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The Snooker World Mixed Doubles Are a Perfect Example of How Men Can Participate in Feminism.
If you’re reading this you’re probably from North America and you probably don’t know much about snooker. If you’re a woman from North America you probably think snooker is a new form of crack cocaine or something but bear with me.
The mixed doubles event that’s just taken place in the UK was about way more than the beautiful game itself. World famous, male players competed with and against women, for the first time in three decades. This competition meant that the top four male world players and the top four female players were teamed up and pitted against each other. All the big guns, so to speak. But a huge amount of actual snooker fans wouldn’t know who these women are, much less have seen them play.
This competition is in part about getting female players some time in the spotlight and some experience of the pressure that goes with big competitions and TV coverage. It’s about getting audiences to respond to Reanne Evans and Nutcharut ‘Mink’ Wongharuthai like they do to Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby or Neil Robertson. It’s about how for years and years there’s either been little investment in female sport or a total blank on it. It’s about recognizing those female players and creating the chance to actually embrace a sport as a professional career.
Some people complain that female sports professionals “aren’t as good” when anyone with a brain can see that the mediocre man is going to get further than the talented woman.
The way that the top male players in snooker have embraced this event has just sky-rocketed my respect for them ten-fold. It was already pretty high. I already liked these guys a lot.
They recognize that this is important. They recognize that the stage needs to be shared.
Like any other sport snooker has had it’s issues, such as female referees not being paid the same as male referees.
Watching the way the guys at the top of this game have been respectful, professional, generous and competitive brings something into sharp focus.
