Summer Solstice, 2019-06-21 【Aiden in English】 To what point has humanity crumbled. Recently, I read about complaints of Father’s Day being “offensive” to single moms and working women. While somewhat laughable, this apparently is a strong viewpoint in society. The same drastic feministic ideas keep me up at night staring into the darkness, thinking. Now, keep in mind, that this is only an opinion of mine. Thus, I may say things rather opinionated and differ from the popular view. I will also disclaim that I have no credentials or support for my claims other than a background in AP US History and common sense, which actually is a powerful tool. So believe what you want, but these are my thoughts.
I’m quite invested in the sports world if you couldn’t tell. Just a month ago, there wasn’t a single more hated person in my life than Kawhi Leonard (or maybe the person who set the rim up before the game). Therefore, it’s nearly impossible to see the desperate push by some people for equal pay in the WNBA, the women’s basketball league. An outrageously representative stat is that the maximum a woman can be paid is an eighth of an NBA minimum contract. From an uneducated point of view, that seems terrible and unbelievably sexist. Unfortunately, many people who use this evidence to support unequal opportunities in America between genders do not see the full picture.
It’s fair to say that the pay is skewed, no doubt about that. But a basic sense of rationality is the phrase “You get what you pay.” In the WNBA, the average lowest ticket price is around $17. Compared to the NBA’s estimate of $78 on average, the difference is extremely evident. Yet uncoincidentally, WNBA games receive far less attendance, media coverage, and TV sponsors; thus, to no surprise, the league loses about a million dollars a year. So what is this show? Well, the WNBA just isn’t as good a product as the NBA. To all those people who point fingers at the basketball world, claiming the business to be unfair, it is not unfair. In fact, the differences are rather just. Those who watch basketball prefer to watch men’s basketball, as they produce a superior product. Nothing against female basketball players. Undoubtedly, even benchwarmers could mop the floor against me. However, to see some female players asking for salaries comparable to Lebron James is absurd. The reason Lebron James reels in hundreds of millions of dollars from contracts is that he is a walking product that the masses enjoy watching, a diamond that franchises wish to possess. Say the current reigning MVP, Elena Delle Donne, a player that I had to look up, was given Lebron James’ contract, would that make whatever team she played for gain revenue? Would it incentivize me to watch? No, not to a degree NBA players do. Look at other sports where women participate: tennis, soccer, track, and many more. All have the common theme that they are out-paid by men. If women create a better product than their male league counterparts, then by all means they should receive higher salaries. Until they do, sports should and will continue rewarding the more entertaining genders.
The interpretation of the WNBA to prove disparities between genders is misused. Instead of pointing to the yellow rock and calling it gold, dig a little deeper to find that it’s just coal dipped in mustard. Of course, I can’t say the same for other facets of life; I simply understand sports to a better extent than other topics. As it currently stands, the NBA funds the WNBA, as the female league is unable to support itself. Would it be nice for female basketball players to be paid equally? Absolutely, but it would also cost the NBA a lot of money and resources that will not be returned. While many still try to think positively and ideally, I personally cannot see the change occurring, not until women find ways to dunk harder, shoot better, dribble faster, pass quicker, rebound stronger, and produce a more entertaining game.
That’s all this is a game for the masses. Thus, it should be judged as such, basing salary off entertainment. It just is not possible for females to match male skills, a sad reality that people should accept.
【红霞译文】
人格崩溃到了何种地步。最近，我读过有关抱怨父亲节冒犯单亲妈妈及职业女性的文章，虽然有点可笑，但这足以在社会上引起强烈反响，令我夜不能寐的激进女权主义思想同样值得深省。
现在，切记这不过是个人见解，干脆说吧，我所表达的观点也许与大家的看法格格不入。若不靠美国大学历史先修课和基本常识两个强有力的工具做后盾，恐怕我连摆出论点论据的底气都没有，随你怎么想，反正我是这样认为的。
如果你有所不知，本人对体育赛事相当上心。就在一个月前，我才发觉这辈子最招我记恨的人非科怀·伦纳德莫属（或许这家伙赛前动过手脚调高了篮筐）。正因如此，即使美国女职篮心里再憋屈也没魄力要求同工同酬，据特别可靠的统计数字显示，女职篮收入最高的主力仅为男职篮酬薪最低的八分之一。从泛文化来看，上述霸凌行径真是欺人太甚，彰显性别歧视。遗憾的是，美国本土上性别不同机会不等的事实会让不少人一叶障目，不见泰山。
公正地说，薪酬向来离谱，这点毋庸置疑，但经典哲理在于“有付出就有收获”。在美国女职篮赛季里，平均最低入场费大约17美刀；相比之下，男职篮售价飙升至78块左右，两者上座率差异十分明显。女职篮赛场上的观众、媒体报道、电视赞助商少而又少，早已不足为奇；照此下去，女职篮联盟每年亏本100来万美元也在情理之中，那么女职篮水准如何？女职篮的球艺没有男职篮精湛，那些爱叨叨的人可以指责篮球行业不公，但篮球本身又没招谁惹谁。事实上，区别远非如此。球迷们情愿观看男职篮比赛，无奈他们技高一筹，这里丝毫没有冒犯女职篮球员的意思，只不过实话伤人，敢情替补队员都想抡起拖把朝我砸来。然而，一看到个别女性要求享有勒布朗·詹姆斯的高薪待遇，真不知天高地厚。勒布朗·詹姆斯之所以狂敛数亿美元，与追星族热衷捧场密不可分，他是各个球队求之不得的钻石明星。且拿目前女职篮令我刮目相看的“最有价值球员”艾琳娜·戴尔·多恩来说，即使送她勒布朗·詹姆斯一样的合同，难道她就能振兴球队提高创收了吗？转而又激发我舍命观战？不会的，无论如何都没法跟男职篮球员相提并论。再看一下女性参加的其它体育项目：网球、足球、径赛、等等，放之四海而皆准的真理就是男性球员腰缠万贯，假若女性比同行男性打造出效益颇丰的品牌，那么她们必定水涨船高。到了那个时候，体育领域应该并将继续奖励更有娱乐价值的男女运动员。
用美国女职篮来展示性别歧视纯属混淆是非，与其把土石子当成金元宝，不如挖出来搞清楚它不过是裹上芥末的煤疙瘩。当然，这万万不可延申到其它生活层面，拿体育说事要比白活别的话题来劲得多，我心中有数。话说当下，美国男职篮出资赞助女职篮，整个女职篮联盟尚未达到自负盈亏，女将若能得到相关待遇岂不美差一桩？没错，这回定叫投注大量财力物力的男职篮血本无归。尽管大家积极群策群力，我个人却察觉不出任何改进，除非女篮球员比男篮对手扣篮更狠、投篮更准、运球更快、传球更猛、篮板更冲，让球赛变得更有情趣。 明摆着：百家游戏。于是乎，工资高低应该依娱乐水平而定。既然女性球技不可能达到男性标准，那么大家只好接受这一悲催现实。 Today in History(历史上的今天): 2015: A life of Religion in Meteora, Greeck(希腊曼代奥拉的宗教生活) 2014: Baltimore Natl Aquarium, MD(马里兰州巴尔的摩国家水族馆) 2012: Descriptive─Memoir(应用文─回忆录) 2010: 甜言蜜语(Sweet Nothings) 2009: 童声合唱(Children Choir) 
Hobby (业余爱好 06-25-2019) 
Sparetime (业余生活 06-26-2019) 
Crosslink(相关博文): 10th Grade(高中二年级) |
