Screencap from the film Any Given Sunday
A few weeks ago there was a big flap in the media when two female reporters, Graham Watson of Yahoo Sports and Joey Chandler of the Tuscaloosa News, were initially barred from entering the locker room of the Jacksonville Jaguars after a game.
That matter was quickly resolved, and PR for the team apologized, but it reignited the long ongoing debate about female reporters in male locker rooms. I’m not going to get into the long legal history of this issue, as longtime readers of this blog know, I’ve never really been into sports, but I’ve been aware of this controversy regarding female reporters in male locker rooms for most of my life, and I understand both sides.
On the one hand, doesn’t it seem obvious that reporters of one gender should not be allowed in a locker room where members of the opposite gender are showering and dressing? We don’t seem to tolerate this when it’s male reporters and female athletes. Yes, I know that’s not exactly a fair comparison simply because of the different standards of male and female sports, specifically when it comes to team sports, and how they’re regarded in our culture.
I mean, for years I’ve been hearing rumors about an all-female version of the NBA…but I’ve yet to see any significant evidence that such a thing exists, so I assume that it’s just an urban legend.
But certainly there are individual female athletes in various sports that become as popular as other male athletes. Yet do we ever see a bunch of male reporters crowding around someone like Serena Williams or Rhonda Rousey while she’s in her bra and panties by her locker, or coming out of the shower in just a towel? If the women said they were uncomfortable about that, would anyone even think twice about kicking the men out? And imagine the outrage if male reporters demanded their right to be there?
So that’s a double-standard. It’s similar to the way I’ve pointed out before how when naked pics of male celebrities get leaked, it’s not taken as seriously as it is when it happens to female celebrities.
Sure enough, there was an incident last month, where Adam Jones of the Cincinnati Bengals was being interviewed live by a TV reporter after a game. The interview took place in the locker-room, and several male players were caught in various stages of undress in the background.
NFL Network Airs Several Nude Bengals Players [NSFW]
As you can see, this was treated like a joke. The reporters on the TV news were laughing. Ha ha, we saw some men naked. Oops. But if this were female athletes, would it be so funny?
At least one women gets it:
Katherine McCarron rips NFL over nudity in locker interview
Katherine McCarron, wife of Cincinnati Bengals backup quarterback AJ McCarron, took to social media Monday to rip the NFL Network for airing a postgame interview from the team’s locker room where numerous players could be seen in varying states of undress in the background.
Bengals cornerback Adam Jones was the subject of the interview by Albert Breer and the fact that players are unfairly subjected to cameras infiltrating an area that arguably should afford some semblance of privacy was the subject of McCarron’s Twitter rant.
How is this ok? What about female reporters required to get an interview? https://t.co/n3RSexRILR
— Katherine McCarron (@_KatherineWebb) October 19, 2015
No missing the point. Players should have their privacy. I’m sure female reporters would rather not be in there https://t.co/1FjAXHQxPH
— Katherine McCarron (@_KatherineWebb) October 19, 2015
I would rather my husbands ass/penis not be all over TV. Would you like to be filmed while naked? https://t.co/0cWsGDE5zj
— Katherine McCarron (@_KatherineWebb) October 19, 2015
And I agree with her, that’s not right. Of course, I understand the reason that this was allowed. It would be an unfair disadvantage to female reportes if they didn’t have the same access to athletes, and opportunties to interview them, that male reporters get. Sure. But to me, the fair resolution to this issue is to simply ban ALL reporters (and cameras) from locker rooms.
Seriously, why not just set up a spot for reporters to wait until the athletes come out of the locker room, and then you can interview them? Who wants a camera shoved in their face right after a game, or any sports competition, where you’re trying to shower and get dressed? Especially because we know how rude some of these reporters can be, trying to pose “gotcha” questions to the athletes, who may not be in the best mood, say, if they just lost a game. I say we should give the athletes the chance to shower and change and compose themselves before they get confronted by reporters. And that’s fair to everyone.
Just my opinion.
iBLOGalot 
I fully agree with you and Katherine McCarron. Let the players unwind, then talk to them in a specific area. This is DIFFERENT from the post- game news conference. The guys on NFLN should be ASHAMED of their reporters’ reactions – the “boys will be boys” attitude.
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Exactly! Thanks for reading (and agreeing with ME), Lou!
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Women SHOULD NOT be in a locker room! There should be no locker room reporting …..men or women!!
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Yep. That’s what I’m saying. It would be unfair to allow male reporters into the locker room but not female reporters, so to me the logical solution is to just ban all reporters.
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I totally agree and it the coaches that should set the standard , no reporters allowed in the lockerroom. Give the players their privacy and a change to unwind. Reporters can wait outside, they will get their story , besides the story is over when they game is over.
