Summer Solstice, 2019-06-21

【Aiden in English】

        To what point has humanity crumbled. Recently, I read about complaints of Father’s Day being “offensive” to single moms and working women. While somewhat laughable, this apparently is a strong viewpoint in society. The same drastic feministic ideas that keep me up at night staring into the darkness, thinking.

        Now, keep in mind, this is only an opinion of mine. Thus, I may say things rather opinionated and differing from popular view. I will also disclaim that I have no credentials or support for my claims other than a background in AP US History and common sense, which actually is a powerful tool. So believe what you want, but these are my thoughts.

        I’m quite invested in the sports world if you couldn’t tell. Just a month ago, there wasn’t a single more hated person in my life than Kawhi Leonard (or maybe the person who set the rim up before the game). Therefore, it’s nearly impossible to see the desperate push by some people for equal pay in the WNBA, the women’s basketball league. An outrageously representative stat is that the maximum a woman can be paid is an eighth of an NBA minimum contract. From an uneducated point of view, that seems terrible and unbelievably sexist. Unfortunately, many people who use this evidence to support un-equal opportunity in America between genders do not see the full picture. 

        It’s fair to say that the pay is skewed, no doubt about that. But a basic sense of rationality is the phrase “you get what you pay.” In the WNBA, the average lowest ticket price is around $17. Compared to the NBA’s estimate of $78 average, the difference is extremely evident. Yet uncoincidentally, WNBA games receive far less attendance, media coverage, TV sponsors; thus, to no surprise, the league loses about a million dollars a year. So what is this show? Well, the WNBA is just isn’t as good a product as the NBA. To all those people who point fingers at the basketball world, claiming the business to be unfair, it is not unfair. In fact, the differences are rather just. Those who watch basketball prefer to watch men’s basketball, as they produce a superior product. Nothing against female basketball players. Undoubtedly, even benchwarmers could mop the floor against me. However, to see some female players asking for salaries comparable to Lebron James is absurd. The reason Lebron James reels in hundreds of millions of dollars from contracts are because he is a walking product that the masses enjoy watching, a diamond that franchises wish to possess. Say the current reigning MVP, Elena Delle Donne, a player that I had to look up, was given Lebron James’ contract, would that make whatever team she played for gain revenue? Would it incentivize me to watch? No, not into a degree NBA players do. Look at other sports where women participate: tennis, soccer, track, and many more. All have the common theme that they are out-paid by men. If women create a better product than their male league counterparts, then by all means they should receive higher salaries. Until they do, sports should and will continue rewarding the more entertaining of the genders.

        The interpretation of the WNBA to prove disparities between genders is misused. Instead of pointing to the yellow rock and calling it gold, dig a little deeper to find that it’s just coal dipped in mustard. Of course, I can’t say the same for other facets of life; I simply understand sports to a better extent than other topics. As it currently stands, the NBA funds the WNBA, as the female league is unable to support itself. Would it be nice for female basketball players to be paid equally? Absolutely, but it would also cost the NBA a lot of money and resources that will not be returned. While many still try to think positively and ideally, I personally cannot see the change occurring, not until women find ways to dunk harder, shoot better, dribble faster, pass quicker, rebound stronger, and produce a more entertaining game. 

        That’s all this is a game for the masses. Thus, it should be judged as such, basing salary off entertainment. It just is not possible for females to match male skills, a sad reality that people should accept.

【紅霞譯文】

        人格崩潰到了何種地步。最近，我讀過有關抱怨父親節冒犯單親媽媽及職業女性的文章，雖然有點可笑，但這足以在社會上引起強烈反響，令我夜不能寐的激進女權主義思想同樣值得深省。

        現在，切記這不過是個人見解，乾脆說吧，我所表達的觀點也許與大家的看法格格不入。若不靠美國大學歷史先修課和基本常識兩個強有力的工具做後盾，恐怕我連擺出論點論據的底氣都沒有，隨你怎麼想，反正我是這樣認為的。

        如果你有所不知，本人對體育賽事相當上心。就在一個月前，我才發覺這輩子最招我記恨的人非科懷·倫納德莫屬（或許這傢伙賽前動過手腳調高了籃筐）。正因如此，即使美國女職籃心裡再憋屈也沒魄力要求同工同酬，據特別可靠的統計數字顯示，女職籃收入最高的主力僅為男職籃酬薪最低的八分之一。從泛文化來看，上述霸凌行徑真是欺人太甚，彰顯性別歧視。遺憾的是，美國本土上性別不同機會不等的事實會讓不少人一葉障目，不見泰山。

        公正地說，薪酬向來離譜，這點毋庸置疑，但經典哲理在於“有付出就有收穫”。在美國女職籃賽季里，平均最低入場費大約17美刀；相比之下，男職籃售價飆升至78塊左右，兩者上座率差異十分明顯。女職籃賽場上的觀眾、媒體報道、電視贊助商少而又少，早已不足為奇；照此下去，女職籃聯盟每年虧本100來萬美元也在情理之中，那么女職籃水準如何？女職籃的球藝沒有男職籃精湛，那些愛叨叨的人可以指責籃球行業不公，但籃球本身又沒招誰惹誰。事實上，區別遠非如此。球迷們情願觀看男職籃比賽，無奈他們技高一籌，這裡絲毫沒有冒犯女職籃球員的意思，只不過實話傷人，敢情替補隊員都想掄起拖把朝我砸來。然而，一看到個別女性要求享有勒布朗·詹姆斯的高薪待遇，真不知天高地厚。勒布朗·詹姆斯之所以狂斂數億美元，與追星族熱衷捧場密不可分，他是各個球隊求之不得的鑽石明星。且拿目前女職籃令我刮目相看的“最有價值球員”艾琳娜·戴爾·多恩來說，即使送她勒布朗·詹姆斯一樣的合同，難道她就能振興球隊提高創收了嗎？轉而又激發我捨命觀戰？不會的，無論如何都沒法跟男職籃球員相提並論。再看一下女性參加的其它體育項目：網球、足球、徑賽、等等，放之四海而皆準的真理就是男性球員腰纏萬貫，假若女性比同行男性打造出效益頗豐的品牌，那麼她們必定水漲船高。到了那個時候，體育領域應該並將繼續獎勵更有娛樂價值的男女運動員。

        用美國女職籃來展示性別歧視純屬混淆是非，與其把土石子當成金元寶，不如挖出來搞清楚它不過是裹上芥末的煤疙瘩。當然，這萬萬不可延申到其它生活層面，拿體育說事要比白活別的話題來勁得多，我心中有數。話說當下，美國男職籃出資贊助女職籃，整個女職籃聯盟尚未達到自負盈虧，女將若能得到相關待遇豈不美差一樁？沒錯，這回定叫投注大量財力物力的男職籃血本無歸。儘管大家積極群策群力，我個人卻察覺不出任何改進，除非女籃球員比男籃對手扣籃更狠、投籃更准、運球更快、傳球更猛、籃板更沖，讓球賽變得更有情趣。

        明擺着：百家遊戲。於是乎，工資高低應該依娛樂水平而定。既然女性球技不可能達到男性標準，那麼大家只好接受這一悲催現實。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2015: A life of Religion in Meteora, Greeck(希臘曼代奧拉的宗教生活)

2014: Baltimore Natl Aquarium, MD(馬里蘭州巴爾的摩國家水族館)

2012: Descriptive─Memoir(應用文─回憶錄)

2010: 甜言蜜語(Sweet Nothings)

2009: 童聲合唱(Children Choir)

Crosslink(相關博文):

10th Grade(高中二年級)