The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer. The quotes cited include graphic language.
In referring to an ESPN reporter, Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, stated that she was a 鈥渟lut鈥 whose only job was to sexually arouse men. This comment, among many other comments that Portnoy has made about women, works directly against the efforts our community has made to address the harmful socialization and dehumanization inherent in comments like these that fuel and provide the launching point for gender-based violence.
In the face of these efforts, it was appalling and disappointing to learn that the 蜜柚直播 Bowl, which was scheduled for Friday but was cancelled due to COVID-19 issues, had signed Barstool Sports as the game鈥檚 title sponsor.
For many years now, Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, where I work as CEO, has worked closely with numerous community partners to spark conversations and actions needed to shift cultural norms and socialization that grow out of misogynistic comments like Portnoy鈥檚. In addition to our intervention work with survivors of domestic abuse, we also engage men and boys to increase safety for all in our community. And through our work with men who are actively harming their partners, we find that most hold beliefs about women and gender roles that give them 鈥減ermission鈥 to degrade, assault, rape 鈥 and even kill 鈥 their partners.
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Allowing Barstool Sports to sponsor a high-profile sports event, such as the 蜜柚直播 Bowl, only serves to reward and affirm their values. It also tells our community, including our children, that these values are OK. Values that underlie comments from Portnoy such as these:
鈥淚鈥檇 like to reiterate that we don鈥檛 condone rape of any kind 鈥 However, if a chick passes out, that鈥檚 a gray area though.鈥
鈥淓ven though I never condone rape, if you鈥檙e a size 6 and you鈥檙e wearing skinny jeans you kind of deserve to be raped, right? I mean skinny jeans don鈥檛 look good on size 0 and 2 chicks, nevermind size 6鈥檚.鈥
鈥淪ubtle harassment is fine and dandy.鈥
Every year in our community, these belief systems serve as a core root cause of violence that results in 6,000 people seeking services at Emerge, 15,000 calls made to 911 for an armed intervention in their relationship and far too many of our fellow community members losing their lives. And these numbers are only what we know.
Emerge applauds the Pima County Board of Supervisors for withdrawing the county鈥檚 support for the 蜜柚直播 Bowl due to Barstool鈥檚 involvement, and encourage others to similarly consider whether supporting anything affiliated with Barstool is what鈥檚 right for our community.
However, the 蜜柚直播 Bowl Committee has doubled-down on their support of Barstool, and characterized Barstool鈥檚 content and Portnoy鈥檚 comments as 鈥渏okes that have missed (and) comedies and content that didn鈥檛 land or stand the test of time,鈥 and noted that Barstool has 鈥渆volved鈥 over time.
But if you visit Barstool鈥檚 website today, you鈥檒l find their 鈥淪mokeshow of the Day鈥 pictures, which showcase mostly college-aged young women, and you鈥檒l even find reference to a high school girl as 鈥渟moke.鈥 And just recently, NBC 蜜柚直播 reported that two women have come forth with claims of violent sexual experiences with Dave Portnoy during the summer of 2020. None of which feels like anything resembling evolution, and is certainly not missed 鈥渃omedic timing.鈥
Barstool Sports鈥 sponsorship of our local bowl game risks a back-slide from the progress our community has collectively made to address the normalization of root causes of violence. If we want to live in a community where all people can live free of violence in their homes and relationships, and where everyone is respected and safe, then we must get serious about acknowledging, calling out and condemning sexism and objectification wherever they rear their ugly heads. Even when they come cloaked as entertainment or as an economic windfall to the community.
Ed Sakwa is the CEO of Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping everyone live a life free from abuse.