're 723 00:47:30,840 --> 00:47:33,040 Speaker 1: going to talk about that when we come right back 724 00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:45,239 Speaker 1: from a quick break. So, the gym Tonet, as I 725 00:47:45,280 --> 00:47:48,719 Speaker 1: alluded to earlier in the podcast, is the network of 726 00:47:48,880 --> 00:47:54,520 Speaker 1: online hardcore gymnastics fans who are basically giving the sport 727 00:47:55,080 --> 00:47:59,320 Speaker 1: the legitimate coverage that they wish it would receive year round, 728 00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:01,360 Speaker 1: not just and you know every four years when the 729 00:48:01,360 --> 00:48:05,880 Speaker 1: Summer Olympics comes around. Yeah, And the the community of 730 00:48:05,920 --> 00:48:10,759 Speaker 1: people that constitutes the gym Tonet has become a go 731 00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:13,359 Speaker 1: to source for a lot of people. They are the 732 00:48:13,400 --> 00:48:17,960 Speaker 1: ones getting the stories and interviews with men and women 733 00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:22,840 Speaker 1: in the gymnastics scene that mainstream sports news just isn't 734 00:48:22,880 --> 00:48:25,400 Speaker 1: Maybe because they don't have time or space to dedicate 735 00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:28,799 Speaker 1: to it, but maybe also because not enough eyeballs are 736 00:48:28,920 --> 00:48:32,319 Speaker 1: getting on the gymnastics content well. And I have a 737 00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:35,480 Speaker 1: feeling too that there's some of that sexist marginalization happening 738 00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:37,120 Speaker 1: where it's like, oh, you know, we we like to 739 00:48:37,120 --> 00:48:39,520 Speaker 1: see it every four years, those those cute divas and 740 00:48:39,600 --> 00:48:43,560 Speaker 1: princesses coming out and flipping around. Um, but the gym 741 00:48:43,600 --> 00:48:47,480 Speaker 1: internet stars have really become, you know, to put it 742 00:48:47,480 --> 00:48:51,560 Speaker 1: in Internet terms, they become the influencers of the sport. 743 00:48:51,920 --> 00:48:56,560 Speaker 1: And I love that started with Tumbler. God, it's so millennial. Um. 744 00:48:56,560 --> 00:48:59,839 Speaker 1: It started around two thousand eight on Tumbler in order 745 00:48:59,840 --> 00:49:06,120 Speaker 1: to as elsbeth Ree told and pr that it started 746 00:49:06,120 --> 00:49:09,279 Speaker 1: in order to provide the real necessary pushback. That's not 747 00:49:09,400 --> 00:49:12,800 Speaker 1: about the sparkles and the girlishness. It's about the crazy 748 00:49:12,840 --> 00:49:17,080 Speaker 1: work workouts, the incredible athletics, the injuries and coming back 749 00:49:17,120 --> 00:49:21,759 Speaker 1: from injuries. And there's even a podcast, Yeah You've Got 750 00:49:21,920 --> 00:49:25,959 Speaker 1: Jim Castic, which is hosted by a law librarian named 751 00:49:26,000 --> 00:49:30,560 Speaker 1: Jessica oh Byrne. And uh, what's pretty notable is that 752 00:49:30,680 --> 00:49:36,200 Speaker 1: Mikaela Moroney she of the unimpressed face. After the Olympics 753 00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:39,600 Speaker 1: announced her retirement on that podcast, she did not go 754 00:49:39,760 --> 00:49:42,719 Speaker 1: talk to you know, ESPN or USA. Today she went 755 00:49:42,719 --> 00:49:44,920 Speaker 1: on a podcast. Yeah, I mean, and I want to 756 00:49:44,920 --> 00:49:47,720 Speaker 1: say that Simone Biles has been on gym Castic. Pretty 757 00:49:47,800 --> 00:49:50,520 Speaker 1: much all of the big names in the sport have 758 00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:54,120 Speaker 1: been on gym Castic, and Jessico Bearn I hope that 759 00:49:54,120 --> 00:49:55,960 Speaker 1: you're listening right now, and I also hope that I'm 760 00:49:56,000 --> 00:49:58,440 Speaker 1: not mispronouncing your last name, because this could be some 761 00:49:58,560 --> 00:50:03,600 Speaker 1: terrific podcast synchronous city Um. But there's also, of course 762 00:50:03,840 --> 00:50:06,960 Speaker 1: the Gym Turnet blog, which was started by Lauren Hopkins 763 00:50:07,320 --> 00:50:09,960 Speaker 1: Um who was just a gymnastics fan who was working 764 00:50:10,400 --> 00:50:12,640 Speaker 1: in marketing at a New York law firm and was like, 765 00:50:12,719 --> 00:50:14,919 Speaker 1: you know what, I'm just gonna I'm gonna start this thing. 