America’s Next Sweetheart: We Have a (White) Winner!
Wemple's sports post previewing the Redskins-Giants game was so popular yesterday, let's do another. But on tennis this time.
So everyone knows that 17-year-old Melanie Oudin made one hell of a run at the U.S. Open this year; the No. 70 seed dispensed with Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova, and Nadia Petrova, before being defeated last night by Caroline Wozniacki. The accolades have just streamed in.
But some in the blogosphere are wondering if there isn't some reason other than her talent that she has been so readily embraced by the media: namely, her physique (petite) and her skin color (white).
Writes the women's issues site Jezebel:
Oudin certainly seems to be a lovable sports star, and her accomplishments are definitely praise-worthy, but there is something off about the way she is being celebrated. She has been called the "darling" of the U.S. Open, America's "sweetheart," a "pint-sized, freckled-faced blonde from Georgia," the "tiny little savior of women's tennis," everything it seems, save tennis' "Great White Hope" (although given the media coverage of Oudin's win, it would probably be more like the "little, teeny-tiny, super cute White Hope").
Especially problematic was this article from the Daily Beast, which quoted ESPN sportscaster Michelle Beadle comparing Oudin to the Williams sisters. "From Day 1, I've never heard the Williams sisters referred to as sweethearts," she said.
Even if racial considerations weren't an issue before that reference, it seemed more than fair to talk about them after.
One question, as posed by Jezebel, is: What does that really mean, "America's sweetheart"? And could there be something as radical as a black sweetheart?
Among those enjoying that label, over the years: Shirley Temple, Marilyn Monroe, tennis player Chris Evert, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Sandra Bullock, even Sarah Palin.
They're not all blonde, but...
In July, the online site cinematical weighed in, almost desperately, it being the pre-Oudin age and all, on who might be the next sweetheart (since several of those mentioned above are "in their 40s now and are no longer interested in the title"). I scoured the list of a dozen candidates, certain that every single last woman on it would be white (if not blonde and white). Kirsten Dunst: check. Scarlett Johansson: check. Anne Hathaway: check. But just making the cut, at No. 12, was the African-American actress Meagan Good.
So that proves it: There can be a black sweetheart! Just not, God forbid, anyone as tall, in-your-face-muscular, and good – columnist George Vecsey of the New York Times suggested they are sometimes "too good" – as Venus or Serena Williams.
11:06 am
Really reaching on this one, eh?
11:12 am
Wow. I have never seen a truly honest to gosh racist column before.
11:27 am
There's no reason to criticize her - she's a good tennis player and she's just out there doing her thing and doing it well. http://www.newsy.com/videos/making_noise_at_the_u_s_open
2:24 pm
Interesting post.
I'm confused by the NYTimes columnist's argument that one reason Venus and Serena are unpopular in the US Open is because they are "too good".
How often is that argument made? The "youre too good to be popular argument" is clearly not true for Bob & Mike Bryan, Martina Navratilova, or Roger Federer.
3:51 pm
Not like this has anything to do with Oudin, but I was in the crowd during the Kim Klijsters and Venus Williams match, and was baffled when the fans were vehemently backing the Belgian. I was at the US Open and I thought, "wow, are we in Brussels?" I know if the roles were reversed Venus wouldn't have had that sort of support had she been playing in Europe, and knowing what a patriotic bunch Americans are, I was simply dumbfounded. I am not certain had Klijsters been playing against Oudin that crowd support would have been that strongly in her favor. Makes you wonder. And for the record, I think Oudin is a great player, it's just unfortunate that support is that lopsided in 2009.
6:16 pm
This article brings up some interesting points that I hadn't really considered, but now that its mentioned I think it makes a lot of sense- I'd much rather watch the Williams sisters myself, but people were saying how Oudin was going to revolutionize women's tennis in the US etc etc etc. I just dont see how thats possible- why, now a young white girl can revolutionize women's tennis but not two black twins? I dont get it. http://www.newsy.com/videos/making_noise_at_the_u_s_open
2:29 pm
Michelle Beadle apparently doesn't read Jet or Ebony Magazines. Which is part of the whole problem, isn't it? Blog posts like this are invariably as exclusionary as the stories discussed in them. If you look beyond white writers, white fans, and white readers, you'll find a lot of people who adore the Williams sisters.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_3_112/ai_n27327937/
2:22 pm
Its the niggers again. they are monkeys i tell'ya
3:47 pm
Reeseswithcoffe..go to Barry Farms at 1 am in the the morning and yell that..I dare ya! As for the Williams sisters,I think they are great(Im white btw) and Imnot threatened by someone of a diff skin color..unlike the person who responded above me.