Are we setting Oprah up to fail?

Source: Thedailybeast.com

Weeks after Oprah’s rousing speech at the 2018 Golden Globes people are still calling on her to run for president and in light of the recent mass shooting at a school in Florida, there seems to be all the more reason for the renewal of these calls for Oprah Winfrey to pledge her campaign in the 2020 elections.

Winfrey took to the podium, reflecting on the ‘Me Too’ campaign, fuelling the strength shared by women who had shared their experiences and encouraging more to do so:

“And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘Me too’ again.”

Whilst her speech was well received, having been shared and talked about by millions, there were those who called on her to step up to the responsibility of President. Twitter accounts have been created, domains have been purchased and promises have been made – all by fans, not by Oprah.

But are we getting ahead of ourselves, and ignoring Oprah’s message in the process?

Oprah has turned down requests time and time again, explaining that as of now she has no plans to run for office and that it is unlikely she would change her mind in the future. Yet this isn’t enough for people. Her role as the face of black female success ultimately side-lines her own explanations as no one really wants to accept the fact that she may not have wanted this to be the outcome of her speech. Instead they cling to the palatable and inspiring character she possesses, believing that no challenge is too demanding for Oprah.

Source: Thedailybeast.com

Secondly, rather than listening to what Oprah actually expresses, people are hearing policies when, quite frankly, there are none. Self-claimed political experts have been for some time taking guesses at what her polices might be, though she has given no indication of such policies.

Lastly, as Dahlia Lithwick noted in her piece for Slate, people just took Oprah’s speech and made it about what they wanted it to be about – her speech was never about her, it was about inspiring the American youth.

“The dominant theme I heard was about giving voice to invisible people,” wrote Lithwick.

Her speech wasn’t meant to be perceived as a promise to save America, its purpose was to enlighten the youth watching at home to fight for their beliefs and values, to battle any injustices they may face with the conviction that they will definitely be seen and definitely be heard.

Claiming that this speech serves as an indication and proof that Oprah would be the best fit for America’s next President essentially does a disservice to Oprah and voters.

There is no doubt that Oprah Winfrey is an iconic woman, one who has worked her way up regardless of racism, sexism and prejudice but we cannot immediately propel her into the role of a lifetime.

If she decides to run, and gets elected, the smallest error, or inability to step up to ridiculous standards that have already been set for her – Oprah will fall tragically from the pedestal that she has been forced to stand on and she will have been set up to fail.

Whilst there are those that believe Winfrey is the solution to getting more diversity into the world of politics, surely their efforts are better spent on endorsing black women who already have a place in, and passion for, politics. Why not endorse them?

Yes, it is great to see people regarding black women as capable individuals and Oprah Winfrey is an epitome of strength and resilience but she is not the ‘Trump Antidote’ that everyone wishes for.

Thank you for reading!

Aman

Why people are unhappy about the new England Women's manager

Source: football365.com

Phil Neville has been appointed head coach of England Women until the end of the 2021 UEFA Women’s Championships, and many people are not happy about it.

For those of you that are unsure why this move by the Football Association has been deemed ridiculous (after all, he did play for England at one point), Neville has a complete lack of frontline management experience. His so called ‘qualifications’ for this role include brief coaching of Manchester United and Valencia but he has only ever managed one game – at Salford City. Despite this he has no experience in the women’s game.

This has lead to confusion from both the media and fans, which has only heightened at the discovery of tweets made by him in 2011/2012. The mindless tweets range from general sexism to joking about domestic violence: “Relax I’m back chilled – just battered the wife. Feel better now!”

Another one read: “U women always wanted equality until it comes to paying the bills #hypocrites”

But this one really takes the cake, it doesn’t even seem like a joke: “When I said morning men I thought the women would have been busy preparing breakfast/getting kids ready/making the beds – sorry morning women!”

The tweets have been deleted and he has since apologised in a statement released by the FA, explaining that the tweets were “not a true and genuine reflection of either my character or beliefs”. Despite urges for the FA to charge Neville for such comments, no action has been taken.

This has also highlighted the ongoing issue within women’s football – a lack of women in top positions. Currently, there are only three Women’s Super League 1 clubs that are managed by women, a figure many had hoped would have changed by now.

As a result of Neville’s appointment, many have shared the names of qualified people for the job instead; one of those being Mo Marley, a former interim manager of England Women’s, though it has been alleged that she did not want the full time position. 

Additionally, people have spoken of Sarina Wiegman, who, in 2017, led the Netherlands team to victory in the Euro title. Then there is Silvia Neid, who led the Germany team to gold at the Rio Olympics. These are just two of many successful women qualified for the job. Can we really believe that none of them could have been convinced to lead the third best team in the world, behind only the US and Germany.

Many within the Women’s Football network, though they have nothing against Neville, still believe this is an ill move by the FA due to his lack of qualifications and it has been dubbed “an insult to male and female coaches who are more suited to the role”.

Even if it is looked at from a profit perspective, the FA could have surely offered a figure to drawn in someone far more qualified. Having paid Gareth Southgate £1.8 million for the position of the England Men’s manager, surely the FA had room enough to offer more than the £150,000 Mark Sampson was paid, for his role as the previous Women’s manager. Whilst it remains to be revealed how much exactly Neville is getting for his new job, we can definitely say that it is nowhere near Gareth Southgate’s pay.

Inevitably, the lower salary Neville will be given, will invite critics to question why the pay of the Women’s coach  is so significantly lower than that of the Men’s team, especially during a time where gender pay gap issues are at an all-time high.

While it can be said that Neville’s appointment has brought about attention towards the women’s game, the majority of that attention has been focused on undermining the team. By awarding such a senior role to someone with so little, in terms of qualifications and experience, it is implied that expertise is not a necessity for the women’s teams, consequently making it easier for people to dismiss the team or instead argue that the team are not to be taken seriously.

This is yet another hurdle to equality for the women’s team but there is faith that the England Women’s team will be able to prove that a good manager is not the only way to become a winning team. 

Thank you for reading!

Aman