On Feb. 19, the Women’s US Hockey team won the gold medal at the Olympics. A few days later, the men’s team followed suit and won gold as well. While the focus should have been on the amazing accomplishment this was for both teams, the discourse over the wins shifted when the men’s team was recorded laughing at a distasteful joke.Â
Winning any medal at the Olympics is challenging and warrants huge praise. Athletes put in so much work to be on the Olympic stage and showcase their talent in their respective sports. Both teams demonstrated their immense talent and ability.Â
After winning gold, the men’s team received a call from the President wishing them congratulations on winning, and gave them an invitation to come to the White House. It was followed up with a joke saying he would have to also invite the women’s team, or he would risk being impeached, which was met with laughs from the men’s team.Â
The team was met with a lot of backlash online for laughing at the joke and not standing up for the women’s team. It was upsetting for many people that once again, women are a punchline and their achievements are publicly reduced to a joke.Â
To have their accomplishments laughed at by the men who preach to have so much respect for them brought up many feelings of anger in the public. Some people feel that the backlash is over-dramatized, but women have experiences like this all the time. Speaking about the respect you have for the women’s team and putting that into action are two different things.
When players from the men’s team were asked about their response, it felt like there was a lack of accountability. Many referred to the fact that they have a good relationship with the women’s team and have had many interactions with them throughout their time at the Olympics. They also reiterate their pride for the women’s team; however, when the time came to showcase that pride, they fell short.Â
Women have fought to have a space in sports and be taken seriously. Men’s leagues still often get much more viewership and praise. So to have the male counterparts laugh over the women being treated as an afterthought is extremely frustrating. Women are still fighting to be taken seriously in these spaces.Â
Although the backlash has been on the hockey team, this situation holds a mirror to society and the way we still discuss and joke about women. It is important to reflect on this behavior and understand that women and men are still discussed very differently in order to make effective changes.
The women competing for the United States dominated the Olympics, winning eight out of the 12 gold medals for our country. This is the third gold medal for the women’s hockey team at the Olympic Games. The media coverage should be focused on these accomplishments.Â
The situation has shown that women are still fighting for the same acknowledgement as men in sports. There are still discrepancies that exist, and ignoring them will not make them go away.