766 00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:18,480 Speaker 1: And now she is going to be a gymnastics researcher 767 00:50:18,719 --> 00:50:23,200 Speaker 1: for NBC in Rio. And seriously, if you have any 768 00:50:23,200 --> 00:50:26,240 Speaker 1: interests in gymnastics, you gotta check out the Gym Tournet. 769 00:50:26,320 --> 00:50:30,919 Speaker 1: But isn't that like not to project my like young 770 00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:33,960 Speaker 1: Caroline dreams onto anyone else? But isn't that the freaking 771 00:50:34,120 --> 00:50:38,640 Speaker 1: dream to like be hosting a passion project blog that 772 00:50:38,760 --> 00:50:41,400 Speaker 1: like you're so obsessed with that you can't stop doing, 773 00:50:41,440 --> 00:50:44,800 Speaker 1: you can't stop researching and writing for and then freaking 774 00:50:45,680 --> 00:50:48,799 Speaker 1: NBC is like, hey, can you come like actually work 775 00:50:48,880 --> 00:50:50,920 Speaker 1: for us to do all of the stuff that you're 776 00:50:50,920 --> 00:50:53,000 Speaker 1: doing for yourself. Yeah, I mean, like she's a go 777 00:50:53,080 --> 00:50:56,480 Speaker 1: to source now, she and oh biern Our go to 778 00:50:56,640 --> 00:51:00,600 Speaker 1: sources for you know, press coverage of gymnass. It good 779 00:51:00,600 --> 00:51:02,840 Speaker 1: for them, that's amazing. They know their stuff, they do 780 00:51:02,920 --> 00:51:05,680 Speaker 1: know their stuff, and both are you know, just so 781 00:51:05,680 --> 00:51:09,520 Speaker 1: so well produced. I mean it's not, um, this isn't 782 00:51:09,640 --> 00:51:14,360 Speaker 1: amateur level. I mean it's technically amateur, but it's professionally 783 00:51:14,719 --> 00:51:17,480 Speaker 1: you know, it's professional level, terrific. And both of them 784 00:51:17,520 --> 00:51:20,600 Speaker 1: are just so well done. It makes sense that they're 785 00:51:20,640 --> 00:51:24,879 Speaker 1: getting national attention for what started out as passion projects. 786 00:51:25,120 --> 00:51:28,440 Speaker 1: It is the millennial dream come true. It all starts 787 00:51:28,480 --> 00:51:31,839 Speaker 1: with Tumbler. Well, speaking of Tumbler, I feel like that's 788 00:51:31,960 --> 00:51:35,239 Speaker 1: that's the transition here. Um. One thing that we wanted 789 00:51:35,280 --> 00:51:40,400 Speaker 1: to address is the racial coding of gymnastics. And I 790 00:51:40,440 --> 00:51:44,239 Speaker 1: say speaking of Tumbler because of course Tumbler is you 791 00:51:44,280 --> 00:51:48,160 Speaker 1: know all about social justice and diversity and maintaining awareness 792 00:51:48,640 --> 00:51:53,800 Speaker 1: of these kinds of things. And the question is whether 793 00:51:54,880 --> 00:52:00,360 Speaker 1: this Jim Turnet era sport now is becoming less racially 794 00:52:00,400 --> 00:52:04,839 Speaker 1: coded as a white sport. Yeah, I mean, you do 795 00:52:05,080 --> 00:52:08,200 Speaker 1: have the fact that as of two thousand seven, only 796 00:52:08,239 --> 00:52:14,080 Speaker 1: about seven percent of the American gymnastics population is black, 797 00:52:14,239 --> 00:52:17,920 Speaker 1: and that is not that doesn't equate to the percentage 798 00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:22,160 Speaker 1: of African Americans in the overall population. Yeah, so basically 799 00:52:22,200 --> 00:52:26,560 Speaker 1: they're underrepresented. UM. Devora Myers, who wrote a book about 800 00:52:26,840 --> 00:52:30,400 Speaker 1: the Perfect ten System UM, also was writing about this issue, 801 00:52:30,400 --> 00:52:37,000 Speaker 1: specifically fusion, and she attributes that seven percent to the 802 00:52:37,040 --> 00:52:42,000 Speaker 1: fact that gymnastics is often very suburban, very expensive, and 803 00:52:42,160 --> 00:52:45,440 Speaker 1: very time consuming. I mean, I know, for me growing up, 804 00:52:45,680 --> 00:52:49,520 Speaker 1: if I had wanted to join a gymnastics gym um, 805 00:52:49,560 --> 00:52:52,000 Speaker 1: which pulenty of them in town, but it would have 806 00:52:52,040 --> 00:52:55,319 Speaker 1: been prohibitively expensive for me to do it. And it's 807 00:52:55,320 --> 00:52:59,120 Speaker 1: a bummer because back in the day, public schools used 808 00:52:59,160 --> 00:53:02,080 Speaker 1: to offer afford a gymnastics y m c a s. 809 00:53:02,440 --> 00:53:05,600 Speaker 1: You know, there were ways that anyone, especially like living 810 00:53:05,640 --> 00:53:08,799 Speaker 1: in more urban areas, could possibly get involved with it. 811 00:53:09,080 --> 00:53:13,920 