The discussion of grid girls continues this week with a report from Tom Cary over at the Telegraph in which F1 boss Chase Carey says there will still be pretty girls in F1.
“I think the reaction [to the scrapping of grid girls] has been what we expected,” Carey said. “We’ve had some people who have been positive about it and others who were concerned. Unsurprisingly, many long-term fans view it as part of the sport they grew up with and I respect that.
“Actually if you just left it up to me, personally, I like the grid girls. But it’s not a decision for me, it’s a decision for fans. And I think what we found is that a number of people anecdotally raised the issue, and as I went around what I found was there was a meaningful segment that found it … I don’t know whether offensive is too strong – but found it exploitative or did not find it appropriate for the world we live in today.”
“I recognise that many of the grid girls were proud to do it and I think that’s great, and again, if you left it to me, I liked it,” he said. “But I think when you have as many people as I found who really felt it was outdated and who felt it didn’t belong in the sport today, you have to be cognisant of that. The number that were passionately positive on the other side were much smaller.”
“We’re going to maintain glamour,” he said. “We’re going to continue to have pretty girls at races. I think it’s a part of life, and it’s a part of what makes our sport special. It is a sport of glamour and of mystique. But I think you have to continue to evolve. In today’s world there are obviously different sensitivities to 10-12 years ago. I don’t think you can just be stubborn.”
It’s an interesting decision matrix to be sure. One could argue squeaky wheel management? Those who complain loudest are those who get to determine the direction of the sport? I’m not arguing that those who were against grid girls do or don’t have a good point, what I am more interested in is that Chase seems to suggest that it’s a numbers game based upon fans likes and dislikes as voiced the loudest.
I’m not sure how many fans he “found” and how many he spoke with or polled but let’s hope he wasn’t merely reading Twitter timelines, that’s not the best metric in which to measure.
It brings me to another point about the loud voices who disagree with a direction F1 is heading or currently in. If Chase was overwhelmed by anti-grid girl fans and he used social media or other ways to get that feedback, I would be stunned if he didn’t immediately change the hybrid engine and DRS due to the cacophony of fans sharing their dislike of both.
It is also interesting, for me at least, to see people like Chase and Susie Wolff say, they didn’t bother me-and in the case of Chase, I liked them, but you know, the decision is out of my hands…it’s the decision the fans made. So it was an invisible specter of fan ire and societal norms making the decision for them? Out of their control? We can now blame fans and not F1 management? In short, the fans can simply blame and burn each other on this and simple leave F1 out of it? Got it.
The fans have been saying a lot of things for years about F1 with regards to competitiveness, excitement, lower ticket prices, better TV coverage, HALO, DRS, hybrids, engine sound, tire suppliers, negative aerodynamic impact on the sport and more. With all of the continuous fan feedback in about every corner you care to look, grid girls were the one critical element that was chosen as a must-change?
I find that a bit difficult to understand if I’m honest. Let’s give some deference here though, I guess you have to start somewhere and why not go right to alluring, pretty girls? It has the least chance of getting a strong rebuke and threat to leave the sport from Manufacturers.
Hat Tip: Telegraph
Step 1: STOP CALLING THEM GIRLS
Step 2: Allow them to participate, not simply parade their sexiness (and let’s not pretend that’s not what they do, mostly). They have beauty and brains – why always take the lowest common moral denominator?
Step 3: Viewers and participants: Grow the f***k up. Stop seeking soft porn for amusement and take a stronger interest in the sport, less in the “show.”
The definition of girl is a female under aged 18
Freudian slip? “Under aged”
Peter, the way you lecture, are you everybody’s Dad now? It must be great to have a corner on moral authority.
Good point… When you get old, you lose patience for illogical thinking.
“If you left it to me, I liked it” (the grid girls) he said. That is the second time now that the number on says he “liked it” as against his number two disliking it. (although lately the number two admitted he liked looking at them).
The first time (the other time) was when he told Marchionne that his other number two engines ideas were his number two personal ideas only and not his. These people cannot be trusted in what they say or do, because they are not honest in their doings intentions.
Ask your daughters: what do they aspire more to be, pretty or smart? Sexy or independant? Seeking approval through their visual appearance or by what they do with their lives? I’m not saying these are mutually exclusive, nor that they are opposites. The point is: are they brought up to see their place as for pleasing men, or to serve their own interests? And what did F1 convey?
Hmmm…pleasing men. I seek to please my wife. I try to live sacrificially for her on a daily basis. I try to provide for her and try to make sure I am not smelly, dirty, rude, crude and certainly never abusive or dangerous. In our house, if mom isn’t happy, no one is happy and my daughters know that. In return, she respects me, appreciates the sacrifices I make, the work I do and she makes many sacrifices for me as well. Together, we serve each other’s interests. We are better people with each other than we are on our… Read more »
Internally I was screaming that you need to give yourself POTW.
BUT…
A person’s role in a relationship is very different from their career path, though. Pleasing another isn’t necessarily one’s goal when choosing a job.
Modelling is a viable career path.
So is engineering.
Or acting, nursing, music, management, or anything else.
It is about individual choice. You can choose to use your looks to sell or promote products or services. Or you can use your mind to make those products/services.
Agreed but to be honest, I don’t approach my career much different. Serving those I work with the best I can with a goal of pleasing them is always a goal. However, I believe you said it well, it is individual choice. :)
There’s nothing specific in your reply that I disagree with, but overall my impression is that you deliberately misunderstood my point and just twisted the words in my mouth. I have no issue diagreeing with you on this one, but … I really tried to get a point across, which on this topic shouldn’t be as difficult anymore as it used to be, but somehow I failed to reach you. I’ll try harder next time :)
I got your point. Of course everyone would want to be measured on their achievements and make choices that are best for them and not simply pleasing men. My point was to make that point.
Some women choose to be doctors or engineers, others choose to be models. Their is no shame is choosing any profession as long as it chosen freely. I would encourage my daughter to follow whatever career path made her happy and would provide the best opportunities for her.
Oh now i get it, mr. Carey made it pretty clear. In Formula1 fan is another word for ‘easily offended vocal minority’
Cary to Carey: Do you care to carry some weight to this discussion?
Carey to Cary: I don’t really care, but I like them girls.
I’m late to this because I didn’t update my feed to the new site. I missed you guys. Now for my comment. I like to see pretty girls, but times are changing. That’s it, not much, but I have more important things to worry about, like is the new Haas car going to be good.