A League Of Their Own, Directed By Penny Marshall
Throughout history women have been in constant battle for equal rights and have worked tirelessly to secure the rights for women that we are so grateful to experience today. A big stepping stone for women to show the amount of qualities, work ethic, and independence was brought forward during World War II due to the fact that a lot of the men during this time period were sent into combat and while they were away doing so the women were expected to fill many of these traditionally male jobs and roles. This ties in with what I will be discussing of the historical concepts of gender discrimination with social normalcies and femininity to sports involving women and the correlation of the movie A League of Their Own directed by Penny Marshall. The
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film A League of Their Own is a fictional comedic based film that highlights many key aspects in history and the challenges women faced during the World War II era, this film came out in 1992 with an outstanding cast such as Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, and Rosie O’Donnell to name a few. The movie takes place in 1943, where the men are fleeing into combat and the women were left behind to take care of business and take on the jobs and roles traditionally played by men. With this being said since baseball teams did not want the sport to lose peoples interest indefinitely, they decided to send scouts all over the country to find women players in order to form women’s teams and the first All American Girl’s Professional Baseball League. This is where money hungry agent Ernie Capadino is sent out and discovered the dynamic duo sisters Dottie and Kit Hinson. They are later sent out to Chicago to try out for the team along with other potential prospects which is coached by famous baseball player Jimmy Dugan who is now a washed up alcoholic trying to teach these women the fundamentals of baseball and in hopes to flourish the league and sweep the country by surprise.
In order to understand the difference made between men and women in baseball it is important to know some background information on Baseball, it was played as early as 1734 and with its constant approval rating amongst the world the growth and competition caused a need for improvements and changes such as formal rules, the establishment of the National Association of Professional Players which was formed in 1871, following the establishment of the inaugural season in 1876. Advocates argued that baseball served as a development of character through exercise of discipline, self-control, teamwork and was a valuable educational tool (Lemez, 2017). However, these aspects seemed to not apply the same for women in this sport. In the movie, women were only allowed to play baseball as a form of entertainment rather than competition as applied for the men. This being because the men were off at war, this shows that these women were merely social means of entertainment to a sport that was on its last limbs of survival. This falls under the theme of gender discrimination and social normalcies in sports, according to our lecture in chapter 12: The Rise of Organized Sports in the 19th Century America, overtime sports were seen as a “man builder” and “manliness was considered a necessary characteristic in the “modern’ world (Lemez, 2017). The physicality associated with sports was sought as a counter balance due to the influence of women in the lives of young men, for what they believed if young men have this opportunity to play these aggressive and “manly” sports it will make up for whatever femininity is being taught to them by their female influences (Lemez, 2017). In the movie, there were many scenes that exemplified these social norms that women cannot play sports for example, before their first game male fans would scream at the female players’ comments like, “Lift up your skirt”, “Glamourpus can you throw the ball?”, “Girls can’t play ball” and simply laugh in mockery of the idea. This displays the gender discrimination and social norm that women cannot perform the same as a man.
To continue, femininity played as a major theme as well. When the women were in training commercials were shot to ensure to society that even though these women were in replacement of the men temporarily it displayed that they were still “feminine” and would not affect the fact that they are still young, pretty women and that baseball is a still a “man’s sport”. To guarantee the safety of femininity being instilled in these women even though they are considered playing a “manly” sport the women had to play and wear short dresses as a uniform, were unable to smoke, drink, hangout with men, and were required to attend charm and beauty school. If they did not fulfill any of these things they would be unable to play. This ties in with the historical concept of the development of sport in the 19th century and what the expectations of women were in sports. The question was what were women in sports if men had the authority? The answer was if sports builds men, then women who play sports must be manly (Lemez, 2017). Although society expected women to play their roles when the men left it brought up opportunity for women and even though the odds were against them in playing the sport as natural as possible by adding sexualized uniforms, beauty school, and advertisements to share across the country that women are indeed still women, it was still not enough. For example, in the movie when the coach Jimmy Dugan was yelling and criticizing one of his players off a mistake she made she began to cry, and he then says his famous line, “There is no crying in baseball!” this portrays the audience to interpret that women have more sensitivity than men. Not only this but it also correlates back to the historical concept of Victorian attitudes which was the imposition on types of activity and dress, therefore, not allowing freedom of movement necessary to do calisthenics and exercises as intended (Lemez, 2017). The reason this correlates as well is because women had no choice in the matter just as these women had no choice in uniform along with decided restricted behaviors.
