Posts tagged Olympics

So says the wisdom of Peregrine, from the abc.net forum boards, in response to today’s salacious news that world champion runner, Casta Semenya, does not perfectly fit into the scientific categorisation of what we call a “Woman”. Naturally, gender is more than nature, itself – beyond the science, it is cultural. And one has to wonder what is more at play, as we watch the world so self-indulgently lap up this incredibly sad scandal. The question of what this story “means” to people is not a simple one that I’m going to answer in entirety, during a blog I’m penning on late Friday afternoon. There’s the deep-seeded role of gender – but, so too, is there a case for racial undertones, particulalry when viewed in light of the culture clash that had already erupted when South Africa defended its beloved champion against the white detractors who had so viciously claimed their star was invalid. But all it meant to me was a distinct sensation of pain: a sympathetic moment where I couldn’t help but sigh for Casta Semenya, an individual who will undoubtedly be lost in all that follows. Through absolutely no fault of her own, her road to glory has led her to a very dark place, indeed. You thought the devouring of Susan Boyle was sickening? I have a feeling this is going to eclipse the public consumption of the developmentally challenged Scottish Christian who just happened to have a decent voice. The public consumption of the African hermaphrodite who happened to be able to run like the wind is, I dare say, going to be a far bloodier affair.

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