NASSER HUSSAIN'S BIG CONK IS FAIR GAME.

When John Inverdale made a rather uncalled for remark about tennis player Marion Bartoli, people were up in arms. The feminists complained about Inverdale's sexism and a Government minister has asked the BBC to explain itself. Inverdale has been obliged to make a cowering apology and will, no doubt, next appear presenting something with an audience in the tens rather than the tens of millions.

 

Today, while watching coverage of the second Ashes test match, I was rather taken aback when Ian Botham made an entirely and very personal comment about Nasser Hussain's 'huge conk', referring to his nose, and also made a remark about his receding hairline. Botham followed this up with a further remark aimed at former England captain, Michael Vaughan. During the same period of coverage I also noticed, not for the first time, that the camera regularly pans around the ground seeking out people whose appearance may be different from the usual. Some of those focused upon are clearly desirous of such attention but others seem to be selected more for the amusement of the commentators and viewers. People, almost always men, with unusual attire or unusual appearance, rather than those with deliberately silly costumes, seem to be the butt of the commentators jokes and sometimes rather offensive remarks. No one seems to care or even think there is anything wrong with this.

 

In wondering why there seems to be a different attitude between these 2 situations, the answer appears obvious. Marion Bartoli is a woman and it's forbidden to make personal remarks about women; this is sexist, chauvinist and probably a dozen other adjectives favoured by the vociferous feminist and equality brigades. Nasser Hussain and the group who are targeted at cricket matches are male; they deserve whatever they get because they've been so nasty to women for so long. They also have no one to protect them in the way that women have.

 

Bartoli isn't a 'looker' and Hussain does have a big conk; both statements are true but only one is considered unsayable. That this is hypocrisy is obvious, as is the fact that it's time the men fought back, stopped being expected to bite their tongues and stopped apologising for being men.