By Situation Theatre 12/9/2018
The important thing is to separate Serena’s actions from all history and context.
Hey fellas,
Worried you haven’t seemed cocksure enough lately? Anxious to over-confidently deny sexism as a possible factor in the US Open Final despite all evidence to the contrary?
Have we got the solution for you!
What we can offer you today, for just nine easy payments of your patriarchal privileges, is a one step process of wilful ignorance to flaunt your masculinity.
Step One: Ignore, Ignore, Ignore.
Ignore thousands of years of patriarchy in which men hold every conceivable social, economic, cultural and political privilege and wield these privileges in a war on women.
Ignore a nation’s centuries-long-history of owning, demonising, demeaning, segregating and exploiting black women.
Ignore a society’s relentless legislative attacks on women in every domain of life.
Ignore the gross gender pay gap of sport in general and tennis in particular.
Ignore the history of racist and sexist abuse perpetrated against Serena Williams.
Ignore clear evidence of double standards applied to Williams’ behaviour.
Ignore the fact that seasoned tennis journalists decried the actions of the umpire.
Finally, in isolating the incident from all meaningful context, be sure to endlessly debate the specifics of this tennis match and whatever you do, don’t let the conversation get onto anything worthwhile like what this whole media event can teach us about smashing the patriarchy.