Speaker 1: But not anymore. Definitely, not anymore. Yeah, to the point where, 812 00:53:14,160 --> 00:53:18,680 Speaker 1: at just sixteen years old, gymnastic Gabby Douglas had to 813 00:53:18,960 --> 00:53:22,759 Speaker 1: move all the way to Iowa without her family to 814 00:53:22,800 --> 00:53:25,480 Speaker 1: live with a host family in order to work with 815 00:53:25,520 --> 00:53:30,759 Speaker 1: her coach. Yeah. Um, that profile Time magazine profile of 816 00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:35,040 Speaker 1: Gabby Douglas right after the London Olympics when she of 817 00:53:35,080 --> 00:53:39,719 Speaker 1: course won the gold was I mean just stunning, Like 818 00:53:40,320 --> 00:53:43,360 Speaker 1: thinking about her sheer determination and I know, determination and 819 00:53:43,400 --> 00:53:46,640 Speaker 1: confidence and bravery. There was like three adjectives that always 820 00:53:46,640 --> 00:53:50,120 Speaker 1: get thrown out whenever we're talking about Olympic athletes, but 821 00:53:50,800 --> 00:53:54,640 Speaker 1: just the length literally the length that she and many others, 822 00:53:54,640 --> 00:53:57,319 Speaker 1: I'm sure, but that she went to to pursue this 823 00:53:57,400 --> 00:54:01,200 Speaker 1: specific coach whose name is escaping me, that she saw 824 00:54:01,880 --> 00:54:04,440 Speaker 1: on TV during the Olympics and she was like that's 825 00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:08,000 Speaker 1: the coach and that coach lives in Iowa. I've got 826 00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:10,680 Speaker 1: to move to Iowa, you know, and and trying to 827 00:54:10,719 --> 00:54:14,759 Speaker 1: figure that out, and also paired with such an intensive 828 00:54:15,239 --> 00:54:19,719 Speaker 1: training schedule. There was one, um, one instance apparently when 829 00:54:19,800 --> 00:54:21,920 Speaker 1: she kind of revolted and was like, I'm not going 830 00:54:21,960 --> 00:54:27,000 Speaker 1: to practice because it's Christmas. But I mean, that's the 831 00:54:27,120 --> 00:54:30,480 Speaker 1: level of dedication that it takes in order to make 832 00:54:30,520 --> 00:54:33,880 Speaker 1: it this far. Yeah, And and something that's limiting to 833 00:54:34,200 --> 00:54:37,520 Speaker 1: a lot of people, not just on the basis of ethnicity, 834 00:54:37,560 --> 00:54:39,360 Speaker 1: but something that's limiting to a lot of people is 835 00:54:40,120 --> 00:54:46,280 Speaker 1: the degree of physical expectation placed on gymnast much like ballet. 836 00:54:46,440 --> 00:54:50,120 Speaker 1: You know, you are expected to be live and thin, 837 00:54:50,280 --> 00:54:53,440 Speaker 1: You're expected to have those high leg lines helped out 838 00:54:53,480 --> 00:54:57,520 Speaker 1: by your shiny leotard. Um. But also kind of the 839 00:54:57,719 --> 00:55:00,879 Speaker 1: look in general. That is where the ethnic component comes 840 00:55:00,920 --> 00:55:04,560 Speaker 1: in because the look, especially because so many of those 841 00:55:04,600 --> 00:55:07,279 Speaker 1: early successful gymnasts were coming out of Eastern Europe, the 842 00:55:07,480 --> 00:55:11,040 Speaker 1: look has traditionally been white and delicate, and it's so 843 00:55:11,120 --> 00:55:13,759 Speaker 1: much like ballet. And you know, which is part of 844 00:55:13,800 --> 00:55:21,160 Speaker 1: why Misty Copeland's success has been so outstanding, um, since 845 00:55:21,200 --> 00:55:25,000 Speaker 1: she doesn't have that quote unquote perfect ballet body type, 846 00:55:25,000 --> 00:55:28,360 Speaker 1: which is very similar um to the quote unquote perfect 847 00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:31,040 Speaker 1: gymnast body type. Um. But it's all I mean, it 848 00:55:31,080 --> 00:55:34,520 Speaker 1: has to do with how the sport came out of Russia, 849 00:55:34,640 --> 00:55:37,680 Speaker 1: which is also where you know, a lot of early 850 00:55:37,719 --> 00:55:41,640 Speaker 1: ballet was happening. And so I mean the history of it, 851 00:55:41,719 --> 00:55:45,920 Speaker 1: the earliest history was very white. But the problem is. 852 00:55:46,000 --> 00:55:50,279 Speaker 1: Now you have some people like I forget what year 853 00:55:50,320 --> 00:55:52,640 Speaker 1: it was, but there were there was a member, there 854 00:55:52,680 --> 00:55:56,480 Speaker 1: was an Italian gymnast and coach who yeah, who I 855 00:55:56,520 --> 00:56:01,200 Speaker 1: think talking about Simone Biles saying, um that at essentially 856 00:56:01,640 --> 00:56:05,879 