STORM IN A B-CUP
Match of the Day’s first female commentator causes controversy
Match of the Day’s first female commentator causes controversy
On 21st April 2007, Jacqui Oatley became the first female commentator to appear on Match of the Day in its 43 year history.
Oatley, 33, commentated on the Fulham versus Blackburn Rovers match highlights and immediately prompted controversy from hundreds of disgruntled fans, mainly male, who were extremely unhappy about Oatley’s appearance.
Social networking site Facebook have since been inundated with groups dedicated to people who wish to express their disgust at the BBC appointing her as a commentator. Groups like ‘MOTD commentator- go back to the kitchen’ and ‘I press mute when the female commentator is on Match of the Day’ have attracted a great deal of interest in what many males see as an unwelcome attempt for women to make into a male-dominated world.
It is no coincidence that, since her debut on Match of the Day, Oatley made one more appearance on the popular football show. She now commentates on BBC Radio Five, but still attracts a lot of interest and controversy.
In stark contrast, Gabby Logan has been successful as a sports presenter and sports writer for the Times. Despite working in an industry saturated with men, she has progressed steadily and now fronts her own television show, Inside Sport. She said:
“I think that in my career there have been certain opportunities that didn’t come up for me that may have come up for male colleagues.
Women should never let a man use their gender as an excuse. They should always produce the best they possibly can because nobody can argue with it. If their best argument is that you are a woman, they are the ones that look really stupid.”
Oatley, 33, commentated on the Fulham versus Blackburn Rovers match highlights and immediately prompted controversy from hundreds of disgruntled fans, mainly male, who were extremely unhappy about Oatley’s appearance.
Social networking site Facebook have since been inundated with groups dedicated to people who wish to express their disgust at the BBC appointing her as a commentator. Groups like ‘MOTD commentator- go back to the kitchen’ and ‘I press mute when the female commentator is on Match of the Day’ have attracted a great deal of interest in what many males see as an unwelcome attempt for women to make into a male-dominated world.
It is no coincidence that, since her debut on Match of the Day, Oatley made one more appearance on the popular football show. She now commentates on BBC Radio Five, but still attracts a lot of interest and controversy.
In stark contrast, Gabby Logan has been successful as a sports presenter and sports writer for the Times. Despite working in an industry saturated with men, she has progressed steadily and now fronts her own television show, Inside Sport. She said:
“I think that in my career there have been certain opportunities that didn’t come up for me that may have come up for male colleagues.
Women should never let a man use their gender as an excuse. They should always produce the best they possibly can because nobody can argue with it. If their best argument is that you are a woman, they are the ones that look really stupid.”
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