[Banshee20]

Originally Posted by skywalker

The main consuming demographic for professional sports is.....drum roll.....men.

54% of men think about sex at least every day, 19% of women think about sex at least once per day (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels, 1994).

Why do you think female beach volleyball is the most profitable Olympic sport right now?

You took what I said and twisted it. I said that the women in the sport dont do it for the men. By default the majority of sports consumers are men...but this does not mean that the women up there posing are doing it for the men. The audience make-up is a confounding factor in this equation. Just because the majority of sports viewers are men, doesnt mean that women in any sport, volleyball, soccer, BB whatever are working their asses off thinking boy I bet my ass looks nice for all those male viewers. You dont need a scholarly source to support the info you posted above. Its common knowledge that guys think about sex. I am a woman, and I tend to notice these things. lol. The idea that sex sells is as old as dirt.

[Banshee20]

Originally Posted by skywalker

Recreational bodybuilders do what they do for self-gratification, to a certain degree. But once money is involved, the notion of self-gratification is subtracted from the equation. The pro bodybuilder works for money. Thus, he caters to a target audience. He is there for the fans and the paycheck at the end of the night. It is the fans who give him a stage to pose on, an opportunity to make a living through the bodybuilding lifestyle. When the fans no longer believe bodybuilding is worthy of their admiration/time/money, the sport will die.

Your outlook is bleek and slightly sad. I see what you are saying but I tend to believe that people have a more positive outlook than you suggest above. I think Passion is a powerful thing and there are people out there in many different fields of work that still do things because they believe in what they are doing and they are passionate about it. Your model is very capitalist in nature IMO. We do live in a capitalist society but I still prefer to base my arguements from the point of view that people have the capability to act outside of the machine that is society.

[skywalker]

Originally Posted by Banshee20

Your outlook is bleek and slightly sad. I see what you are saying but I tend to believe that people have a more positive outlook than you suggest above. I think Passion is a powerful thing and there are people out there in many different fields of work that still do things because they believe in what they are doing and they are passionate about it. Your model is very capitalist in nature IMO. We do live in a capitalist society but I still prefer to base my arguements from the point of view that people have the capability to act outside of the machine that is society.

I thought we were talking about female pro bodybuilding here?

In no way did I exit the economical framework of professional bodybuilding. When you are part of a professional organisation, you accept its rules and regulations. You leave your “individual power to chose” at the door for the greater good of the whole. Passion may have led you to the pro stage and it may continue to fuel your career, but ultimately, the financial success of the organisation will dictate the survival of your professional enterprise. This being said, female IFBB pro bodybuilders have the “individual power to chose” to either continue to compete in a division that is gradually losing appeal or join the ranks of Pro Figure, an increasingly popular pro division.

If for some reason there are female pro bodybuilders who feel it is their Calling to continue the She-Beast tradition, thus remaining at odds with popular consent $$$, then by all means let us hope their courageous quest reaches its desired port.

“They can take our sport, but they can never take our Freedom!!!”

[skywalker]

Originally Posted by Banshee20

You took what I said and twisted it. I said that the women in the sport dont do it for the men. By default the majority of sports consumers are men...but this does not mean that the women up there posing are doing it for the men. The audience make-up is a confounding factor in this equation. Just because the majority of sports viewers are men, doesnt mean that women in any sport, volleyball, soccer, BB whatever are working their asses off thinking boy I bet my ass looks nice for all those male viewers. You dont need a scholarly source to support the info you posted above. Its common knowledge that guys think about sex. I am a woman, and I tend to notice these things. lol. The idea that sex sells is as old as dirt.

You're right, I stumbled here big time

[Banshee20]

Originally Posted by skywalker

I thought we were talking about female pro bodybuilding here?

In no way did I exit the economical framework of professional bodybuilding. When you are part of a professional organisation, you accept its rules and regulations. You leave your “individual power to chose” at the door for the greater good of the whole. Passion may have led you to the pro stage and it may continue to fuel your career, but ultimately, the financial success of the organisation will dictate the survival of your professional enterprise. This being said, female IFBB pro bodybuilders have the “individual power to chose” to either continue to compete in a division that is gradually losing appeal or join the ranks of Pro Figure, an increasingly popular pro division.

If for some reason there are female pro bodybuilders who feel it is their Calling to continue the She-Beast tradition, thus remaining at odds with popular consent $$$, then by all means let us hope their courageous quest reaches its desired port.

“They can take our sport, but they can never take our Freedom!!!”

LOL, I think we beat the dead horse enough!! When it comes down to it Skywalker I think we have really similar points(despite the plentiful replies in this thread). I apologize for being so persistant...I wont pass up a good debate even if it means I have to take kind of a "devil's advocate" type of position. I think you made really good points and I enjoyed the discussion, thanks!! Like I said, I dont desire to look the way that Pro female BBs do, I just think its and interesting discussion. :Banane42:

Banshee and :(305):