Speaker 1: she was getting like affirmative action like points yeah, And 857 00:56:05,880 --> 00:56:08,560 Speaker 1: and the coach just because the the actual athletes said 858 00:56:08,560 --> 00:56:11,080 Speaker 1: something like should I paint my skin black in order 859 00:56:11,080 --> 00:56:15,840 Speaker 1: to win? And then the coach comes out and you're like, okay, 860 00:56:15,880 --> 00:56:18,360 Speaker 1: all right, this person clearly is an idiot. Here comes 861 00:56:18,360 --> 00:56:20,439 Speaker 1: the coach. Let's see what the coach has to say. 862 00:56:20,440 --> 00:56:22,560 Speaker 1: This person will make it better. Oh my god, the 863 00:56:22,600 --> 00:56:27,279 Speaker 1: coach made it a thousand times worse with his commentary. Um. 864 00:56:27,520 --> 00:56:31,360 Speaker 1: And a lot of it tied into ideas about that 865 00:56:31,480 --> 00:56:36,880 Speaker 1: have persisted over centuries, mind you, of athleticism and power 866 00:56:37,040 --> 00:56:43,400 Speaker 1: physical power among black people in general versus like elegance 867 00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:47,200 Speaker 1: and daintiness and purity of of white people. And that's 868 00:56:48,000 --> 00:56:51,879 Speaker 1: definitely a really icky, awful, ugly stereotype that you see 869 00:56:51,920 --> 00:56:55,440 Speaker 1: persisting in sports, particularly when you bring people from so 870 00:56:55,480 --> 00:56:59,920 Speaker 1: many countries together. And so it's reflected a lot of 871 00:57:00,000 --> 00:57:02,919 Speaker 1: times in sports commentary, which is so you're not only 872 00:57:02,960 --> 00:57:08,080 Speaker 1: hearing diva and princess being tossed around, you're hearing powerful 873 00:57:08,520 --> 00:57:11,239 Speaker 1: being used for someone like a Simon Biles, which not 874 00:57:11,360 --> 00:57:16,160 Speaker 1: that she isn't uh and whereas things like elegant are 875 00:57:16,400 --> 00:57:21,160 Speaker 1: typically reserved for white athletes. Yeah, I am so excited 876 00:57:21,200 --> 00:57:25,400 Speaker 1: to watch the women's gymnastics in Rio this year, just 877 00:57:25,720 --> 00:57:30,640 Speaker 1: to listen for any kind of gender and like ethnic 878 00:57:30,680 --> 00:57:33,840 Speaker 1: coded language, to see just how prominent it is and 879 00:57:33,880 --> 00:57:37,520 Speaker 1: see maybe we've moved past it some um and and 880 00:57:37,560 --> 00:57:42,200 Speaker 1: the thing about that, the undertone, the subtext, the subtweet 881 00:57:42,280 --> 00:57:48,800 Speaker 1: of the powerful description are allegations that Simone Biles and 882 00:57:48,840 --> 00:57:54,560 Speaker 1: these like very like literally strong gymnasts are stripping gymnastics 883 00:57:54,600 --> 00:57:58,760 Speaker 1: of its original artistry. But you hear that usually from 884 00:57:59,000 --> 00:58:03,000 Speaker 1: like Russian European competitors, where it's like, by artistry, do 885 00:58:03,040 --> 00:58:06,800 Speaker 1: you mean white people like white, thin, long white girls, 886 00:58:06,840 --> 00:58:10,040 Speaker 1: which I'm kind of a thin, long white girl, like 887 00:58:10,440 --> 00:58:13,000 Speaker 1: no shade, but it's like, what do you really mean 888 00:58:13,000 --> 00:58:15,520 Speaker 1: by that? Yeah, Kristen is always lying down, so you 889 00:58:15,520 --> 00:58:17,880 Speaker 1: can never really describe her as tall. You just have 890 00:58:17,920 --> 00:58:21,200 Speaker 1: to say that she was long, just long. And also 891 00:58:22,160 --> 00:58:25,440 Speaker 1: we got to talk about what happened at the London 892 00:58:25,480 --> 00:58:30,440 Speaker 1: Games when people complained across the internet that Gabby douglas 893 00:58:30,480 --> 00:58:34,920 Speaker 1: hair was not neat enough. It's like, hold the phone, 894 00:58:34,960 --> 00:58:40,960 Speaker 1: are we really talking about a gymnast of colors hair situation? 