A Tennis Tournament Had Players Select Models With Letters Written On Their Bodies To Determine Their Draw
The Times- The ATP has issued an apology for an “unacceptable” Next Gen Finals draw which forced young male players to determine which group they would be placed in by selecting a female model.
The draw for the round-robin phase involved competitors choosing a model, who would then lead them down the catwalk and reveal either the letter A or B, which was hidden somewhere on their bodies.
What in the fuck was that about? That was one of the weirdest, most awkward videos I’ve ever seen. We’ll address the outrage and the sexism and all that in a bit, but first I’d like some answers. It was kinda like that weird wedding custom where the groom goes under the bride’s dress and rips off the lace with his teeth (stupid custom), but it had the feel of an awkward fraternity-sorority mixer where the new kids had to present themselves together. I could see this working with suave European soccer players, but not these young tennis dorks who don’t interact with women. For real–tennis kids grow up in these militaristic tennis academics, are ruled over by their parents, and don’t cultivate social skills because they’re too busy wrapping rackets and courting sponsors. And most of them don’t make it, at which point they’re washed out into a world that won’t accept them because they’re losers. That’s why so many tennis players turn to meth, you know? Look at Agassi.
Anyway, is this sexist or offensive? God, who can say these days. I suppose drawing the letter A on your thigh, as a woman, invokes Hester Prynne from Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Hester’s A stood for “adulterer,” and she wore the letter in a town that lionized her for her sin even though the father never came forward (spoiler alert: it’s Dimmesdale all along lol what a dick). If that’s why the internet is mad about this, then hey–good reading kids. I read it that way too. But something tells me that nobody else thought along these lines.
Anyway, it wasn’t until we saw this kid that I actually grasped the concept:
The models had the letter A or B somewhere on their person. Wow. What a remarkable sorting system. First of all, if you’re going to go through pageantry on this level, you need more categories. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin! Choosing the next Olympic host city! The NBA draft! Any professional sports draft! This is way too much for a simple A or B draw. Stupid.
Love this kid though:
“Ohhhhhhhh my God oh my God oh my God she’s touching my arm. Flex. No don’t flex, she’ll know. Flex a little. Just tense it. Don’t bulge it. Ugh my glasses are stupid. But so is her hat and sunglasses. We’re indoors. Still would though. Ok I’ll flex.”