Lastly, another historical theme that relates to the film is play versus games.
According to lecture, the definition of play is to voluntarily participate in activity that is considered not “serious” as opposed to games where it is considered an element of competition and always involves a challenge to win (Lemez, 2017). In sports you can assume that it requires both play and game as without one you cannot successfully perform the other. For example, play is a demonstration of skill such as scrimmages, and practices whereas, games display institutional structure and making use of what was performed or practiced in play and executing it in games. How play versus games correlates with the movie A League of Their Own is how the girls started off their baseball careers in the league as if they were there to “play” even though in the players eyes the motive was to do something they enjoyed and see it as an institutionalized structure of a game. However, in the eyes of everyone outside the teams it was seen as nothing more of a joke and volunteers to “play” and pass the time until the men returned. It wasn’t until later on in the movie where fan base started to pick up as they realized these women weren’t the “feminine” housewives they all thought to be yet they were the “feminine” baseball players playing the “game” the way it was designed to play, from sliding, fielding, hitting, to diving for the baseball and all, this brought in a lot of attention for the league. Ultimately, the goal was reached and the women players took the country by a storm and successfully gave a name to women in
sports.
Personally, I believe the accuracy of the theme mentioned such as gender discrimination with social normalcies and femininity is heavily portrayed in this film. There have been clear examples in comparison of the film and historical concepts. Throughout the movie it shows the constant battle women faced when having to step in to perform these jobs and roles not only at home or work but in the athletics spectrum. Although, it was a challenging women across the world have worked tirelessly to move forward from these historical concepts and learn from it in order to give women in sports and physical activity the same name and recognition as men in sports. Without these pioneers, historical concepts and its correspondence with the movie they would not be brought to attention nor recognized so I feel ultimately the film did an accurate job in displaying these concepts in all perspectives.
film A League of Their Own is a fictional comedic based film that highlights many key aspects in history and the challenges women faced during the World War II era, this film came out in 1992 with an outstanding cast such as Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, and Rosie O’Donnell to name a few. The movie takes place in 1943, where the men are fleeing into combat and the women were left behind to take care of business and take on the jobs and roles traditionally played by men. With this being said since baseball teams did not want the sport to lose peoples interest indefinitely, they decided to send scouts all over the country to find women players in order to form women’s teams and the first All American Girl’s Professional Baseball League. This is where money hungry agent Ernie Capadino is sent out and discovered the dynamic duo sisters Dottie and Kit Hinson. They are later sent out to Chicago to try out for the team along with other potential prospects which is coached by famous baseball player Jimmy Dugan who is now a washed up alcoholic trying to teach these women the fundamentals of baseball and in hopes to flourish the league and sweep the country by surprise.
