Norway's Women's Soccer Team Just Obliterated Sexist Stereotypes in Sports

The Norwegian women's soccer team may have lost in spectacular fashion to England on Monday. But the team's contribution to this year's FIFA Women's World Cup will go on, in the form of this hilarious attack on sexism in sport, above.

In a four-minute mockumentary aired on Norwegian television in the lead-up to the team's match against England, the players make fun of sexist stereotypes in women's soccer. "We're shit, we suck. Plain and simple," admits captain Trine Ronning. In emails to FIFA, the players offer suggestions for making the women's game less boring. For instance, they could play on smaller fields or use a smaller, lighter ball. Or FIFA could allow goalkeepers to swat incoming goals away with collapsible light reflectors.

Oh, and what was (potentially) outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter's comical response to the suggestions, according to the segment? "HAHAHA these suggestions made my day. LOL."

h/t The Guardian

http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2015/06/norway-womens-soccer-sport-sexism-video

Norway play up to stereotype in retort to critics of Women’s World Cup

England’s opponents release sarcastic video admitting criticism is ‘all true’ ‘We’re shit. We suck, plain and simple,’ says captain Trine Ronning

Norway have offered a refreshing antidote to the often joyless buildup to a World Cup knockout match against England by releasing a sarcastic video in which players admit that prejudicial views about women’s football are “all true”.

The four-minute long mockumentary features a series of interviews with Norwayplayers in which offensive stereotypes about women’s football, including the supposed inability of women to kick a ball over a wall, dreadful goalkeeping, poor control and prejudicial views about homosexuality are all sent up in admirable fashion in a number of straight-faced interviews.

The captain, Trine Ronning, says: “We’re shit, we suck. Plain and simple.” While the midfielder Cathrine Dekkerhus, who didn’t make the squad, plays up to the stereotype about women footballers and lesbianism by saying she recently had to move clubs because “all my team-mates fell in love with me … lesbians everywhere. It’s teeming with them.”

The goalkeeper Ingrid Hjelmseth deadpans that goal-kicks give her “nightmares” because she just can’t get the ball in the air, while the offside rule is wrestled with for the duration of the film by the forward Emilie Haavi.

They’re not the only Norwegians having fun in the buildup to the last-16 tie with England. In a nod to the famous 1981 commentary on Norwegian radio when England were beaten 2-1 by Norway, VG Sporten’s front page asked Mark Sampson’s side: “Are you girls ready for a hell of a beating?”