By Lauren Duhon, Baton Rouge, La., Stop Street Harassment Correspondent
As the nation watched the Bowl Championship Series National Championship game last night between the University of Notre Dame and University of Alabama, I’m sure fans only expected to watch a football game between the top two teams in the nation. What they also saw, however, was a continuous string of remarksby ESPN commentators about Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron’s girlfriend Katherine Webb.
During the first quarter of the game, commentator Brent Musburger made remarks about Webb, who is also Miss Alabama, like she was a trophy. “You quarterbacks get all of the good looking women,” he said, as he urged young boys watching to play football in order to date attractive women.
Throughout the game, the camera did close up shots of Webb, bringing more and more attention to the Auburn University alumna.
I watched the game with some of my friends who contributed to the commentary while practically drooling every time she appeared on the screen. When I got angry and asked why they thought that was okay, they answered, “Because she is hot” numerous times.
I couldn’t understand their behavior. The unnecessary comments and explicit names they called her continued until the end of the game (ending in a victory for Alabama).
Then the sexist comments moved online. Webb’s Twitter account went viral in a matter of hours and gained nearly 170,000 followers and there were many creepy tweets directed at her.
Webb hasn’t made a comment about the coverage, but today ESPN released a statement:
“We always try to capture interesting storylines and the relationship between an Auburn grad who is Miss Alabama and the current Alabama quarterback certainly met that test. However, we apologize that the commentary in this instance went too far and Brent understands that.”
Despite the apology, this isn’t the first time Musburger has made inappropriate comments during a game, nor do I think it will be the last time that a sports commentator does so, especially since few people have spoken out against his behavior. On the contrary, I’ve read multiple comments on websites like Bleacher Report from people saying they love him for his antics.
So I am speaking out: no one should be gawked at on national television without their permission, including by ESPN commentators. No one should have to virtually be catcalled by teenage boys and middle-aged men online without their consent.
Our society needs to stop justifying these actions. They help shape a society in which many men think it’s okay to say disrespectful things to women on the streets, on television, and online without much consequence. If I were Webb, I would come out with a statement to discourage these men, because I wouldn’t want to be pinned as anyone’s prize.
Lauren Duhon is a student journalist from LSU in Baton Rouge, La.
