Musing on feminism + roller derby

Throughout American history, I feel that definitions of "femininity" have limited the athleticism of women. Not very long ago, it was not commonly considered "proper" or attractive for most women to be so physical or "sporty." There are substantially more outlets nowadays but I still wonder how much the legacy of these definitions impact the minds of contemporary women.

Even today, I don't feel that most women's sports get nearly as much attention as men's sports. For example, a friend asked me the other day - "How many women basketball players do you know off the top of your head?" I honestly couldn't think of any - while I'm not the biggest basketball watcher, I definitely know quite a lot about the men's teams because I hear much more about them without even trying. So that's one of the unique things about derby - it's predominately an all women's sport and it's still drawing in an increasing amount of attention. There are men's leagues popping up again around the nation but I have a feeling that the original women's teams will maintain their popularity.

• Something I find very intriguing about roller derby - I believe that this sport pushes you to be a strong, powerful athlete as well as an an active participant in your personal definition of femininity. I think it's interesting that to a lot of outside viewers, roller derby has a very "butch" connotation attached to it. Roller derby girls definitely an encompass a wide range of sexualities, however I think this is intriguing because I feel that a lot of people consider it "butch" in a somewhat derisive way. As in, if these girls are so physical and athletic, they must be not "normal" women. I think this is connected to a lot of stereotypes about homosexuality as well but I'm not sure...this is an area that I'm interested in exploring some more.

I don't think that women can deny the power of outside influences - our definitions of our sexuality or our femininity are not built in a vacuum. However, by introducing to me to such a diverse, eclectic, and smart group of women, I think that derby has helped me become more aware of these external forces and how they currently shape and manipulate me.

Documentary notes

Here are some of my notes from my viewing of Hell on Wheels:

The original name of the roller derby company - it started out as a for-profit - was "Bad Girl, Good Woman" - I thought that was a neat name

Roller derby is Austin definitely started out much more campy and raunchy - fights were encouraged and there were a few choreographed hits. Elbowing, pulling, pushing, shoving, etc. were all included. Some of the founders talked about how, in the beginning, marketing and profits were really important. Sex sold for roller derby and girls "behaving badly" definitely drew in a crowd. However, many of the skaters voiced concerns or addendums to that statement- saying that they also wanted it to be about the skating and the superior athleticism. "We want them to say 'damn they skate good, not just damn, they look good'" - paraphrase

They talked about the fine line between sexy and slutty - another skater also talked about the problematic dichotomy that is often made between expressing sexuality/sex appeal and being a feminist.

Texas rollergirls have come a long way since their inception - the rules are now WFTDA (Women's Flat Track Derby Association) sanctioned and fights are a thing of the past. Usually. They don't have the "penalty wheel" anymore - This foul system was a fun idea but it had some interesting options such as:

"Sold to the highest bidder" - the skater has to go on a date with whatever audience member bids the highest
"Spank alley" - she bends over and skates past the audience while they spank her - sometimes that got reversed however, and the skater got to spank the audience...
"Jackass" - this one was neat - the skater had to wear a set of donkey ears over her helmet for the next jam

I planned to ask Su Feminist Voices how they define feminism at the meeting. There were very few people there, most of them my close friends, so I decided to wait till next week or so to ask the question. I want a larger group, so that I can see how people develop and articulate their own ideas with a larger, often interrupting audience.
I am also finding many articles on the subject of negative stereotypes surrounding feminism.

Topic Analysis - what & why

Hey everybody - here's the topic analysis that I have landed on thus far, I'll bring in some copies for tomorrow as well:

For my ethnography, my goal is to learn more about women’s flat track roller derby and how this sport contributes toward the discussion of contemporary American feminism. Through actively researching and participating in the Texas Rollergirl’s Recreational league, I intend to explore how roller derby relates to issues of female sexuality, athleticism, and empowerment. Through this study, I intend to learn more about what this sport means to my fellow skaters and how it has influenced their everyday lives and identities. Through comparing and contrasting these findings with mainstream perceptions and portrayals, I hope to raise further awareness about this sport and generate discussion concerning the role of roller derby in the current-day American feminist movement.