An Olympic athlete doesn’t need to wear makeup to win gold, but apparently not everyone got that memo.
In a recent segment on Fox’s “Sports Court,” host Tamara Holder brought up the topic of Olympians who wear makeup while competing. Holder, who was joined by guest commentators Mark Simone and Boe Dietl, posed the question: “Do women who are elite athletes need to wear makeup to feel stronger? Or is it simply a fashion statement like when Lebron James wears funny hats?”
Instead of having an intelligent conversation about the politics of makeup and women’s empowerment, the discussion went in the complete opposite direction.
The train wreck began when Simone declared that Olympic athletes only become Olympic athletes for endorsements.
“The whole point of the Olympics, the whole reason for this training, for this work to get there, is product endorsements,” he said. “Cosmetic companies — you’re opening up a ton of revenue for product endorsements. It’ll be great for every athlete in the future.”
While endorsements are undoubtedly a large part of becoming a professional athlete, it’s definitely not the only reason athletes put their blood, sweat and tears into becoming the best in their sport.
Dietl, a former NYPD Detective, only added fuel to the fire when he said that he wouldn’t want to look at “some chick’s zits” if he doesn’t have to. “Why not a little blush on her lips and cover those zits,” Dietl told Holder. “I’d like to see that person who wins a gold medal go up there and look beautiful.
Although Dietl and Simone both half-heartedly said that male athletes should wear makeup too, the general consensus seemed to be that female athletes are the ones who may need to wear makeup ― in order to look “beautiful.”
The conversation only became creepier when Dietl commented on Holder’s body and used her as an example for why female athletes should wear makeup.
“Tamara, look how beautiful you are with that makeup,” Dietl told Holder. “What do you look like when you crawl out of bed in the morning? I’d rather have you now, the way you look. You look beautiful and I think it just enhances the beauty of that athlete.”
Dietl finished the discussion on an even creepier note: “I really believe that we all have opinions, and when someone looks better, people support that more. Would you put money behind a gal that won the gold medal who looks like a washed-out rag? No.”
Hey Fox, next time you have a panel about women wearing makeup don’t bring two men on air to discuss it.
H/T Cosmopolitan
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