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Admitting women into pro sports men’s locker rooms happens because 66 percent plus of the men in those locker room say they could care less if the females come in. Surveys were done some 40 years ago. Reason being they don’t want to wait around to do interview in a separate area. They want to shower and get out quick. So the Club owners have no choice but to let all reporters in because they need the publicity. If the athletes didn’t want reporters in the locker room they wouldn’t be there because other means could be created to accommodate both sexes. The problem is the male players don’t want to co-operate. End of story.
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That is so bogus. The locker room is not where you have to get an interview while men are changing and showering. Just because some men may not mind , what about the ones that do? Its their locker room too.
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Of course you are right. This reqest of a separate interview room has been going for at least 25 years, since the Lisa Olsen incident. The question is how do you get a professional league ownership to comply? Since no one in power will change out of compassion for their players, pressure has to come from women reporters asking or economic incentives (boycott, lawsuits, etc.). The former would work because owners will do anything women reporters ask/demand.
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Thanks for reading Survivor3305. Yeah, like I know this issue has been debated for practically my whole life. I remember seeing it being discussed on the original Phil Donohue show when I was Junior High. And even back then there were folks saying to just keep all reporters out of the locker rooms and have separate interview times. It really is such a simple and FAIR solution that it is astounding that this has not happened.
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Of course it’s double standard! I am sick and tired of seeing MALE athletes naked in interviews, like no big deal! I was a athlete, with a women assistant coach, and she thought nothing about being in the locker room when we were showering and changing! WOMEN act like no big deal about interviewing them NAKED, or when they are WALKING NAKED around or changing! They say it’s there job and there right! What about the players RIGHTS! You don’t see female athletes interviewed NUDE! That is because they get there privacy! This is not the first time male athletes are shown naked on national TV! Just recently Russell Wilson was shown in back ground naked! That’s right, no big deal it was a male athlete, so that’s ok! It’s FUNNY! Like I always said VOYEURISM IS ILLEGAL! And now with more women reporters, policy needs to be changed! Time to start filing LAWSUITS and SEXUAL HARASSMENT! IT’S DISRESPECTFUL and UNCONSTITUTIONAL for all male athletes! Lawsuits work for females, that is what got them in the locker room in the first place! Telling you, They need to start filing LAWSUITS against the leagues and all female reporters! IT’S called MIND RAPE when you have to be interviewed naked or changing, even showering in front of FEMALE reporters! It’s bad enough that they should have to do them with male reporters! Simple solution, No more locker room access for anybody! Do interviews on fields or courts! But the only way it will change are all athletes need to get together and file DISCRIMINATION AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSUITS for there privacy!
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1.)
What sport? What level (i.e. pro, college, amatuer)
2.)
Did the management say she was allowed or did she enter on her own?
3.)
Did other players object,
4.)
Did other players consider her to be a voyeur or did they not notice
5.)
How intrusive was she, and how frequent did she enter the locker room?
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It doesn’t matter whether it is pro , college, or amateur once you have reach school age you should not be subject to females in the mens locker room or any reporters for that matter when guys are undressing and naked./
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The Toronto Raptors had a female assistant coach a few years ago Brittni Donaldson. Not sure if she was in the locker room when the team showered? But I would guess yes? She is now with the Detroit Pistons. For me that would be extremely awkward? I am sure there were many more qualified males for the job? In the 1970’s when men had to swim naked at all swimming pools, it was common for 16 year old female swim instructors to teach pre-pubescent boys to swim. When a male instructor was not available, a female would fill in. Most men would not apply for the job because the job did not pay well. I saw a 16 year old female swim instructor teaching a 13 year old boy the backstroke. She was holding him up from his back while he kicked in the water while the boy was naked and had a full erection at her face level. It was the weirdest thing I had ever seen. Unsuspecting embarrassed adult naked males that entered the swim area ran back to the locker room holding their junk after seeing the female in the pool. To this day, no one knows why all males had to be naked wile the females wore suits? It was not uncommon for the females to peek during the boys swim classes. I have always felt a little awkward showering even with men and boys. If I had to shower with woman in the locker room, I would shower at home or at a private facility. It seems that males are always being conned into forced nudity for female spectators and they never have a say in the matter. This forced nudity has to stop for common decency. We are not OK with it. Think all reporters should be banned from the locker room. It is an old stupid tradition that has no place in todays society with too many female sports reporters. Soon most sports reporters will be attractive females.
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This truly has to be the benchmark win for the feminist movement. Women
have persuaded and manipulated lawmakers to embed into law their female
empowered rights to strip men naked, and leave them powerless to say, “this is
my body and only I can choose who sees me naked”. What a blatant invasion of
basic human rights to privacy, respect, and dignity. This really expands the breadth,
width, and scope of the definition of moral bankruptcy. I feel so sorry for professional male
athletes, the women’s movement have turned them into nothing more than “modern day
mandingos”.
We should all be in favor of fair employment rights with the understanding that in a moral
and ethically correct society those rights stop abruptly and absolutely at naked gentalia.
