Bust THIS, Youk!

For someone with a tendency for ‘obsessing’ on things, I’m fairly well steeped in reality.

 I know that some baseball players take drugs.  Some to enhance their playing, some just to get high.

I know that some baseball players cheat on their wives.  Some of the most openly devout men get action on the side every chance they can.

I know that some baseball players cheat on their devoted girlfriends because they can’t handle adversity and are hoping to ward off death by ‘acting like a man’ and being an ass in the process.

I know that some baseball players couldn’t care less about their fans and are only in it for a paycheck.

And, for the most part, I’m fine with all of this.  It’s part of the deal.  They don’t tell us the truth about any of these things, they keep their private lives private, and from February to October we get to pretend that all the guys on the field, representing our team, are guys we WANT representing US. 

So my violent reaction to this news surprised me a little bit.   I ranted about it on the Sox Sistahs blog, but Texas Gal really covers it much better than I.

I’ve been debating this with folks for the latter part of the day.  I must say I’m quite surprised at the number of people (men AND women) who don’t think Youk lending his name to a product called "Slumpbuster" is a bad move by our first baseman.  I’m not the most radical feminist you’ve ever met.  Hell, I have friends who don’t think I’m a feminist at all.  But Youk giving his name to this drink and then hiding behind that decision by making the proceeds go to charity is just another in a long line of poor decisions regarding women by a professional athlete.

When will the demeaning of women by athletes be called what it is?  Why is it always "Oh, you just can’t take a joke"?   Texas Gal’s piece has quotes from Mark Grace and Curt Schilling on the subject of "slump busting".  I’m sure his quotes are something Schilling would like to take back.  Doesn’t look well for his "good Christian" persona, does it? 

I’m at a loss how Youk’s significant other allowed this, even if the money is going to charity.  What’s the thinking?  "We’re donating it to charity, so it’s okay if it demeans women"?  Did Youk go to the Bill Simmons school of "Girls think sports are icky!"?  Does he not see all the women, most of whom have no desire to have sex with him, they’d rather just watch the game, thanks, in the stands?  

It was women fans who started the Daughters of Kevin Youkilis.  A message board that began as an alternative to the Red Sox Fan Forum with a title parodying the Sons of Sam Horn.  Then, with the addition of Youk as a member, it became somewhat of a message board for fans of Youk.  There are women all over the country who wear t-shirts with "DoKy – Daughters of Kevin Youkilis" on them.  Older women, younger women, fat, thin, short, tall…maybe some of the women in "DoKY" fit his criteria for a slump buster?  Who’s to say? How would it make them feel to know that a player they considered a good guy was laughing at them behind their backs?  It’s a good group of folks over there, they deserve better from a player they honor.

Kevin is supposedly devoted to Enza, so why would he endorse something that not only demeans women (and I keep using that word because it is the most accurate way to describe what this does) but implies that he SUPPORTS the practice?  Hell, I wouldn’t want to think that my boyfriend was out there looking for a slump buster.

I need to stop writing.  The more I write the madder I get.  So I’ll end this with a quote from a Maureen Dowd piece that Kelly O alerted me to.  A piece from 2005 that Kelly said reinforced why this issue upsets her.  

Consider this gender differentiation: A gorgeous, fit guy who sleeps with an overweight, unattractive woman is "throwing himself on a grenade" for the team. A gorgeous, fit girl who sleeps with an overweight, unattractive man is lucky to have found romance in "Sideways" and "Hitch."

Beth might have said it best when she remarked "What I find ironic is that if he wasn’t first baseman for the RS, if he was just Kevin from Accounting, I would consider HIM to be a slumpbuster! "

I wonder how that would make HIM feel? 

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