We don’t like cricket - oh no?
So I was watching Sky Sports’ coverage of the cricket Test match between England and South Africa on Monday, and they had an interview with Piers Morgan at tea-time. They asked him why he liked cricket so much, and he replied that it was because of the complicated rules, which ensured that no casual fan could just wander along and become part of the cricketing community.
“If you try to explain the rules to Americans or women, they just look completely confused,” he said.
Right. Americans and women simply cannot understand the complexity of cricket. It is beyond the comprehension of their tiny little minds. Americans should stick to eating cheeseburgers, and women should stick to sewing and kittens, right, Piers?
Posted by Carrie Dunn on 16 July 2008, at 11:21 PM | Comments (14)
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Amity said:
Ha! Piers would probably just pat me on the head and make grunting noises if he met me then -- as an American woman I surely wouldn't understand the spoken word nor anything of his complex British male dialogue.
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 7:53 AM
Ruth Moss said:
What an idiot!
(I adore cricket - and yes - I understand the rules!)
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 7:59 AM
Althea said:
You are absolutely right - I get this when I have a conversation with pretty much anyone about sport - men and women. I must like men's football because I think the players are good looking, which I don't, I, er, just like watching football? And the same with cricket - how can I possibly understand it, it's so complicated?! Just another example of men wanting to keep something to themselves, and finding yet more misogynist ways of excluding women from it.
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 8:27 AM
Sian said:
I completely confirm to Pier's stereotypical perceptions when it comes to sport (kind of guilty about it, but what can I do?!) but what a nasty ignorant thing to say-can't say I'm surprised from him though.
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 9:48 AM
Harriet said:
I have to say I'm in the same boat as Sian when it comes to not understanding (or giving two hoots about) sport, but I definitely don't feel guilty about it. Sport is, in my opinion, just as vacuous as, say, fashion programmes or soaps. At the end of the day it’s just a bunch of people trying to do something pointless with a ball. But it’s entertainment and that’s fine. What annoys me about it is that somehow, while the vacuous entertainment associated with men (sport) is thought highly of and everyone thinks women are too ‘stupid’ to understand it, somehow that associated with women (fashion) is ridiculed and ‘manly’ men can’t understand it because it is ‘stupid’. So this makes me cross. But, somehow, it doesn’t surprise me.
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 10:14 AM
Jo Jo said:
How I hate that man. Dominant sporting discourses attempt to valourise men's position in sports by labelling women as incompetent or lacking knowledge - let alone how essentialist this is about ALL women or ALL Americans!
Here's the England Women's Cricket team, look they beat the West Indies recently, yay for them:
http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/womens/international/england-west-indies,301198,EN.html
And a USA cricket association!
http://www.usaca.org/
Unfortunately I can't find a US women's cricket association.
So does Piers think none of these people know how to play cricket? I wonder if someone tried to teach him the rules of American Football whether his head would explode...?!
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 10:18 AM
Carrie said:
I think it's even more disturbing that this Piers Morgan interview was a prepared VT - the producers had the chance to cut out his more moronic comments but chose not to.
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 10:21 AM
Michelle said:
Oh no, so as an American woman I should be doubly stupified instead of enjoying the game as much and as seriously I do?
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 10:48 AM
Alicia said:
He should meet my mother in law. She's pretty hot on sewing, kittens AND cricket (and rugby). My aunt - who teaches weaving and handicrafts - coached a boys' cricket team for a number of years. It's not that women can't understand cricket. It is the thought of having anything explained to me by Piers Morgan that makes my eyes glaze over.
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 11:42 AM
Laurel Dearing said:
ok so the horrible statement at americans is because they come from a different country where it isnt really played. ridiculous statement that they couldnt learn it but Oooook. and the reason women couldnt is what exactly? because we ARENT allowed to play it in school? well imagine that!
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 1:26 PM
Lucy said:
I'm a woman and I understand cricket - it'd be hard not to after spending most Sundays during my childhood watching my dad play. It's really not that complicated.
Private Eye's nickname for Piers Morgan - Piers Moron - has never been more appropriate.
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 2:32 PM
badabing said:
Are we allowed to swear? because nothing but filthy insults are coming to my mind right now. (gosh what an unlady like thing to think)
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 6:25 PM
ConservaTorygirl said:
Piers probably just gets confused whenever Americans and women try to talk to him about things like baking, child development, knitting and sewing.
He's just trying to be even handed.
Posted on 17 July 2008 at 9:16 PM
Kate said:
Haha, oh yes. As an American woman I should be offended but my mom is making hamburgers for dinner as I type... By the way, Piers Morgan, no one cares about you and your stupid cricket and your elitist, boorish comments only isolate 1/2 the planet in addition to the 350 million people in the U.S. Fuck off.
Posted on 20 July 2008 at 10:13 PM