End Of Grid Girls......

[Bazile]

....In Formula 1


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/42890261

"While the practice of employing grid girls has been a staple of Formula 1 grands prix for decades, we feel this custom does not resonate with our brand values and clearly is at odds with modern day societal norms," Bratches added.

Do you agree or not , with the move ?

Should the ban be extended to other Motor Sports formulas ?

[anotheoldgit]

jno

Blimey it has started already, seeing that this report is dated January 31st 2018.

And yes it was removed by Ms Clare Gannaway, the gallery’s curator of contemporary art.

[anotheoldgit]

mccfluff

/// Haven't we come further than this, to need girls parading about in skimpy outfits ///

I refer you to my 12.57 post.

[Togo]

Haha Spice. This made me laugh from you link.

A compromise has been reached.

https://thumbsnap.com/i/I6p9SvH0.jpg

[mccfluff]

I don't really care either way, I just don't see why it's needed, if someone wants to parade around with their bazookas on display that's up to them. I just think it's had its time, there are better ways to represent companies.

[mccfluff]

and i refer you to JTH post at 12.59, not the same thing, as you well know.

[anotheoldgit]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uUrFW6b1q0s/UibksAt1P9I/AAAAAAAAlkk/Dq-lRWJFkhw/s400/122765-performers-dressed-in-red-army-uniforms-sing-in-chongqing-municipality.jpg

Now that's much better, happy now?

[anotheoldgit]

And so as not to leave anyone out:

http://www.sacu.org/art/MaoSuits.png

[Sqad]

LOl.....Togo....great link....

Mrs sqad was a racing driver ( not Formula 1 ) and I asked her opinion.
She saw the need and appeal for "Grid Girls" but criticised their dress commenting that they should wear overalls.

That's it folks.

[emmie]

don't be absurd, couldn't you have posted some scantily clad men so you can see how daft all this is.

[bednobs]

i do agree with the move. No matter what anyone says we live in a very patriarchal society, as evidenced by "grid girls" , those darts girls and the fact that when the news about harvey weinstien broke people were saying (including some contributors here) "what did the girls expect"?. There is a pervading patriarchy that would think that, whereas if a powerful 65 year old woman invited someone to a meeting to discuss their career no-body would think she was going to force herself on him/her.
No-one would expect to see scantily clad men parading around at a world-class netball game even if they wanted to because they wanted the work

[Mamyalynne]

I'd have thought the loudest shouts against their removal would come from the sponsors and the girls themselves.

//What did they actually do?

'Grid girls' are models used to conduct certain promotional tasks, usually wearing clothing that bears the name of a sponsor.

Their duties in F1 included holding umbrellas or driver name-boards on the grid and lining the corridor through which the drivers walk on their way to the podium.//

[Spicerack]

Report
Avatar Image Mamyalynne/// I'd have thought the loudest shouts against their removal would come from the sponsors and the girls themselves.///

The 'girls' have had plenty to say. They're hopping mad.

[sunny-dave]

For Info - a Facebook post from one of the 'grid girls' :

Hannah James :

Ok, I have had enough of people talking for me so here is what I think regarding the banning of grid girls:

The issue at the moment is there are too many people being offended on behalf of people who are not offended at all!

Firstly, I absolutely LOVE my job. Secondly, I CHOOSE to do this job. Nobody forces me or any other grid girl to do it. Some of us do it full time, some like me do it alongside other work. The idea that grid girls are no more than a pretty face infuriates me; I am about to finish my degree and qualify as a Social Worker, there are grid girls that are lawyers, accountants, models, mums, it varies so much!

We work hard to build up a good reputation and a good relationship with our clients. I work in British Superbikes and Road Racing where it feels like we are one big family; why should I be taken away from that because somebody who has never worked a day in my shoes thinks they know what is best for me?

With regards to the outfits being too sexy and us women being objectified; let me clarify something. I NEVER work a job unless I am happy with the outfit. When I do grid work I am always 100% comfortable with what I wear and I do not feel any more objectified wearing what I do on the grid than I do if I put on a nice dress or some smart jeans to go out. What will be next, will swimwear models be banned because what they are wearing in catalogues is too revealing?

As my friend and fellow grid girl Giorgia Davies said; this has all happened because some girls were treated disrespectfully at an event .. so how about instead of banning the girls to eradicate the problem, we educate men and women that it is NOT ok to disrespect other people!!

My final gripe with all of this, is these so called feminists are giving real feminists a bad name! I am a feminist because I want women to be equal, I don’t want there to be discrimination in the work place if women choose to have babies, and I want women to feel empowered. So to have a ‘feminist’ sit on a talk show saying how she thinks grid girls should be banned, thus meaning a loss of job and income for women is completely contradictory.

Sidenote – men work as promotional models too! But with regards to being on the grid, as the sport is predominantly males, they (usually) prefer to have a female holding their umbrella, although I have seen female riders with male grid guys!

A suggestion was made that women should be given jobs in other areas such as commentating or spannering .. for those of you who don’t know, this already happens!

On a positive note I am so glad to see all of us women affected standing together fighting this.

[Mamyalynne]

Are their complaints louder than some males on here and no doubt other forums?

[dave50]

They will have their sights set on cheerleaders at rugby and American football matches next, you watch.

[woofgang]

I don't think anybody has banned anything...going back to the question. When I decide to buy from Marks instead of Sainsburys, I may well have contributed to job loss at Sainsburys but I haven't banned anything, I have just made a choice about something that is in my control...other people are still free to do what they wish

[Mamyalynne]

Crossed there Dave - some excellent points from Hannah.

[sunny-dave]

And ...

I'm neutral - I couldn't really give a stuff but can see both sides of a (not terribly important) argument.

[bednobs]

no-body is saying that she can't be a promotions person, or a model. F1 is just saying they don't want those promotions girls anymore as it doesn't fit the image they want to portray

[andy-hughes]

This was always going to run along pre-determined lines -

Those in favour - it's all a bit of fun, no harm done, no-one being forced to do it ...

Those against - it's demeaning and outdated in a modern society ...

Those who see nay-sayers as kill-joys - it's all a plot by ugly jealous feminists who couldn't get the job if they tried ...

And sure enough - the thread provides arguments from each and every one of those positions.

To address the OP - yes I agree, it is outdated and it is time that we stopped pretending that it's 1974 and 'totty' and 'eye-candy' belong in a sports arena.