Oops. Chalk this one up to not knowing any audience. The CBC announced the invasion of their ladies’ themed podcast “While the Men Watch” on Hockey Night In Canada broadcasts. The assumption that women watch hockey differently than men ticked people off (just read Twitter) because the sport has a very large group of knowledgeable female fans — fans that most guys in my experience look at no differently. If women were like the two ladies on WTMW, I’m pretty sure guys would be walking around with earplugs in.
The thing that I find so outstanding about this isn’t the misogyny that’s implied here by CBC’s bad decision (“Women can’t watch a sport! Let’s focus this show on sex and shoes!”) but that these women are unintentionally hysterical. I can’t criticise something that is going to give us gems like:
- Seven Phrases To Yell Out If You Don’t Follow Hockey (because screaming “USE THE BOARDS!” makes you sound smart. No, it makes you sound like the drunk STH in my section who didn’t know the puck from his arse)
- Love Me Like Lundqvist: Five Sex Games For Hockey Season Pt 1 — where this is an actual suggestion: “Set the alarm on your cell phone for 5 minutes and challenge your man to see if he can score with you on a ‘power play.'” Five minutes? Really? God, horndog. Just let him finish watching the damn game.
- Sex on Game Day: Does He Lock It Up Or Love You Down — this is classic: “The Action Hero A rare find, this guy has no problem putting it in the net on game day. Somehow he balances hot sex with stellar performance in the game. Other players will try to flatten him for being so sickeningly perfect, but he just shakes it off and puts it in again.” Entendre!
- 10 Reasons We Love New York Rangers Coach John Torterella: Number seven is actually “his team is hot.” Do you really think that Torts went out and selected only the most attractive guys for the roster? What, did he demote Avery to the Whale because his fashion sense just wasn’t as slick as Henrik’s?
Anywho, you have to appreciate the humor here. Yeah, it’s shameless pandering. Yes, these two women come across like actual living, breathing stereotypes — while managing to stereotype men in the process as sex and sports obsessed. As Steve Lepore of Puck the Media suggested, just feature Cassie Campbell. Hell, Versus was ahead of the curve (!) with Christine Simpson for pete’s sake. You can appeal to non-die hards by having someone explain the sport in a way that isn’t condescending.
But please, keep the blog going. This thing is comedy gold.
