There is a very frustrating situation that has to happen. It’s frustrating, it’s sad, it’s angering, it’s predictable and sadly it’s also necessary. I’m talking about how some broadcasting companies, radio stations, TV channels, instagram accounts and such, have to turn off comments on posts that 99/100 involve women’s football or a woman’s opinion.
The latest one I have noticed is Shebahn on talkSPORT speaking about England and Scotland. You would think that people would be inclined to engage in a normal conversation but expecting normal conversations with certain types of fans is pretty insane to being with. But talkSPORT must know they have to turn the comments off so that the misogyny, the hate, the toxic masculinity isn’t there on display because otherwise, if they thought the discussion would be football based, they would leave them on.
This happens with all ranges of topics within women’s sport and of course I’m more exposed to the football side of it and I just can’t stand it every time I see it, but again I feel that it’s probably for the best. Not that the problem will go away if it’s ignored, but the less opportunities there are for those sad people to express their self hating, rotten views, the better.
Not everyone needs their voices heard and I am more than OK with comments being turned off on most, if not every post. Even for me as someone who interacts from time to time… my opinion doesn’t really need to be heard, and if I do want that, then I write a blog or something, I don’t need to comment on every post or tweet all the time about every single thing because then it becomes a weird thing when people expect things.
For example, there were so many accounts I used to take seriously that comment about virtually every single thing related to arsenal women, every piece of news, every play, every match, every rumors, basically everything. Naturally I expect them to do so when the current manager shoves Vivianne Miedema, etc etc etc, but nope, they didn’t and they haven’t and they won’t. So to me, beyond thinking that it’s a cowardly move because my opinion doesn’t matter, I was expecting things and they weren’t delivered.
I’d like to think that most of women’s football discussions and comments are positive but the reality is not that. I wouldn’t say it’s the fans or the situation they are discussing but just the nature of who we can become when given the shield of a screen and all that.
I don’t know, it’s just weird.
All this to say that as much as I dislike the idea of turning the comments off, I’m actually all about it. Going back to Shebahn’s video… as someone who admires and respects her, I can’t imagine how terrible it would feel to check back on a video you were featured in and see all the comments and all the stuff that you know happens.
Anyway, I took a day to come visit my family and my nephew was wearing his Van de Donk shirt, via which I tried to indoctrinate him towards Arsenal and The Netherlands. It hasn’t worked but I still feel it as a good sign for today’s Euro’s qualifier.
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THAT ARSENAL WOMEN PODCAST on:
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A very subjective look into AWFC 
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