You're not a genius. You're not always right. Being insulting doesn't do anything to make your point.

[emoji106]

Now, you see, I can accept that you may be right there (I don't know enough about darts to say if they're trying to attract younger players and a younger fan base - so I'll accept that as true if people interested in the sport are saying that's the case).

The overall point doesn't change though. If they need to use "you'll get to walk on with the sexy ladies!" to advertise draw a younger demographic to the sport, instead of just the merits of the game itself, then that's gross gutter-capitalism. It's straight out of some smokey 80's ad exec room. "If the product doesn't stand on its own two feet, it can stand on these boobies!"

And the sad thing is, the other thing I've learned from some of the more level-headed posts on this thread if they're correct.. Is that it isn't even needed. The sport has been drawing a new audience just fine without this. Totally unnecessary, probably the brainchild of a few old farts near the top and no one had the gumption to stand up to their completely outdated "great idea". If anything, if they're trying to further legitimise darts as a serious sport for serious young sports people, this does the exact opposite. Fires it right back into the realm of beer bellies and slippy pub floors. The impression that people have not been happy at all that I, as a non fan, have of the sport. It's doing nowt to improve the image.

All that said - one thing your post doesn't explain if you're right - is why it's only being done for the seniors game. Is that the one that's going to draw in the young lads?

No one is always right, and I agree on the second point too, I'd obviously not do it to the extent I do here anywhere but on this sort of forum, but in my defense, that's because of countless years of experience that very few people on this forum have any interest whatsoever in the point being made. So it's not to make a point. In this case, it's simply to express my very real disgust at a certain objectifying mindset. I'm not trying to change opinions on here, most days I've no particular time for battering my head against a brick wall.

If you want some real irony - I'm actually passingly decent at throwing a few darts and my older sister's been in a mixed pub league since she was 20 (so over 20 years) :joker:

They don't have walk on girls though :hee:

Yeah, see that's my issue with it. It must feel a bit **** for your sister to be trying to be taken seriously as a female player while watching the only women on "the big stage" being paraded around the men like decorations

What do you mean, the only women on the big stage.?

I could name about 5 top flight female darts players who can mix it with the men, and have done for about 5 years now.

That's still very few tbf Parm. I just don't like it in general in sports when women are already mocked and looked down on.. Again, not specifically with Darts, just generally

Thats not true though, womens darts is very popular and they are televised and women have been playing with men for years now Fallon Sherrock is probably the stand out but there are more up and coming

It's popular ish. I stand by my point that walk on girls do female players a dis service in being taken seriously, as do ring girls in UFC. Agree with me or disagree, your choice but I firmly believe that to be true regardless :shrug:

I agree. But I don't think every man who likes to see the walk on girls is a perverted, beer-swilling wife beater as has been suggested on this thread.

But you could say the same for cheerleaders or dancers for a artist, each to their own, if they are happy doing it, I dont think people look at these women and compare them to women in sport at least I dont, they are separate entities

Even without the walk on girls there are still pom pom girls on the stage dancing as the darts players walk on these are trained dancers who are being paid to do what they love I guess

add white to that....:laugh: gammon only refers to white men we all know that

I'm not even going down that road, for me it's definitely about sports and how it really doesn't help female sports in general. It just gives more leverage to those with the opinion that women in sport don't belong unless they're there for men's amusement

Oh yes... Gammon. One of the permitted racist slurs.

Geez, just have a read off comments on YouTube or Twitter to see that isn't true.

Cheerleaders are dancers and pretty athletic and also have men on their squads a lot of times. So at least they're doing more than just lookimg nice.

If you think female athletes are demeaned or looked down on because other women choose to do something else with their lives, then it’s you who has that view of female athletes, you can guarantee the vast majority of people who see a walk on girl, aren’t thinking that the women players should be doing that instead

I do agree... But I think it might be an overreaction to say it cheapens women in sport. A womens rugby team was recently required to be photographed in lingerie to raise some money for the club. I thought that was far more sexist than getting someone whose only legally chargeable skill is walking in front of some darts players.

No I certainly don't have that view of female athletes.

Oh yeah I saw that. Awful

Irritating to see a gay man telling women what they should be thinking. Especially in view of your support of trans women's rights.

You’re literally saying it cheapens women and demeans the female athletes, so yes, you do have that view, I don’t, do I think there needs to be ring girls? No, do I think their presence lessens the legitimacy of female athletes or puts a bad image on them? Again, no, but you seem to and that’s not very girl power of you

No one mentioned wife beating in relation to this thread at all until Cherie brought up "match day" domestic violence, which I'd mentioned in another thread, weeks ago, and is a very real and well understood issue that every domestic violence service and police force in the country is well aware of. I have no idea why people are so keen to dismiss it as untrue. It just is, factually, real. Clearly it caught in Cherie's throat at the time and it was brought up here weeks later in a totally different context, you'd have to ask her for the reason for that.

Men enjoying ogling women half their age is gross, organisations exploiting the fact that they do for advertising/profit is 10x more gross. I'm not going to change my opinion on either of those things. And they do play into a general public mindset that is ultimately damaging. There's ample evidence that it isn't "harmless".

Slightly baity because it'll take the whole thing right off topic but you're simply wrong. Gammon is a term that makes people uncomfortable and that's why I use it when I use it. I'm well aware that the issue is male objectification if women, not "teh white men", for example there's a massive problem with males in Muslim communities and their attitudes towards women and girls, and the way they view western women and girls (extreme objectification and dehumanisation plays heavily into the issue of grooming gangs, for example). I've said all of this, clearly and openly, in threads on those topics but you fairly consistently ignore those posts and misrepresented me as "only having an issue with white men" so this isn't unusual Cherie. As you were.

I'm only going to take one final swipe at this because again, brick wall, Liam simply doesn't understand the distinction -- this (none of this) has anything at all to do with the choices being made by women.

I dont read comments people love to be nasty on social media just because they can, after seeing what can happen to women i.e Afghanistan I more than welcome women being able to do whatever they want given it is with their own free will, fashion models are only hired if the look nice and that goes for both men and women, you wont see too many adverts with people with facial disfigurements unless it is to raise awareness or something, personally I think the walk on girls are being brought back to promote betting rather than anything else

Well, you're not female Liam so you wouldn't really understand what women have to deal with on an ongoing basis from men. You really think you telling me I'm not for "girl power " is some sort of goal for you? [emoji38] um OK I guess, boo for me

Why do you have so many issues with sports with working class roots, you do not follow sport so jog on maybe?