895 00:58:42,000 --> 00:58:44,440 Speaker 1: She is winning the gold and you are complaining about 896 00:58:44,480 --> 00:58:50,920 Speaker 1: her hair? Hello, like racist past and present? Do you 897 00:58:50,920 --> 00:58:53,800 Speaker 1: remember what the what the problem was with it? They 898 00:58:53,800 --> 00:58:58,760 Speaker 1: just said it wasn't neat enough. That's that's a case 899 00:58:58,840 --> 00:59:02,080 Speaker 1: of people not amening their own racial bias. Yeah, I 900 00:59:02,080 --> 00:59:04,240 Speaker 1: mean because black hair has never attracted any kind of 901 00:59:04,280 --> 00:59:07,600 Speaker 1: like unwanted or racist. Oh wait wait wait it always 902 00:59:07,680 --> 00:59:11,880 Speaker 1: it always does. Um but um, I did notice that 903 00:59:12,120 --> 00:59:15,160 Speaker 1: just kind of going back and looking at photos from 904 00:59:15,400 --> 00:59:19,320 Speaker 1: past Olympics. Dominique Dawes, who was a member of the 905 00:59:19,680 --> 00:59:23,320 Speaker 1: Magnificent Seven and the first African American gymnast to win 906 00:59:23,360 --> 00:59:26,760 Speaker 1: a gold medal. Um, she wore her hair short and 907 00:59:26,920 --> 00:59:29,760 Speaker 1: natural at the two thousand Games. And I'm so glad 908 00:59:29,760 --> 00:59:33,360 Speaker 1: that Twitter did not exist then because I can only 909 00:59:33,440 --> 00:59:36,720 Speaker 1: imagine the feedback she might have gotten. Yeah, and that's 910 00:59:36,880 --> 00:59:39,080 Speaker 1: that's like the two sided thing about that, right is 911 00:59:39,120 --> 00:59:41,960 Speaker 1: like everybody's like, oh man, if only Twitter had existed 912 00:59:41,960 --> 00:59:43,960 Speaker 1: back then. And then dominiqu Dawes could be the same 913 00:59:44,040 --> 00:59:46,080 Speaker 1: level of heroin and you know the way that we 914 00:59:46,120 --> 00:59:49,400 Speaker 1: talk about a Gabby Douglas or Simon Biles. But on 915 00:59:49,400 --> 00:59:54,200 Speaker 1: the other hand, it's like, but Twitter can be so awful, Yeah, 916 00:59:54,320 --> 00:59:58,840 Speaker 1: so awful too. Well in that visibility factor absolutely, you know, 917 00:59:58,920 --> 01:00:04,720 Speaker 1: contributes to the underrepresentation of gymnasts of color in the 918 01:00:04,760 --> 01:00:07,600 Speaker 1: sport because, for instance, you know, in eight four, Mary 919 01:00:07,640 --> 01:00:10,760 Speaker 1: lou Retten inspired a ton of white girls to start 920 01:00:10,840 --> 01:00:15,680 Speaker 1: taking gymnastics. Um, but it's not until when you have 921 01:00:16,120 --> 01:00:20,840 Speaker 1: Gabby Douglas is historic gold in London, establishing her as 922 01:00:20,880 --> 01:00:24,560 Speaker 1: a role model. And now with a woman like Simone Biles. 923 01:00:25,800 --> 01:00:30,160 Speaker 1: You know, I I've seen her videos shared by all 924 01:00:30,200 --> 01:00:33,840 Speaker 1: types of people on social media who are astounded at 925 01:00:33,840 --> 01:00:37,680 Speaker 1: her abilities because she she does she totally defies physics. Um, 926 01:00:37,840 --> 01:00:39,840 Speaker 1: and so you have to wonder, like I wonder what 927 01:00:40,000 --> 01:00:43,680 Speaker 1: the uh Simone Biles effect will be? Yeah, I mean 928 01:00:43,720 --> 01:00:46,640 Speaker 1: Mary lou Retton has already called her the most talented 929 01:00:46,680 --> 01:00:50,720 Speaker 1: gymnasts she's seen in her life. Um. She's the first 930 01:00:50,800 --> 01:00:55,160 Speaker 1: female gymnast to win three straight World championships, and if 931 01:00:55,200 --> 01:00:58,200 Speaker 1: she wins three, I don't know if it's gold. Medals 932 01:00:58,200 --> 01:01:00,880 Speaker 1: are just medals in general. At she will be the 933 01:01:00,920 --> 01:01:05,880 Speaker 1: most decorated American gymnast ever. And she already has a 934 01:01:05,960 --> 01:01:09,760 Speaker 1: gymnastics move named after her, the Biles, which is a 935 01:01:09,840 --> 01:01:13,360 Speaker 1: double layout half out. If you know what that is, 936 01:01:13,920 --> 01:01:17,240 Speaker 1: it's very impressive. UM and she they viewed it at 937 01:01:17,240 --> 01:01:21,560 Speaker 1: the two thousand thirteen World Championships, and her backstory makes 938 01:01:21,560 --> 01:01:25,200 Speaker 1: her success all the more incredible. Yeah, no kidding. At 939 01:01:25,360 --> 01:01:28,919 Speaker 1: just two years old, she and her three siblings had 940 01:01:28,960 --> 01:01:31,520 Speaker 1: to be removed from their home because their mother was 941 01:01:31,520 --> 01:01:35,680 Speaker 1: struggling with addiction, and so their grandfather, Ron and his 942 01:01:35,720 --> 01:01:39,120 Speaker 1: wife Nellie end up adopting the kids. In two thousand three, 943 01:01:39,200 --> 01:01:44,000 Speaker 1: and at age six, Simone starts taking classes and she's 944 01:01:44,040 --> 01:01:48,640 Speaker 1: basically like a little gymnastics prodigy. She progresses super fast, 945 01:01:49,320 --> 01:01:53,680 Speaker 1: and she has a terrible meat, but this proves to 946 01:01:53,800 --> 01:01:57,800 Speaker 1: be an actually great turning point for Yeah. So after that, 947 01:01:58,000 --> 01:02:01,920 Speaker 1: she struggles up with a sports psycho bologists and USA 