6/29/2003
"You know sports, so guys must like you." Yeah, I call bullshit on that one.
ESPN.com - Page2 - What men really want
Just like Ms. Pressman, I've heard this before from all my guy friends. And every time I've heard it, my response is the same: bull. shit.
Guys consider sports "their thing." They own it. Girls can have tennis and figure skating. But the Big 4 (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) are their domain.
So if you understand that, its not surprising that guys get a little testy when you, a woman, know more about sports than they do. You've memorized the pitching rotations. You can articulate the offside rule in hockey. You understand why it important to bring your hands through the zone first and let the bat head follow through when hitting the ball with an inside-out swing. You can even explain why Real Madrid's aquisition of David Beckham makes Real Madrid's lineup absolutely sick. I could go on, but I won't.
Pressman is right. Guys don't want the girl who knows sports. They want the girl who doesn't give them shit when they don't want to go shopping because the Niners are playing the Packers for home field advantage in the playoffs. They do not want the girl who will sit there with them, commenting on the game like their guy friends do. I can tell you from personal experience that this annoys the crap out of guys. You can yell at the screen "What? That wasn't a charge! His feet were in the circle!" And guys will look at you, completely annoyed. But when one of their buddies yells it, they're like ,"Yeah, dude! Feet? In the circle."
Just like Ms. Pressman, I've heard this before from all my guy friends. And every time I've heard it, my response is the same: bull. shit.
Guys consider sports "their thing." They own it. Girls can have tennis and figure skating. But the Big 4 (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) are their domain.
So if you understand that, its not surprising that guys get a little testy when you, a woman, know more about sports than they do. You've memorized the pitching rotations. You can articulate the offside rule in hockey. You understand why it important to bring your hands through the zone first and let the bat head follow through when hitting the ball with an inside-out swing. You can even explain why Real Madrid's aquisition of David Beckham makes Real Madrid's lineup absolutely sick. I could go on, but I won't.
Pressman is right. Guys don't want the girl who knows sports. They want the girl who doesn't give them shit when they don't want to go shopping because the Niners are playing the Packers for home field advantage in the playoffs. They do not want the girl who will sit there with them, commenting on the game like their guy friends do. I can tell you from personal experience that this annoys the crap out of guys. You can yell at the screen "What? That wasn't a charge! His feet were in the circle!" And guys will look at you, completely annoyed. But when one of their buddies yells it, they're like ,"Yeah, dude! Feet? In the circle."
Before there was Madonna, Jennifer Garner, or the Dixie Chicks, there was Katharine Hepburn
My esteem for Katharine Hepburn is beyond words. She is the only Hepburn that ever mattered. So high is my regard for her that I am seriously considering naming my first-born daughter "Katharine."
I get a lot of confused reactions when I begin to wax poetic about Ms. Hepburn. Maybe its because I am usually in the company of people whose only encounter with black and white movies is Schindler's List. Or maybe its because I hang out with primarily men, and the minute the word "Hepburn" comes out of my mouth, the subject of how hot Audrey was is the only thing they want to discuss.
So what is my deal with Katharine Hepburn that I treat her as a goddess for whom I must name my first-born?
Well the fact that she is perhaps the greatest actress ever to grace the silver screen may have something to do with it. Whether it be the quick and fiery wit she employs in The Philadelphia Story, the smart slapstick comedy of Bringing Up Baby, or the quiet strength and compassion she effortlessly exudes in On Golden Pond, Katharine Hepburn was able to hold her own against some of the greatest actors of time. Heck, I give them credit for even daring to share the screen with her. She always played the strong, independent, intelligent, witty, and understanding woman during a time when her contemporaries were out being the damsels in distress, waiting for prince charming to ride up and save them. Watching her movies, you always knew that she could take care of herself and stand on her own two feet. You could tell the men sharing the screen felt the same way and respected her for that.
And did I mention she was an athlete? Check out the little known movie Pat and Mike. She was an extremely good golfer and from my understanding, did all her sports stunts in the movie.
But her acting chops and athletic ability aren't the reasons I adore her. I mean, I ain't naming my other kids Denzel, Mia, or Humphrey. What elevates Katharine Hepburn to another level for me is her strength and independence as a person. For those who don't know, Katharine Hepburn was a hellraiser. She was rock-and-roll before there was rock-and-roll. If there was boat, she was going to rock it, even if it meant throwing herself overboard in some cases. She had more integrity in her pinky finger than most of us have in our entire bodies. She stood up for herself, even though everyone was telling her, in essence, to sell out. And she followed her heart, no matter where it took her, and no matter the consequences.
You want examples? Well, I thought you'd never ask.
Katharine Hepburn had established herself as a skilled stage actor on Broadway before Hollywood, and the then-powerful RKO Studios, came knocking. RKO offered her a typical Hollywood contract. Hepburn, in true hellraiser style, turned down the contract and instead, demanded a contract on her own terms. She basically gave RKO the finger and said, "Look, I know I'm worth more than that. Pay me my value or don't pay me at all." She was a diva before there were divas. But she was a diva in a Madonna, "don't fuck with me" kind of way, not a J.Lo "I'll sue you if there aren't imported roses in my hotel room" kind of way. And it worked. RKO forked over a $1,500 a week contract on her terms.