In the most elementary of interpretations this is the right thing to do. Why ever add any
complexity to this issue that would create a horrific and inappropriate double standard
that excludes males from their rights to decency and modesty. To me the solution is
obvious, after the competitive event let the athletes cool down, shower and change
in privacy and then report to a designated interview room.
This is just a shameful issue that should not have ever have been allowed to surface.
I really need to call this for what it is, “a bold face declaration of war on male rights
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it really doesn’t matter what men want. the NFL wants it exactly the way it is. they want the cameras and reporters there. that’s why the nfl only has a 10 minute cool down period. keep in mind, the ball players hate the reporters but the owners LOVE the media. media makes the league and owners more money. don’t blame the wnba for their policies. all leagues like nfl, nba, wbna, nfl have nothing to do with each other. they are all separate and have different rules. keep in mind, a lot of ball players don’t care if someone sees them nude. remember a guy by the name of Michael Jordan. no one in the media ever saw him. if they want to cover up, there are always different ways to do it, although, now in the nfl, all players must dress and undress at their lockers.
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There should be a 30 minute waiting period before reporters are allowed in the lockerroom , if allowed in at all . The lockerroom is a private place and should be for the atheletes. I do blame the owners , they could stop this. Reggie White was totally against this and they players should be respected.
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Agreed.
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I agree with most of what your stated Don’t Look, It isn’t so easy not to be seen naked, you get undressed,, shower, get dressed . I’m sure Jordan was seen naked its the locker room.
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Don’ Look!
I know you realize WNBA have there rules the way they are, because everybody knows, it would be considered sexist, if this sort of thing happened to FEMALE ATHLETES! BUT MALE ATHLETES NO BIG DEAL! IT HAPPENS! And you say males don’t care about being NUDE, cover up! That’s not the point, they shouldn’t have to! It’s called RESPECT, something Males are losing ever day! That’s because ever thing is becoming about WOMENS RIGHTS! Just ask CLINTON! What about HUMAN RIGHTS AND PLAYERS PRIVACY? Why should they have to be interviewed NUDE, specially with FEMALE REPORTERS? They have RIGHTS! What about every time you see it on the TV or the internet, they are THE ATHLETES that don’t know they are being watched or video taped? So how can they cover up? To me that’s called VOYEURISM! Which by the way, the law states, VOYEURISM IS ILLEGAL! Look at Erin Andrews, files HUGE LAWSUIT for her peep hole video! VOYEURISM IS ILLEGAL,she said! What’s the difference? These LR videos could be prevented, if cameras and reporters would wait until they are changed and showered! But no, they do it on purpose to try and make ratings! I don’t know about you,but to me that’s worse then a peep hole video! NFL and BIG ROGER, and ever body else will change policy after LAWSUITS from athletes! A FEMALE REPORTER from SUNRISE NEWS, makes comments on live TV, about how she needs to pay more attention in LR, and just another good day at office, after NUDE SF NINER player was being video taped in background on live TV in April, UNAWARE? I’m sure he would of covered up if he knew he was being video taped! I can’t complain she said! I’m sure Bengals players would of covered up to, if they knew they were being video taped on live TV! How about the WOMEN TV HOSTS on the VIEW, making there little SEXIST comments about NUDE Bengal players on live TV, laughing and making jokes? If that was a MALE they would have been called SEXIST, and would of been FIRED! Look at the republican politician in Tennessee on 2/3/2016 gets FIRED because he calls a FEMALE reporter a @ITCH! They said he was SEXIST, because he was a Republican! Republicans hate women and disrespect them! Not because he was scamming money! And WOMEN want RESPECT, but don’t understand why they don’t get it? WOW, I don’t know either?
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This is a no brainer. Whatever rules the male reporters have in a female locker room, should be the exact same rules as females reporters in the male locker room…PROBLEM SOLVED. By the way, it’ not just sports; in film, the count regarding male genitalia in R-rated movies and cable TV vs female genitalia is 886 to 1. (Somehow Rasrio Dawson in Trance slipped through the cracks.Sorry about the pun) By the way the time frame for this phenomenon is from the beginning of the film industry to the present. (The figure of 886…is give or take a couple hundred.)
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both female and male reporters should wait until the players have finished showering and dressing. Its absurd that no one sees anything wrong in this. Give the players some privacy. is that too much to ask?
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Not too much to ask at all, in my opinion.
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There is no reason for any reporter to be in the locker room while men are changing . The athletes deserve a chance to unwind in shower up in privacy.
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Exactly. It seems so simple, doesn’t it? Yet, for some reason, this still goes on.
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The message regarding the lack of basic human decency and respect is clear. Our society believes only one gender should be entitled to it. Talk about denigrating men to a 2nd class gender.
Well – why should I respect women when women don’t respect men? How dare women think respect works in one direction only and that I’m not human becasue of my gender.
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