"Blanket sentiments that some men said and did some unpleasant things, that some of the women were likely wronged by their female contemporaries without the specifics of who, doesn’t serve these women, or the audience."
A week or so ago, much noise was made, correctly, about the 1993 world champion Pauline Menczer who was “the victim of maybe world sports’ most brutal and blatant sexism. A world champ who could not raise a dime in sponsorship, who received a trophy that would not make the grade for the second-hand shop at the dump. Lesbian, when that was taboo, lacking the physical accouterments that were classically assumed to stimulate the desire of a presumed male audience and thus moreorless discarded by the companies that largely funded the sport. Bad old days.”
The film Girls Can’t Surf, which has just hit cinemas Australia-wide, “follows the journey of a band of renegade surfers who took on the male-dominated professional surfing world to achieve equality and change the sport forever.”
Pauline, obvs, an important element of film.
Reviews, universally, excellent.
“Astounding.”
“A story as shocking as it is awe-inspiring.”
“The force of their impact maintains a thrilling interest that persists through its subjects’ hardest moments dealing with homophobia, anorexia, and domestic violence. It’s in passages devoted to these elements that the film reaches its emotional peak.”
One reviewer has taken the film to task, however, describing it as “ultimately shallow”.
Writing for news.com.au, a Murdoch-owned online outlet, reviewer Wenlei Ma ain’t so kind.
Girls Can’t Surf frequently hit on issues and events that made a pro surfing career near impossible but then dodges it as fast it can.
Jodie Cooper’s revelation that she was outed as gay against her choice by the women on tour with her and the homophobia that followed was ultimately glossed over, without any reckoning for the individuals responsible. Ditto Pam Burridge’s recounting of her battles with anorexia.
When the documentary touches on the successful attempt to have the female representation on the governing body reduced from two seats to one, there’s no accounting for who on that board voted in favour of the resolution.
It’s also hinted that many of the women didn’t like or support each other at the time and maybe wouldn’t even take a call from them now, but that’s all between the lines.
Maybe there were legal entanglements that prevented director Christopher Nelius from naming names, or maybe the filmmakers were trying to play nice and keep everyone in the surfing community on side.
But blanket sentiments that some men said and did some unpleasant things, that some of the women were likely wronged by their female contemporaries without the specifics of who, doesn’t serve these women, or the audience.
Girls Can’t Surf wants to be celebratory and empowering, and that is fine, but it’s also what makes it ultimately a shallow documentary that feels like the introductory summary of a book with many chapters to follow.
If only it was as fearless as the women riding those monster waves.
All relevant observations, I would suggest.
Or no?
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It did happen, and there was a letter to the editor a few issues later where a gay surfer wrote in upset about it. Said he’d met Barton at a comp and he’s been ‘really cool’, only to put ‘homosexuals’ as his ‘dislikes’. Would be somewhere between about 1987 and 1990. Surfer mag.
Surfer used to run these mini interviews (presumably filled out by a pro at a comp) with lists of likes and dislikes. A different surfer would be in each issue. Tony Ray had some controversial things to say about incest for example.
Having said all that, Barton wouldn’t be the only one in the gun (A few Tracks editors would be shitting bricks) and stringing up someone for comments made 30 years ago is petty.
I wonder if you’re proud of your every utterance
His dad was a cop
People can change you know
Signed just to like this blazer. Goddam right its your mutherfuckin civic duty as an American to make those statements.
sauce?
But who is going to make the sandwiches? I am confused …
I’m waiting for the inevitable sequel.
Gay male pro surfer pre 2010?
His not woke IMO.
Like so many others his just trying not to go broke.
He’d take money of a tranine for hands on bum surfing lessons these days if it means $60 cash and not having to pay tax
I think that’s terrible.
I mean who the fuck is he too say anything about anyone’s sexuality?
The wozzle needs to look at who they are employing .
He should be allowed either to apologise for his backward arse younger view and move forward.
To just pretend he never said it is shit
Brad gerlach had a ripper: “I’d like to eat spaghetti bolognese off ellie macphersons tummy. Then I’d apply the sausage”
Richie Collins talked about jerking off when his girlfriend came over because the bible wouldn’t allow him to fuck before he was married, and he also wanted to give criminals the electric chair.
Barton once put homosexuals in his “dislikes” on his Surfer mag interview. I must dredge up that issue and scan it.
A lovely satire of surf, much like the Barracudas. V good.
Brazzo guys are the go
But they’ll never be faithful, nor will the women.
Interesting that all the OG’s from the 80’s suffered at the hands of ‘big surf’ and let’s face it, general attitudes where women’s sport was ignored, impeded etc, quite standard back then. Juxtaposed with now and Tyler (along with many pro women athletes, women’s sport ball codes especially) being afforded the ability to explore deeper issues of the human condition via being an elite athlete. This means having a huge and quite mainstream platform. I don’t really know what any of that means, but it does indicate progress right?
If there’s not a head on a plate what’s the point?
See? Very clever man.
“like the introductory summary of a book with many chapters to follow.”
perhaps that is what the film will do. stir the pot enough to inspire others to a deeper look and try to answer some of the questions it raises.
quit whining and start digging
For sure I agree it only applies to the small stuff.
Giving cash to someone that is kind of down and out is usually a bad idea.
better to put it into some type of trust or investment, where they can’t touch the principal, where they legally can only use the income from it, –or even better– stipulated as a down payment for a inexpensive condo, where she could rent out a room or two to help make the payments and she could have a roof over her head for life.
Where’s this down and out narrative coming from?
Ok, maybe I’ll have to read it again.
she makes 20k a year and lives in the byron shire. she down n out.
Not getting many shifts behind the wheel then, most bussies on sixty-plus.
school run
She’s currently working as a bus driver. She made it clear beforehand that after something like $25,000, she would give the remainder of the donated money to another person who has rheumatoid arthritis, the same condition she has.
I suspect the sour review was due to being knocked back on a flirtatious attempt on the opening night.