All Blacks v England: Sex act joke about female physio ‘harassment’
Zoë George is a freelance writer and a former sports journalist for Stuff.
Warning this article uses language some might find offensive.
OPINION: There’s nothing like some Alternative Commentary Collective (ACC) on Radio Hauraki and Sky to ease the tension during a tough sports match, but it was a mention of a different type of tension easing that caused a stir after the All Blacks v England game at Eden Park on Saturday night.
During a break in play where England’s female physio was doing her job and assisting front rower Jamie George, the ACC commentators insinuated she was giving him a handjob.
(I’ve chosen not to name the physio because often when we mention women who have experienced these kinds of comments, more harassment ensues and she doesn’t deserve that.)
The ACC posted the clip to their social media post-game with the headline: “Forget the magic water how about the magic handjob!”.
They have since deleted it, but not before more than 100 people across Facebook and Instagram commented.
During a break in play where England’s female physio was doing her job and assisting front rower Jamie George, the ACC commentators insinuated she was giving him a handjob.
Misogynistic comments flowed aplenty. Some were oh-so creative, like how women belong in the kitchen. Other comments captured the current social media zeitgeist, "hawk tuah”. (If you know you know.)
“She even tied her hair back. Ready to hawk tuah the boys back on the paddock,” one commenter wrote.
“Bita hawk tuah, and he’s away,” wrote another.
“She should be in the kitchen making someone a sandwich,” added a third.
To the comment “entire team on both sides suddenly injured”, the ACC’s social media person replied with a crying laughing emoji.
But there’s nothing “crying laughing emoji” about misogyny and thankfully there were several in the comments - both men and women - who called out the ACC.
Among those who spotted the handjob post was Beneath The Glass Ceiling - NZ, who share real-life experiences of misogyny and sexual harassment from women working in the music industry.
“... sexualising a woman (or anyone for that matter) doing her professional job is not ok. It is well known that wāhine already have a harder time being taken seriously in sport, they don’t need you minimising them further,” their post read.
Womenzsports, who posts exclusively women’s sports content, said the “handjob” comment was not ok.
The Alternative Commentary Collective (ACC) on Radio Hauraki posted the a clip to their social media post-game about the England physio performing a sex act on a player.
“It’s just so disappointing that women can’t do their jobs, live their lives, go about their days without being sexualised. It has to stop. And it will only stop when other men start calling out this disgusting behaviour. Being silent is being complicit.”
But wait! This was just a joke! Of course, women can take a joke. Many of us will laugh at a well-placed and well-timed phallic turn of phrase. But during an All Blacks game, being broadcast around the world, laughing at the expense of a woman in her workplace is not one of those times. This is workplace sexual harassment.
For all the battles women have fought for our place in sport, sexual harassment is still commonplace. I know it. It’s happened more than once, more than twice, more than three times, to this lady.
It’s happened to me in the workplace and as a fan in a sporting setting. I’ve had professional athletes shout "would ya, would ya?" at me while I was working on the sideline, implying would they “f...” me. I've faced similar remarks from colleagues too.
I've been groped, had my clothes tugged, my appearance commented on, kissed against my will, and even had men wave their unsheathed penises in my face without my consent. I’ve been told I should have a sock shoved down my throat, had my personal details posted online, and been threatened with rape and murder, all because I’m a woman in sport.
While the “handjob” comment might seem harmless to some, it reinforces the “boys will be boys” culture and opens the door to situations that allow gendered violence, and workplace sexual harassment against women to permeate.
According to Massey University research more than a third experience sexual harassment in the workplace, with women experiencing it the most, and at a higher frequency.
Mike Lane, General Manager at The ACC said in a statement: “We’ve missed the mark on this occasion, and we have removed the social media posts. We apologise to anyone who was offended by the content - it definitely wasn’t our intention to cause any offence.”
Sky Sport said in a statement the comments made on live broadcasts by The ACC “often push the boundaries of traditional broadcast norms through its irreverent nature” and the broadcaster raises concerns when appropriate.
“... we have raised this one with The ACC.”
“The commentary is R18 restricted and therefore requires an adult pin-code to access it. Sky customers can also choose not to view programming from The ACC and can instead view Sky’s primary programming of such matches and events on our Sky Sport channels.”
There is a stench of toxic blokiness about the ACC, but it’s not too late to fix it. Firstly, publicly apologise to the physio, then donate to a charity that supports women in sport. Women in Sport Aotearoa is a good one.
Educate yourself on sexual harassment prevention in the workplace and get more (or any!) women on the commentary team. There are a few of us who are insightful yet witty when it comes to sports.
Until changes are made, I’d take the bear any day (If you know, you know).
- Stuff
