Ogden Raptors, women aren’t objects
I n case any woman in Ogden, Utah was wondering how the local minor league baseball team feels about you, it’s not good.
A new promotion by the Ogden Raptors is a slap in the face to female baseball fans everywhere.
Come out and enjoy a game while we treat you like an object and completely objectify and sexualize you, the team says to the ladies with its recently announced “Hourglass Appreciation Night.” Disgusting. This is from an actual press release on Monday:
“The home team hosts the Billings Mustangs, but the real thoroughbreds will join Raptors broadcaster A.P. Harreld in the booth. Since August is the eighth month of the calendar year, and an 8 looks tantalizingly similar to an hourglass, be there a better way to remind the world that baseball needs no clock than to feature 18 hourglass-shaped color commentators?
That’s right! Stars Talent Studio of Salt Lake City will provide a different stunner each half-inning. And the Raptors will video-stream the broadcast booth — well, at least the better-looking half of it!”
After a firestorm of criticism, the minor league team backtracked and canceled the promotion.
“The Ogden Raptors regret that an unauthorized press release was disseminated over the weekend announcing a promotion that was not approved or scheduled by club ownership or management. This promotion will not take place and steps have been put in place to ensure this will not happen again,” the team said in a statement.
Being a female who tirelessly supports sports can be exhausting when there always seems to be some unfortunate reminder that the sport you love will never take you seriously.
The Raptors sank to a new level by even considering the promotion.
It’s disrespectful, extremely sexist and just flat out stupid.
I can’t even imagine how parents in this community can explain this to young girls.
“Let’s go to the ballpark, where men will treat you like your looks and figure are the only thing people will ever care about!”
Beyond that, how do you explain it to a young boy without teaching him that it’s OK to view women this way? You can’t. That’s how the cycle continues.
The original press release got worse, believe it or not.
“Fans will have the opportunity to pose for pictures with the lovely ladies as we showcase seriously splendid visual appeal: Utah’s legendary mountains, Dodgers and Reds farmhands — and gorgeous women whose curves rival those of any stud pitching prospect!”
The thought of the promotion is incredibly disturbing. The use of baseball terms to describe women’s bodies is even more disturbing.
Women are baseball fans. They aren’t objects.
Quit being the problem, Ogden. You’re truly a disgrace to the league and an embarrassment to the game.