Hepburn further bucked the system by refusing the play the Hollywood game. She would make public appearances with no makeup, and dressing "unfashionably." But she didn't care. She did spark one fashion trend which a vast majority of working women must thank her for. She made wearing pantsuits ok. So for all you business cash ladies like me, give it up to KH every time you pull those black Banana Republic trousers on to go to work.
Well, all this was giving KH a bad reputation. She was dubbed "box office poison" and got a reputation for being difficult to work with. She was an intelligent, confident woman, who wasn't going to be treated like the fragile lilies that studio execs were used to pushing around. But her career suffered for it. She lost the part for Scarlett O'Hara to an unknown, Vivien Leigh, and it looked like her career was over.
But sweat it? She did not. She knew she was a good actor and if Hollywood had a problem with her, then she'd leave Hollywood. She returned to Broadway and appeared in a play entitled "The Philadelphia Story." The part of Tracy Lord, was written specifically with her in mind, and she eventually bought the screenplay. The play was a hit, and again, Hollywood came knocking. Hollywood, who cast her opposite Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant (yum) wanted to give her secondary billing. She fought it and used her leverage as the owner of the screenplay, and the result was a triple bill.
I could go on, but I won't.
Read her autobiography. Watch her films. Read about her. She didn't just break the mold of what it meant to be a female Hollywood actress, she broke the mold of what it meant to be a female, period.
Know your worth.
Believe in yourself.
Stay true to yourself.
And you will live a full and satisfying life.
To Katharine Hepburn: Thank You.
I get a lot of confused reactions when I begin to wax poetic about Ms. Hepburn. Maybe its because I am usually in the company of people whose only encounter with black and white movies is Schindler's List. Or maybe its because I hang out with primarily men, and the minute the word "Hepburn" comes out of my mouth, the subject of how hot Audrey was is the only thing they want to discuss.
So what is my deal with Katharine Hepburn that I treat her as a goddess for whom I must name my first-born?
Well the fact that she is perhaps the greatest actress ever to grace the silver screen may have something to do with it. Whether it be the quick and fiery wit she employs in The Philadelphia Story, the smart slapstick comedy of Bringing Up Baby, or the quiet strength and compassion she effortlessly exudes in On Golden Pond, Katharine Hepburn was able to hold her own against some of the greatest actors of time. Heck, I give them credit for even daring to share the screen with her. She always played the strong, independent, intelligent, witty, and understanding woman during a time when her contemporaries were out being the damsels in distress, waiting for prince charming to ride up and save them. Watching her movies, you always knew that she could take care of herself and stand on her own two feet. You could tell the men sharing the screen felt the same way and respected her for that.
And did I mention she was an athlete? Check out the little known movie Pat and Mike. She was an extremely good golfer and from my understanding, did all her sports stunts in the movie.
But her acting chops and athletic ability aren't the reasons I adore her. I mean, I ain't naming my other kids Denzel, Mia, or Humphrey. What elevates Katharine Hepburn to another level for me is her strength and independence as a person. For those who don't know, Katharine Hepburn was a hellraiser. She was rock-and-roll before there was rock-and-roll. If there was boat, she was going to rock it, even if it meant throwing herself overboard in some cases. She had more integrity in her pinky finger than most of us have in our entire bodies. She stood up for herself, even though everyone was telling her, in essence, to sell out. And she followed her heart, no matter where it took her, and no matter the consequences.
You want examples? Well, I thought you'd never ask.
Katharine Hepburn had established herself as a skilled stage actor on Broadway before Hollywood, and the then-powerful RKO Studios, came knocking. RKO offered her a typical Hollywood contract. Hepburn, in true hellraiser style, turned down the contract and instead, demanded a contract on her own terms. She basically gave RKO the finger and said, "Look, I know I'm worth more than that. Pay me my value or don't pay me at all." She was a diva before there were divas. But she was a diva in a Madonna, "don't fuck with me" kind of way, not a J.Lo "I'll sue you if there aren't imported roses in my hotel room" kind of way. And it worked. RKO forked over a $1,500 a week contract on her terms.
Hepburn further bucked the system by refusing the play the Hollywood game. She would make public appearances with no makeup, and dressing "unfashionably." But she didn't care. She did spark one fashion trend which a vast majority of working women must thank her for. She made wearing pantsuits ok. So for all you business cash ladies like me, give it up to KH every time you pull those black Banana Republic trousers on to go to work.
Well, all this was giving KH a bad reputation. She was dubbed "box office poison" and got a reputation for being difficult to work with. She was an intelligent, confident woman, who wasn't going to be treated like the fragile lilies that studio execs were used to pushing around. But her career suffered for it. She lost the part for Scarlett O'Hara to an unknown, Vivien Leigh, and it looked like her career was over.
But sweat it? She did not. She knew she was a good actor and if Hollywood had a problem with her, then she'd leave Hollywood. She returned to Broadway and appeared in a play entitled "The Philadelphia Story." The part of Tracy Lord, was written specifically with her in mind, and she eventually bought the screenplay. The play was a hit, and again, Hollywood came knocking. Hollywood, who cast her opposite Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant (yum) wanted to give her secondary billing. She fought it and used her leverage as the owner of the screenplay, and the result was a triple bill.
I could go on, but I won't.
Read her autobiography. Watch her films. Read about her. She didn't just break the mold of what it meant to be a female Hollywood actress, she broke the mold of what it meant to be a female, period.
Know your worth.
Believe in yourself.
Stay true to yourself.
And you will live a full and satisfying life.
To Katharine Hepburn: Thank You.