In order to understand the difference made between men and women in baseball it is important to know some background information on Baseball, it was played as early as 1734 and with its constant approval rating amongst the world the growth and competition caused a need for improvements and changes such as formal rules, the establishment of the National Association of Professional Players which was formed in 1871, following the establishment of the inaugural season in 1876. Advocates argued that baseball served as a development of character through exercise of discipline, self-control, teamwork and was a valuable educational tool (Lemez, 2017). However, these aspects seemed to not apply the same for women in this sport. In the movie, women were only allowed to play baseball as a form of entertainment rather than competition as applied for the men. This being because the men were off at war, this shows that these women were merely social means of entertainment to a sport that was on its last limbs of survival. This falls under the theme of gender discrimination and social normalcies in sports, according to our lecture in chapter 12: The Rise of Organized Sports in the 19th Century America, overtime sports were seen as a “man builder” and “manliness was considered a necessary characteristic in the “modern’ world (Lemez, 2017). The physicality associated with sports was sought as a counter balance due to the influence of women in the lives of young men, for what they believed if young men have this opportunity to play these aggressive and “manly” sports it will make up for whatever femininity is being taught to them by their female influences (Lemez, 2017). In the movie, there were many scenes that exemplified these social norms that women cannot play sports for example, before their first game male fans would scream at the female players’ comments like, “Lift up your skirt”, “Glamourpus can you throw the ball?”, “Girls can’t play ball” and simply laugh in mockery of the idea. This displays the gender discrimination and social norm that women cannot perform the same as a man.
To continue, femininity played as a major theme as well. When the women were in training commercials were shot to ensure to society that even though these women were in replacement of the men temporarily it displayed that they were still “feminine” and would not affect the fact that they are still young, pretty women and that baseball is a still a “man’s sport”. To guarantee the safety of femininity being instilled in these women even though they are considered playing a “manly” sport the women had to play and wear short dresses as a uniform, were unable to smoke, drink, hangout with men, and were required to attend charm and beauty school. If they did not fulfill any of these things they would be unable to play. This ties in with the historical concept of the development of sport in the 19th century and what the expectations of women were in sports. The question was what were women in sports if men had the authority? The answer was if sports builds men, then women who play sports must be manly (Lemez, 2017). Although society expected women to play their roles when the men left it brought up opportunity for women and even though the odds were against them in playing the sport as natural as possible by adding sexualized uniforms, beauty school, and advertisements to share across the country that women are indeed still women, it was still not enough. For example, in the movie when the coach Jimmy Dugan was yelling and criticizing one of his players off a mistake she made she began to cry, and he then says his famous line, “There is no crying in baseball!” this portrays the audience to interpret that women have more sensitivity than men. Not only this but it also correlates back to the historical concept of Victorian attitudes which was the imposition on types of activity and dress, therefore, not allowing freedom of movement necessary to do calisthenics and exercises as intended (Lemez, 2017). The reason this correlates as well is because women had no choice in the matter just as these women had no choice in uniform along with decided restricted behaviors.
Lastly, another historical theme that relates to the film is play versus games.
According to lecture, the definition of play is to voluntarily participate in activity that is considered not “serious” as opposed to games where it is considered an element of competition and always involves a challenge to win (Lemez, 2017). In sports you can assume that it requires both play and game as without one you cannot successfully perform the other. For example, play is a demonstration of skill such as scrimmages, and practices whereas, games display institutional structure and making use of what was performed or practiced in play and executing it in games. How play versus games correlates with the movie A League of Their Own is how the girls started off their baseball careers in the league as if they were there to “play” even though in the players eyes the motive was to do something they enjoyed and see it as an institutionalized structure of a game. However, in the eyes of everyone outside the teams it was seen as nothing more of a joke and volunteers to “play” and pass the time until the men returned. It wasn’t until later on in the movie where fan base started to pick up as they realized these women weren’t the “feminine” housewives they all thought to be yet they were the “feminine” baseball players playing the “game” the way it was designed to play, from sliding, fielding, hitting, to diving for the baseball and all, this brought in a lot of attention for the league. Ultimately, the goal was reached and the women players took the country by a storm and successfully gave a name to women in
sports.
Personally, I believe the accuracy of the theme mentioned such as gender discrimination with social normalcies and femininity is heavily portrayed in this film. There have been clear examples in comparison of the film and historical concepts. Throughout the movie it shows the constant battle women faced when having to step in to perform these jobs and roles not only at home or work but in the athletics spectrum. Although, it was a challenging women across the world have worked tirelessly to move forward from these historical concepts and learn from it in order to give women in sports and physical activity the same name and recognition as men in sports. