Ways the NHL doesn't get it with us female fans:
- Pink jerseys
- Never the proper sizes for t-shirts
- "Gem stone" logos for t-shirts
- Ice girls
- The Capitals Puck Bunny-ish page, Scarlet Caps.
Why do we need to segregate ourselves from the boys? The Canadiens have their funny videos of random questions with the team answering them truthfully or (in Price's case) sarcastically. Every now and then we're presented with a "My Essentials" where a player is telling us which books and movies he likes and thinks we should all read/watch. The iPod lists appear every now and then. Last season they had spotlight interviews where we got the scoop on who was watching CSI until the wee hours of the evening and such. But it's all together on the Canadiens page, not separated.
Then again I hail from the video game industry so I know all about "demographics" where men try to tell me to my face what us females like to see in games (and usually turn around to screw that all up and make it what they like anyway).
I guess I see it differently being born and bred with hockey even though I'm really the only BIG fan in the house. I'm also the only right-handed person in the house but I digress. Even my mom is rather meh to that kind of site. Considering it's from a team in a city that goes ballistic when half an inch of snow touches the ground--and I have personal experience with that (my uncle lives in DC)--I guess they feel they're breaking down barriers and are catering to the wives/girlfriends/sisters of male hockey fans by going crushed velvet with sexy photo snaps. Whatever floats your boat I guess. I'm just glad the Habs don't use Ice Girls...
5 comments:
Ah yes, the pink jersey. How I loath those. While I as oggling at an Ovie shirt which wasn't going to fit me because it was in the guy's style and I look like I'm wearing a potato sack in those, a woman came in and asked if they carried any pink Habs caps. It took all of my willpower not make gagging noises. I did make a passing remark on the pink Habs pajamas though on my way out. I think the whole store heard me... Oops..
Anyway...To me it looks like the NHL is trying to cater to the "fangirl" mentality and it's huge marketing capabilities (guess they took a lesson from Twilight). It's a pity because hockey doesn't need a billion girls going gaga over people like Sidney Crosby because they think he's cute....Hockey needs intelligent women who know and care about the game. There's plenty out there, but they get drowned out by the wearers of pink jerseys who swoon at the mere mention of Crosby.....
I agree with your post and the above comment, morally.
I love hockey, and I don't really find women in pink girlish jerseys particularly attractive. A lady in a nice, real Habs jersey... totally different!
But the reality of the situation is, the NHL is a business and like any other business, it's driven by money. Those pink jerseys, however ugly they might, they sell. And they sell a lot. Not only here, but throughout the league. It's an affordable (relatively speaking!) way for a fan's girlfriend to show her support while wearing something she thinks is 'ok'.
I really don't think the purpose of this merchandise (and the Scarlet Caps website and such) is to cater to the real female FANS. It's more angled towards the female audience that's 'not a fan but would maybe like to be one so can you give me something to relate to' kind of thing?
At least that's the way I see it...
I've no problem with it, but I just don't like it. The fact is, even if I weren't a hockey fan who was looking to get into hockey as a fan, I'd rather not be treated in a separate manner...but that's just the way I am. I'm used to this stuff in the games industry with the so-called "girl games". Oh how I worked on many of those while at Gameloft... At least at EA, I'm in the casual department so there's no point in segregating it, since that's the target audience in the end, regardless.
I've got my lovely Habs hockey sweater. I feel the pink ones are heresy, since they're not the team's colours! I could have gotten the "ladies cut" version (non-pink! and they're cheaper) but they didn't have any left, and wouldn't fit over any equipment if I were to use it when I play so I just got men's small. My t-shirts are actually children's size medium. They had the nicer logo print and don't look like potato sacks, much.
Bride of Kovalev despises pink and all it stands for. So those jerseys are out. (And I agree: Montreal's colors are NOT Bleu-Blanc-Rose).
But I do like those ice girls. Yeah, I'm a pig, but I'm a sensitive pig.
In any case, BoK was crushed when she found out that her beloved Guillaume Latendresse has fathered a child.
As soon as the NHL truly bans fighting with real penalties, the REST of the family will be interested/allowed to watch the games. Until then, NHL hockey's appeal will be limited to Dads, basically, especially in emerging tropical hockey markets like Phoenix.
Personally I don't really mind fighting, but I also don't want my 10 year old to get the idea that that is what is authentic about the sport, that that is what "real" hockey players do.
Unfortunately fighting is what most people associate with the game; those same _most people_ who do not watch games because of it and who in the last years have moved over to NASCAR/Soccer/Golf/Curling/younameit.
PS I'll fight anyone who disagrees with this comment.
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