Junior journalism major
One of the funniest movies I have seen in the past decade is Knocked Up, one of several successful films spanning a five-year period and starring the same goofy and lovable actors. In the movie, Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann play Pete and Debbie, a dysfunctional married couple that fight and bicker with each other in almost every scene, often to the point of hilariously vulgar showdowns.
In one memorable scene, Pete lies to Debbie about going to a work-related event, and instead attends a fantasy baseball draft at a friend’s house. Debbie, who believes he is having an affair, follows him there. When she finds out that he is participating in a fantasy draft, she becomes more upset. She claims his draft deception is worse than him cheating, as he prefers to hang with friends instead of spending quality time with her.
As I sat in my small apartment last weekend, participating in a fantasy football draft with a room of 10 guys, I couldn’t help but think of this scene when one of my friends joked: “No girls allowed.” When my girl friend (in the platonic sense) texted me and asked if she could stop by to say hello, I told her that I was with a large group of dudes and that she would have to enter at her own risk. As we all laughed and joked around, we ended up seriously considering how awkward it would be for a girl to walk in on our inappropriate, testosterone-filled hangout.
It may be cliche, but the saying holds true — boys will be boys. Every guy out there knows when there are no girls around, guys will act differently; we will say inappropriate things, joke about inappropriate topics and say hilariously crude things we would never dare to in the presence of females. It is safe to say fantasy football drafts and leagues are ideal settings for this sort of behavior.
Fantasy football — and football in general — has always been a “guy thing,” and it is largely portrayed this way in pop culture. The most notable examples include FX show The League and the shameless comedy Knocked Up, which I mentioned before. The online interactive football competition is an excellent opportunity to bond with your best friends and let out all of the offensive things you choose not to say in other circumstances.
However sexist it may seem, I believe guys often know more about football than girls. Fantasy football draft parties are about expletive-filled conversations concerning team favoritism and player analysis.
The unbridled vulgarity and contentiousness that plague male behavior make these gatherings uncomfortable for females. Therefore, women who may feel uncomfortable in these contexts should not be offended when excluded from events and activities surrounding the maliciously macho sport.
Debbie shouldn’t be upset when Pete plays fantasy football with his friends, and neither should any woman. We steer them away in order to protect them from the unfamiliar and dangerous. As the other cliche goes: It’s not you, it’s me!
Alex McGuire is a junior journalism major. He can be reached at mcguire@umdbk.com.