948 01:02:02,040 --> 01:02:06,080 Speaker 1: national team coordinator Martha Caroli Um, who is part of 949 01:02:06,080 --> 01:02:10,080 Speaker 1: the gymnastics Dream Team coaching wise, UM. She's the wife 950 01:02:10,120 --> 01:02:15,360 Speaker 1: of Bella Coroli, who was the previous team coordinator. UM 951 01:02:15,440 --> 01:02:18,520 Speaker 1: and I don't know what that sports psychologists and Martha 952 01:02:18,600 --> 01:02:23,800 Speaker 1: Crowley were able to inspire in her. But just three 953 01:02:23,880 --> 01:02:27,160 Speaker 1: weeks later she won the US championship and two months 954 01:02:27,200 --> 01:02:30,560 Speaker 1: later the world title, and since then she has not 955 01:02:30,760 --> 01:02:37,440 Speaker 1: lost a meet. I don't know. Like people therapist, psychologists 956 01:02:37,480 --> 01:02:40,800 Speaker 1: and professionals like a Martha Caroli, they can help you 957 01:02:40,840 --> 01:02:42,560 Speaker 1: get out of your head like that was something that 958 01:02:42,560 --> 01:02:44,720 Speaker 1: Gabby Douglas said that she struggled a lot with was 959 01:02:44,800 --> 01:02:47,320 Speaker 1: just getting too much in her own head. And when 960 01:02:47,360 --> 01:02:50,080 Speaker 1: you're thinking too much with your brain parts, you can't 961 01:02:50,120 --> 01:02:52,560 Speaker 1: be as effective with all your body parts moving around. 962 01:02:53,080 --> 01:02:56,800 Speaker 1: And so there's a lot of discussion about how important 963 01:02:56,800 --> 01:03:02,360 Speaker 1: it is to have that confidence and faith in yourself 964 01:03:02,480 --> 01:03:05,880 Speaker 1: that all of the sports commentators do dismiss as diva behavior. 965 01:03:06,160 --> 01:03:08,080 Speaker 1: You've got to think that you're the best. You can't 966 01:03:08,120 --> 01:03:11,720 Speaker 1: be walking around making BFFs all over the floor. We're 967 01:03:11,760 --> 01:03:15,320 Speaker 1: not here to make friends. This is gymnastics, well kick butt. 968 01:03:15,800 --> 01:03:19,760 Speaker 1: And one similarity though, between that Time Magazine profile of 969 01:03:19,800 --> 01:03:22,920 Speaker 1: Gabby Douglas from a few years back and a New 970 01:03:23,000 --> 01:03:28,720 Speaker 1: Yorker profile on Simone Biles is um always circling around 971 01:03:28,760 --> 01:03:33,600 Speaker 1: to the the athletes, not thinking they're the best, and 972 01:03:33,600 --> 01:03:36,280 Speaker 1: that was really a major focus of the Gabby Douglas piece. 973 01:03:36,360 --> 01:03:40,160 Speaker 1: Unlike Simone Biles, Um, I mean time really seem to 974 01:03:40,200 --> 01:03:42,040 Speaker 1: want to like hammer Home, like she's so good but 975 01:03:42,080 --> 01:03:44,840 Speaker 1: she doesn't think she is. She's so insecure. She's so great, 976 01:03:44,880 --> 01:03:48,040 Speaker 1: but she's so insecure. Which I was like, why that's 977 01:03:48,040 --> 01:03:51,960 Speaker 1: like that one direction song which I also hate, You're 978 01:03:52,000 --> 01:03:55,800 Speaker 1: beautiful because you don't know you're beautiful? Um. Well, And 979 01:03:56,200 --> 01:03:58,480 Speaker 1: I wonder though if that's that is part of the 980 01:03:58,760 --> 01:04:01,520 Speaker 1: gendered coding of it um And it's something we're going 981 01:04:01,560 --> 01:04:04,360 Speaker 1: to talk about in our next episode on Women's Olympic boxing, 982 01:04:05,000 --> 01:04:09,640 Speaker 1: where I wonder how much female athletes at the top 983 01:04:09,680 --> 01:04:11,880 Speaker 1: of their game unless you're like a Rhonda Rousey, where 984 01:04:11,880 --> 01:04:14,320 Speaker 1: it kind of comes with the territory of m m 985 01:04:14,320 --> 01:04:18,760 Speaker 1: A and UFC, whether we allow them to know that 986 01:04:18,800 --> 01:04:22,360 Speaker 1: they're the best. Because the New Yorker profile ends with 987 01:04:22,440 --> 01:04:25,320 Speaker 1: Simone Biles saying, people say I'm the best, but I 988 01:04:25,320 --> 01:04:27,280 Speaker 1: still don't think that. I guess if I go to 989 01:04:27,320 --> 01:04:31,400 Speaker 1: the Olympics and do well, maybe I'll believe it. And 990 01:04:31,640 --> 01:04:34,880 Speaker 1: you're the best in the world already. Why why don't 991 01:04:34,880 --> 01:04:37,280 Speaker 1: you believe it. And I just wonder if it's like 992 01:04:37,280 --> 01:04:39,600 Speaker 1: a little bit of media cherry picking, or if it's 993 01:04:40,160 --> 01:04:45,240 Speaker 1: uh like some coaching psychology where you keep them insecure 994 01:04:45,400 --> 01:04:48,880 Speaker 1: and how good they