Motorsports & Misogyny

"She'll probably be texting her updates back to the pits"

"Get back in the kitchen"

"Bet she purs (sic) like a V8 too"

"69 will be a great number"

"Is there room for groceries in the boot of a V8 Supercar?"

I wish I could say I had made these delightful quotes up. Unfortunately though, this is the kind of bullshit sportswomen in Australia still have to deal with.

The above comments were all taken from an announcement regarding 19-year-old Renee Gracie's promotion to the V8 Supercars Dunlop Series in 2015. Gracie has previously competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup, and started her career in karting. 

V8 Supercars are very much a boys club in this country - Gracie will be the first female to contest a full season since 2001. 

Amongst the blatantly disgusting misogyny were suggestions that Gracie only received her promotion due to her looks and "marketability" and not her talent behind the wheel. 

Renee Gracie (Source: V8 Supercars)

Now, I don't follow the V8's or Carrera Cup (I'm a Formula One gal myself), so I can't comment on Gracie's performance as a driver, however I take umbrage with the suggestion of anyone - male or female - receiving preferential treatment based on appearances.

The V8 Supercars are one of Australia's most popular sports - they certainly aren't wanting for supporters. The suggestion that women are only promoted in order to attract male fans is not only offensive, it's laughable.

But my foray into the world of V8 commentary wasn't all bad at least - I was heartened to see so many men in the comments sticking up for Gracie, and condemning the sexist remarks. Still, I can't help but wonder how she would feel reading these horrible things.

At this point, I feel like all there is left to say is - Congratulations Renee. Give 'em hell.

Women's Fitness, CLEO, and Bauer's Next Move

Last week, Bauer Media announced that due to rising production costs and diminishing ad spend, the November 2014 issue of Women's Fitness will be its last. This move is in spite of strong figures for the title, with a 10.9 per cent growth in circulation for the six month period ended June 2014.

Now, a post on CLEO's Instagram page of Jesinta Campbell posing for "an exciting new mag for @cleoaustralia we have in the works" has people suspecting they're preparing to launch their own health & fitness title under the masthead.

 

(Source: AdNews)

I personally haven't read CLEO in several years. I let my subscription lapse in my early twenties after feeling like the content was starting to pitch to a younger audience. This decision was only affirmed when they relaunched in May 2013 under the editorship of Sharri Markson (now media editor for The Australian), causing the Sydney Morning Herald to brand them "prudish." When I first saw the cover, I actually mistook it for Dolly. The typeface, the air-kissy pose, the abundance of exclamation points...it was as if they had decided to leave the twentysomethings to Cosmo, and go after the teen demographic, who are starting to outgrow Dolly Doctor. Which may seem like a decent strategy, although it hasn't been reflected in their newsstand figures.

New-look Cleo, May 2013 issue (Source: SMH)

Ending June 2014, CLEO reported a drop of 30.10 per cent in circulation - numbers had dropped from 76,163 to 53,221. This followed Bauer's decision to combine the CLEO and Dolly editorial teams towards the end of 2013. Despite no longer being a reader, I would hate to see a home-grown title be shuttered.

It will be interesting to see how the CLEO fitness title performs, I have high hopes for the team, and will be eagerly awaiting circulation figures. Watch this space.

The ABC has gone #MentalAs

Alex* was the kind of guy you couldn't help but like. He transcended cliques; he was kind to everyone. He had a sharp mind and an even sharper wit. He had a filthy mouth and a beautiful heart. He was my friend.

Alex passed away in 2012, just over 2 years ago now. He took his own life, after a long battle with depression. I think of him often, and although I'm still devastated that he felt he couldn't stay with us, I hope that he is at peace.

As tragic as it is though, Alex's story is not an unfamiliar one: 45.5% of the Australian population experiences a mental health disorder at some point in their lifetime. And if you're not part of the 45.5% then you probably know someone who is...Whether you realise it or not.

Which is why the latest programming move by the ABC is so fucking brilliant.

(Source: ABC)

From the ABC press statement:

"To kick-start a national conversation about mental health across the wider community, the ABC is launching Mental As... the biggest ever cross-platform programming event conducted by the ABC, for Mental Health Week, 5-12 October 2014.

Across ABC TV, radio, online and mobile ABC Mental As... will take a look at mental health from all angles and perspectives, from comedy to documentary, entertainment to debate, as we aim to help join the dots on mental health in Australia."

I've been trying to catch as many of these specials as I can, and whilst they aren't always particularly easy to watch, they are incredibly powerful. More than that, they are important. Anything that can help even a single person is important.

God, I have so much more I would like to say, but I just can't seem to find the words. All I know is that I've seen too many wonderful people be broken by these insidious diseases.

*name has been changed

Jules Bianchi & the Japanese Grand Prix

(Source: Twitter)

I grew up with a father and a younger brother who both loved motorsports. Formula 1, MotoGP, V8 Supercars - they played on our TV year round. As a little girl, I used to look through the TV Guide and tell Dad when his races were on. It made me feel important, as though he would definitely miss them if I didn't let him know. And that was pretty much the extent of my interest. I just failed to find the appeal in watching cars drive around in circles.

Earlier this year however, I found myself sitting down to watch the Melbourne F1 GP with B, my husband - and God help me, I enjoyed it.

Since then, I've watched every race - sometimes with B, sometimes with my Dad, and sometimes all on my lonesome. I've cheered along with Daniel Ricciardo when he's won, I've winced with Kimi Raikkonen after his crash at Silverstone, and I've rolled my eyes at the Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry. I've loved being able to share the joy of a sport that I'd previously written off with my family...much to the bemusement of my mother and sister, who still don't quite understand what's happened to me. In short - I enjoy it greatly.

Last night though, was not an enjoyable race. Not just for us at home, but for the F1 community as a whole.

From the FIA's post-race statement: "On lap 42, Adrian Sutil lost control of his car, spun and hit the tyre barrier on the outside of Turn 7. The marshals displayed double waved yellow flags before the corner to warn drivers of the incident. A recovery vehicle was dispatched in order to lift the car and take it to a place of safety behind the guard rail. While this was being done the driver of car 17, Jules Bianchi, lost control of his car, travelled across the run-off area and hit the back of the tractor."

B & I were a bit shell shocked in the immediate aftermath, not entirely sure what had happened, and judging by the stuttering commentators, we weren't alone. Soon though, the details started filtering through, and we were devestated.

The thing that hit me the hardest is that Bianchi is my age. Only a few weeks separate us, in fact. I sat in silence, looking around my home, at my husband and my daughter, and thought about how much life we both have left to live, and how, in the blink of an eye, his might have just been brought to a tragically premature end on a global stage. And my heart ached for him, for his family, for his friends, and for his colleagues.

It has been over 20 years since the last death in F1, when Ayrton Senna & Roland Ratzenberger both passed away within 24 hours of each other at the San Marino Grand Prix. Since then, it's been easy for fans to become complacent and forget just how dangerous this sport can be. Yesterday was a heartbreaking reminder of how fragile we all are.

My thoughts and prayers are with Jules, his loved ones, and the entire F1 family.

#ForzaJules