The Women We Love to Hate
Rebecca Dana
Rebecca Dana is a senior correspondent for The Daily Beast. A former editor and reporter for The Wall Street Journal, she has also written for The New York Times, The New York Observer, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and Slate, among other publications.
The Article:
In light of the recent uproar about Patriots quarterback Terry Bradshaw’s girlfriend, Gisele’s, cursing fit after the super bowl. Rising as the villain of the incident, she made her husband a laughing stock when she told her friends to “pray for Tommy” then continued to embarrass with her unprecedented tirade. Fans are furious, but the article illuminates this trend that occurs in professional athletics where the wives of famous athletes, nicknamed WAGS in England, often serve as the “convenient lightning rod” after their spouses take a loss. Clearly sympathetic to Gisele, the author’s purpose was to give crazed fans and everyone that reads Newsweek the other side of the story, and open their minds to how ridiculous they sound.
The tone was satirical and used hyperbole and irony to make fun not of the targeted spouses but rather of the intense culture of the sports fans and their idols. Her descriptions and adjectives were over-the-top such as her description of Gisele as the “Brazilian stunner, worth an estimated $150 million”. She contrasts the tabloids and the fan comically, comparing actions like “gallivanting around-dancing in Rio, mugging in Fashion Week” with the “burly gladiator culture” which has been interrupted. In case die hard fans disagree with her feminist view, she offers 4 other examples to prove the trend: Jessica Simpon and Tony Romo, David and Victoria Beckham, and more. She also satirizes the WAG stereotype, describing their presence with “there is much smacking of gum and waving of acrylic nails”. She offers refutations, but they are few and far between. They she backs her warrant with professional opinions that say “strong woman are attracted to these men” and they are only doing their part to help.
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