really are, or if you know 995 01:04:48,960 --> 01:04:54,880 Speaker 1: all gymnasts have imposter syndrome. I'd read that book. I 996 01:04:54,920 --> 01:04:58,760 Speaker 1: want to read that study. Not a perfect tin impostor 997 01:04:58,880 --> 01:05:05,840 Speaker 1: syndrome at the gymnastics gym, the gymnastics gymnasium. But I mean, 998 01:05:05,840 --> 01:05:07,680 Speaker 1: do you think do you think that's the case. What 999 01:05:07,720 --> 01:05:10,880 Speaker 1: do you think is going on with that? I have 1000 01:05:10,920 --> 01:05:15,480 Speaker 1: no idea. I mean, she could be being modest or 1001 01:05:15,520 --> 01:05:17,520 Speaker 1: it could I mean it could be that like this 1002 01:05:17,640 --> 01:05:20,560 Speaker 1: skill literally comes so easy to her that it she 1003 01:05:20,600 --> 01:05:24,160 Speaker 1: can't see through to realize just how incredible she is. 1004 01:05:24,280 --> 01:05:30,200 Speaker 1: I don't know. Also I forget how young they are too. Yeah. Um, 1005 01:05:30,280 --> 01:05:35,000 Speaker 1: and our society doesn't exactly you know, like build team 1006 01:05:35,080 --> 01:05:39,640 Speaker 1: girls up to believe they're the best and the strongest. Kidding. 1007 01:05:39,920 --> 01:05:42,640 Speaker 1: So if anyone has any insight on that, please let 1008 01:05:42,720 --> 01:05:48,480 Speaker 1: us know. And gymnastics fans, Olympic gymnastics fans, hope that 1009 01:05:48,560 --> 01:05:52,520 Speaker 1: you enjoyed this look at this segment of the sport, 1010 01:05:52,640 --> 01:05:56,240 Speaker 1: because it was really fun to dive in and um 1011 01:05:56,400 --> 01:06:02,200 Speaker 1: revisit the Magnificent Seven learned out those high tech leotard's 1012 01:06:02,640 --> 01:06:08,320 Speaker 1: all the crystals and my um my fandom for Simone 1013 01:06:08,320 --> 01:06:11,080 Speaker 1: Biles and Gabby Douglas and the rest of the USA 1014 01:06:11,160 --> 01:06:16,760 Speaker 1: teams only reinforced with this podcast. So now, listeners, we 1015 01:06:16,760 --> 01:06:18,959 Speaker 1: want to hear from you mom Stuff at how Stuff 1016 01:06:19,000 --> 01:06:22,040 Speaker 1: Works dot Com is our email address. You can also 1017 01:06:22,040 --> 01:06:25,160 Speaker 1: tweet us at mom Stuff podcast or messages on Facebook, 1018 01:06:25,280 --> 01:06:27,080 Speaker 1: and we've got a couple of messages to share with 1019 01:06:27,120 --> 01:06:35,560 Speaker 1: you right now. I'll have a letter here from Amy 1020 01:06:35,680 --> 01:06:40,360 Speaker 1: in response to our Librarian set of episodes. She says, first, 1021 01:06:40,440 --> 01:06:42,800 Speaker 1: I want to say I love, love, love your podcast. 1022 01:06:43,080 --> 01:06:45,200 Speaker 1: I'm a fairly new listener who was pointed to your 1023 01:06:45,200 --> 01:06:48,160 Speaker 1: podcast by my digital pinpal a few months ago, and 1024 01:06:48,280 --> 01:06:51,240 Speaker 1: I'm hooked. I'm already an avid listener of How Stuff Works, 1025 01:06:51,280 --> 01:06:53,160 Speaker 1: and I can't believe I never branched out to the 1026 01:06:53,240 --> 01:06:56,560 Speaker 1: lady side of the stuff family till now. I've recently 1027 01:06:56,600 --> 01:06:59,200 Speaker 1: listened to your Librarian episodes and I'm left feeling like 1028 01:06:59,240 --> 01:07:01,880 Speaker 1: I missed my true calling to be a librarian. Talk 1029 01:07:01,920 --> 01:07:04,840 Speaker 1: about a dream job in part two. I believe you 1030 01:07:04,880 --> 01:07:08,040 Speaker 1: mentioned bibliotherapy and that neither of you had heard about it. 1031 01:07:08,400 --> 01:07:11,000 Speaker 1: The amazing folks at the School of Life have actually 1032 01:07:11,040 --> 01:07:13,560 Speaker 1: been offering this for a few years now. For a 1033 01:07:13,640 --> 01:07:16,640 Speaker 1: mere one hundred pounds, you receive a one on one 1034 01:07:16,800 --> 01:07:20,200 Speaker 1: bibliotherapy session in which you are given a stack of 1035 01:07:20,360 --> 01:07:26,080 Speaker 1: literature Taylor picked for you and your situation. That it 1036 01:07:26,160 --> 01:07:29,560 Speaker 1: sounds incredible, Amy, thank you. She goes on to say, 1037 01:07:29,600 --> 01:07:31,840 Speaker 1: for a more d i y approach. The creators of 1038 01:07:31,880 --> 01:07:35,280 Speaker 1: the School of Life Bibliotherapy sessions also put together a 1039 01:07:35,320 --> 01:07:38,280 Speaker 1: book called a Novel Cure and a to z of 1040 01:07:38,360 --> 01:07:42,760 Speaker 1: literary Remedies that reads as a dictionary with literary suggestions 1041 01:07:42,800 --> 01:07:46,160 Speaker 1: for everything that ails you, and the site is the 1042 01:07:46,200 --> 01:07:50,760 Speaker 1: novel Cure dot Com. The book's accompanying website offers free 1043 01:07:50,800 --> 01:07:53,640 Speaker 1: suggestions to chosen folks who write in and also have 1044 01:07:53,720 --> 01:07:57,280 Speaker 1: a list of ailments with accompanying cures to peruse online. 