So BBC presenter John Inverdale said that Wimbledon women’s champion Marion Bartoli was “never going to be a looker”. Because that’s kind of insensitive and completely irrelevant, there have been 674 complaints made to the BBC and Inverdale apologised. But should he punished endlessly? Or should he have not apologised at all? I wanted to know what the people who don’t wrote letters to broadcasting houses thought about the situation, so I asked a few of them a question: What do you think of John Inverdale’s Bartoli comments?
Ashlie: I don’t know what she looks like, but I think it’s inappropriate. It sounds like a man is getting offended by the fact that a woman is doing so well in what was traditionally a male sport. He’s very bitter about it.
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VICE: Do you think John Inverdale is a looker?
Well, he’s no George Clooney, is he? We should ask his parents if they ever told him he was a looker and see what they say.
Fraser: John Inverdale is a horrible man anyway, but he shouldn’t be saying stuff like that on the radio.
Have you heard similar things get said about male athletes?
No. We usually say the guys are really athletic and that the girls are good-looking. We’re all guilty of that a little bit, I think.
Denis: It’s kind of rude, really, and he shouldn’t have said it. He’s in a position where he should know not to say that about someone else, and certainly not someone that public. He’s apologised now, hasn’t he?
Yeah, he said he thought she was “a role model for people who aren’t born with all the attributes of natural athletes”.
Is it necessary to comment at all on anything like that? What’s her looks got to do with the sport? She won, she’s the best, so therefore congratulate her on being the best – that’s it. Anything else is just rude and unnecessary.
So there’s no way of excusing his comments at all?
No. I think he went too far, because it’s the wrong time – she’s winning, you know? If someone were to say something like that, you’d expect it at some other time. It just seemed really weird – what does he have against her?
Well, that she’s not a looker, for a start.
Bertrand: Marion answered on the pitch on Saturday, and she won – that’s it. Serena Williams was also in the tournament, but Bartoli was stronger. Serena happens to be beautiful, and she lost.
Do you think athletes’ appearance is important for spectators?
No. Winning or losing will always be the answer. Afterwards, for magazines or sponsorship, it might be important to be beautiful or attractive.
Female winners get a plate and male winners get a trophy – thoughts?
It’s the first time I realised the different trophies, actually. I was like, “Why didn’t they get the same one?” It’s not fair.
No, Bertrand, it’s not.
Alexandra (left) and Corinne.
Corinne: I think it’s part of the deal. There are loads of commentators who allow themselves to criticise celebrities – like Adele who got criticised for her weight, for example. I think it’s part of the deal.
Is it part of the deal for everyone, or just for women?
For women, unfortunately.
Alexandra: Yes – there are actors like, for example, Jack Nicholson – who’s an old, decrepit man – and he still has a career and makes good movies. But if he were a woman, he wouldn’t be able to do that.
Is it interesting to discuss whether athletes are good-looking or not?
Criticisms on people’s appearance are just not constructive, especially for athletes. They don’t need to be beautiful or look like film stars to be good. We need them to be good, strong, to win and to represent our country.
Previously – What’s the Coolest Thing Your Genitals Can Do?
