F1

5th column/spa

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 21 total)
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  • #129997
    sbl on tour
    Participant

    a few points

    what is the point of,

    those dolly birds before the drivers go onto the podium, dont think any of the guys acknowledged them

    helmut marko, saw him at the end, what does he actually do?

    those tubes who hang about behind jake, dc and eddie, do they not realise they look like total pratts

    #177114
    beneboy
    Participant

    Personally I hate the way that they line up groups of girls for the drivers to walk through on the way to the podium; it’s not the 1960s any more and we don’t need scantily clad women to attract us to a motor race. I think they’re the grid girls who stand in front of the cars when they’re getting ready for the race.

    I don’t mind so much when they have men and women but when it’s just a load of female models it really gives off an air of chauvinism I think we could all do without in the 21st century.

    Helmut Marko is the motor racing consultant to Dietrich Mateschitz, there’s a good article about him in the Guardian:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/nov/14/red-bull-sebastian-vettel-helmut-marko

    I’m with you regarding those idiots who hang around behind the TV crews at the GP’s, although I find people doing the same thing behind news crews or any other outside broadcasting crew to be very annoying too. It’s only TV !

    #177115

    Personally I hate the way that they line up groups of girls for the drivers to walk through on the way to the podium; it’s not the 1960s any more and we don’t need scantily clad women to attract us to a motor race.

    I don’t mind so much when they have men and women but when it’s just a load of female models it really gives off an air of chauvinism I think we could all do without in the 21st century.

    Agreed, it’s rather sad.

    #177116
    George
    Participant

    I always feel sorry for those grid girls on the way to the podium, I bet they’re not used to being totally ignored :P

    #177117
    Ned Flanders
    Participant

    “it’s not the 1960s any more”.

    Exactly. It’s a tradition that really shouldn’t have persisted all the way into the 21st Century

    #177118
    matt90
    Participant

    Not going to lie, I don’t mind the grid girls on the actual grid, but is does seem a bit archaic regardless. And the lines of them on the way to the podium is weird, demeaning and most of all incredibly creepy.

    #177119
    sbl on tour
    Participant

    george, yep I bet thats the only time those dollies do get ignored, hadnt thought of it like that

    #177120
    Icthyes
    Participant

    I don’t mind them being there. If they want to have men in too, be my guest, if they get rid of them all, I won’t stop watching.

    #177121
    cduk_mugello
    Participant

    I really don’t think there’s much of an issue here. It’s not like these women are forced into it. Plus, at some grand prix (like Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Singapore) the women are actually dressed pretty respectfully, with no flesh showing.

    I think the main purpose they serve is clapping the winners through to the podium – which I personally think is a nice touch.

    Okay… the majority of the times they’re pretty fit too..

    #177122
    DavidS
    Participant

    It seems to be only a very recent introduction to the ceremonies, as I’m not sure whether or not that footage was included in the FOM world feed before 2009 at least.

    Thus, it’s a good opportunity for the sponsor to get their branding some prime exposure. So they all started doing it.

    I completely agree that it is totally unnecessary and chauvanist. What can be done about it? Not much, because I think it’s an agreement between the organiser of the race and the sponsor. Maybe FOM could set guidelines on acceptable commercial conduct of sponsors at F1 events, but that wouldn’t be likely.

    One final thing, who else thinks that the clapping sounds like the applause at a dictator’s speech? They are told when to clap, and to not be the first person to stop.

    #177123
    xbx-117
    Participant

    The women clapping before the podium is a little strange, but I have no problem with grid girls. Beautiful women, super fast cars, and the best (arguably) drivers in the world to drive them (the cars, not the women, haha) in the best locations and tracks in the world. Its all what made F1 what it is today, and what still makes it amazing.

    Like I said though, the line of women after the race is still a little strange.

    #177124
    Joey-Poey
    Participant

    As has been said above, I see no problem with them. They are not being demeaned or insulted in any way and they are there of their own volition (probably paid quite nicely, too). Moreover, anymore you can see more exposed skin on most music videos, reality shows or even just going outside to the park. This isn’t like the women are being paid to bow, rub themselves all over the men or act as footstools. Would you still find it demeaning if it were all men who were asked to hold a sign, then clap for the winner following the race? To a degree, I’d say each person sees in it what they want to see.

    #177125
    sbl on tour
    Participant

    joey, I dont find it demeaning, I find it pathetic and a total waste of time

    #177126
    George
    Participant

    I cant think of any female-dominated sport where they’re awarded trophies, but lets say at a women’s golf tournament they hired a bunch of buff models in speedos to form a corridor to the podium, I would find that quite offputting.

    At least F1 is more civilised than motogp though, I really dont want to see a couple of plastic beachballs popping out of someone’s latex top at sunday lunch time.

    #177127
    shaggymike
    Participant

    I’ve thought the same for a while now, these ladies being paraded just add to the view that F1 is just for straight men, what happens when a woman makes it to the podium, or an openly gay man? Both things will happen one day, will they have to walk through a corridor of pretty girls?

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