Sexist vs Sexy

Somewhere between the furore over the Sky Sports sexism scandal I heard a whisper (not saying its true!!) that this is the excuse Sky have been looking for to finally oust sexist, Andy Gray, in favour for sexy, Jamie Redknapp.
I was going to write a whole entry listing the reasons why Sky should stick the boot in and get rid of him so we can see more of Jamie in those, oh so tight, Marks and Spencers trousers, but that would be sexist wouldn’t it?
In fact this little rumour has made me change my whole opinion of Andy and Richards comments. Like every other woman who read the story I thought ‘how dare they’ (and then secretly thought ‘I hope no one asks me to explain the offside rule’).
I realised working in a male dominated environment I had heard a million comments far worse than what they said. And worst of all, I had said most of them.
While discussing Fernando Torres’s new haircut (go back blonde) someone commented that he wasn’t as good looking as he used to be and I said (as a joke) “Yeah, you still would though” at which point our office sexism bell started ringing off the hook.
My female colleague and I introduced that bell long before this started and it became a bit of a joke. When someone made a passing comment on a girl’s picture in the paper and so on we would ding it (we started it after someone in the office said ‘women had ruined Christmas’)
When Andy and Richard were discussing Sian’s appointment someone else present in the studio apparently said Miss Massey was ‘a bit of alright’ Andy looked out the window and said ‘No, I definitely wouldn’t’ (I felt that one for you Sian, and to feminists everywhere, I am sorry, but if I was Sian, that is the comment that would have hurt me the most - knock my potential in my career if you want, like Sian and her spot on (so I’m told) on-side decision , I will prove you wrong 10 times over. But call me a bit of a dog and yeah I’ll be really gutted.
Should they be sacked? I don’t think so. Yes they have shown a huge amount of ignorance. I think they both have daughters, how would they feel if they had received the same treatment, but then I would be sacked for half of the things I have said this morning. EVERY man in this office and every other would be sacked, because everyone is guilty of it an I know that doesn‘t make it OK.
I think my forgiving attitude stems from the fact that I have never been judged based on my gender, not to my knowledge anyway. As I said before a lot of jibes do get bounded round the office but they are said for effect and to be honest a lot of them are just funny.
It is such a boring and dated thing to say the game has gone mad because women are becoming more prominent in the industry (Jamie would never have said it) and Karen Brady’s contribution should have been an example of their success, instead of a source of ridicule.
So in light of Andy and Richard’s public flogging, will the men down the pub watching the footie think before they something along the same lines? No they won’t.
And if a woman on a girls night out says: ‘Hurry up and finish your drink so I can get the fit waiter over again’ Will her friend turn to her and say ‘Actually, Sharon that was really sexist, and I think you should go.’ Nope.
It will be interesting to see what happens to them Richard, for the same reason Alan Hanson will always have a job, is a firm ‘mums favourite’ so I can’t see him going, I don’t know about Andy, more has been made of his comments but whether that is a result of the company purposefully fuelling the row who knows.

P.S I heard this rumour from ‘him’ and I HATE it when he hears gossip before me. I won’t hear the end of it when he reads this.

And another thing, when one of my male colleagues read this he said: "Every man in the office is sexist? A woman would say that wouldn't she."

When will they learn....?