Feminist Feedback for Klay Thompson
Dear Klay Thompson,
In the post-game interview after game 4 of the NBA finals, Klay Thompson made a remark that may have had harmless intentions, but which had powerful implications. When asked about how his hamstring injury affected his game, Klay’s response was: “you just got to go out there, man up, and play to the best of your ability.” I have been reassured by a few NBA superfans that Klay Thompson is not a misogynist, nor do they believe he meant anything hurtful by this comment. However, when you are in a position of power and have a platform that enables your words to be heard by thousands, if not millions of people, then you have a responsibility to use words that are not causing harm.
What I personally think was meant by this comment “man up” is actually more like “toughen up” or "show some resilience". Being a man does not equate to being tough, nor does being anything other than a man default you to being weak. I am sure many people didn’t even bat an eye at this comment, in fact these phrases of toxic-masculinity are something we hear more often than we probably realize: “grow a pair”, “manpower”, etc. etc. This ingrained misogyny is so nuanced that often people don’t even notice, but that is the problem in itself. We have allowed the patriarchy to hold so much power for so long, but the change needs to start with professional athletes like Klay who have a platform and a voice. Especially in a time where the sports industry is really waking up to issues of gender inequality, I believe that male athletes must recognize their potential to help smash the patriarchy.
So the next time that you are in an interview, Klay, I ask that you are cognizant of the words you choose to help convey toughness and resilience.
Respectfully,
Concerned Citizen
(Vancouver, Canada)
In the post-game interview after game 4 of the NBA finals, Klay Thompson made a remark that may have had harmless intentions, but which had powerful implications. When asked about how his hamstring injury affected his game, Klay’s response was: “you just got to go out there, man up, and play to the best of your ability.” I have been reassured by a few NBA superfans that Klay Thompson is not a misogynist, nor do they believe he meant anything hurtful by this comment. However, when you are in a position of power and have a platform that enables your words to be heard by thousands, if not millions of people, then you have a responsibility to use words that are not causing harm.
What I personally think was meant by this comment “man up” is actually more like “toughen up” or "show some resilience". Being a man does not equate to being tough, nor does being anything other than a man default you to being weak. I am sure many people didn’t even bat an eye at this comment, in fact these phrases of toxic-masculinity are something we hear more often than we probably realize: “grow a pair”, “manpower”, etc. etc. This ingrained misogyny is so nuanced that often people don’t even notice, but that is the problem in itself. We have allowed the patriarchy to hold so much power for so long, but the change needs to start with professional athletes like Klay who have a platform and a voice. Especially in a time where the sports industry is really waking up to issues of gender inequality, I believe that male athletes must recognize their potential to help smash the patriarchy.
So the next time that you are in an interview, Klay, I ask that you are cognizant of the words you choose to help convey toughness and resilience.
Respectfully,
Concerned Citizen
(Vancouver, Canada)
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