1045 01:07:57,720 --> 01:08:01,480 Speaker 1: I find it a fascinating resource when choose books as gifts. 1046 01:08:01,560 --> 01:08:04,320 Speaker 1: Keep up the amazing work and thanks for all of 1047 01:08:04,360 --> 01:08:08,320 Speaker 1: this backstory, Amy, I want that book right now. Um. 1048 01:08:08,360 --> 01:08:11,120 Speaker 1: I've got a letter here from Marine also about our 1049 01:08:11,240 --> 01:08:14,440 Speaker 1: librarians to Parter Marine Rights. I wanted to share my 1050 01:08:14,520 --> 01:08:18,280 Speaker 1: personal experience with the Library school program aimed at diversifying 1051 01:08:18,320 --> 01:08:21,000 Speaker 1: the profession. I got my master's of the University of 1052 01:08:21,040 --> 01:08:23,320 Speaker 1: Arizona in two thousand and six as part of a 1053 01:08:23,360 --> 01:08:27,240 Speaker 1: special program within the Library School called Knowledge River, aimed 1054 01:08:27,240 --> 01:08:30,879 Speaker 1: at getting Latinos and Native Americans into the profession. Besides 1055 01:08:30,960 --> 01:08:35,240 Speaker 1: financial aid, internship experience, and specialized classes that focus on 1056 01:08:35,280 --> 01:08:38,719 Speaker 1: service to marginalized populations. It was a cohort of people 1057 01:08:38,760 --> 01:08:40,680 Speaker 1: who all got to know each other very well as 1058 01:08:40,680 --> 01:08:43,160 Speaker 1: we went through the program. Ten years later, I'm still 1059 01:08:43,160 --> 01:08:45,439 Speaker 1: in touch with some of the people I met. I 1060 01:08:45,560 --> 01:08:47,880 Speaker 1: was in the third cohort, and Knowledge River will start 1061 01:08:47,880 --> 01:08:52,320 Speaker 1: it's fifteenth class this August. Still going strong. Graduates work 1062 01:08:52,360 --> 01:08:55,240 Speaker 1: all over the country and all kinds of libraries. In 1063 01:08:55,280 --> 01:08:57,840 Speaker 1: the mid sized public library branch where I work, three 1064 01:08:57,880 --> 01:09:00,559 Speaker 1: out of the four librarians on staff are Knowledge River 1065 01:09:00,640 --> 01:09:04,479 Speaker 1: graduates and to speak Spanish. Every so often I think 1066 01:09:04,479 --> 01:09:07,000 Speaker 1: of that and go, wow, we have a high population 1067 01:09:07,040 --> 01:09:10,120 Speaker 1: of Spanish speakers and many Native American patrons as well, 1068 01:09:10,360 --> 01:09:13,439 Speaker 1: so it's the right thing for our community. Librarianship is 1069 01:09:13,479 --> 01:09:15,920 Speaker 1: still a very white profession. You just have to wander 1070 01:09:15,960 --> 01:09:18,320 Speaker 1: the Exhibit Hall at the a l A Annual Conference 1071 01:09:18,360 --> 01:09:22,040 Speaker 1: to see that. But with Carla Hayden getting confirmed as 1072 01:09:22,080 --> 01:09:25,759 Speaker 1: the Librarian of Congress, the first woman, the first African American, 1073 01:09:25,840 --> 01:09:28,400 Speaker 1: and the first librarian with the background in public libraries 1074 01:09:28,439 --> 01:09:32,559 Speaker 1: in that position, I feel that programs like KR are 1075 01:09:32,600 --> 01:09:36,880 Speaker 1: going to become more important than ever. Oh well, thank 1076 01:09:36,880 --> 01:09:40,160 Speaker 1: you so much for letting us know about knowledge River 1077 01:09:40,240 --> 01:09:43,240 Speaker 1: Marine Um. It sounds like a fantastic program. And yes, 1078 01:09:43,560 --> 01:09:47,639 Speaker 1: shout out to our newest Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. 1079 01:09:48,439 --> 01:09:50,559 Speaker 1: And if you've got shoutouts to send to us, mom 1080 01:09:50,640 --> 01:09:53,280 Speaker 1: stuff at how stuff works dot com is where you 1081 01:09:53,320 --> 01:09:55,280 Speaker 1: can send them and for links to all of our 1082 01:09:55,320 --> 01:09:57,960 Speaker 1: social media as well as all of our blogs, videos 1083 01:09:58,000 --> 01:10:01,880 Speaker 1: and podcasts with our sources so you can learn more 1084 01:10:01,920 --> 01:10:05,759 Speaker 1: about gymnastics, head on over to stuff Mom Never Told 1085 01:10:05,800 --> 01:10:12,720 Speaker 1: You dot com for more on this and thousands of 1086 01:10:12,760 --> 01:10:22,720 Speaker 1: other topics. Does it how stuff works dot com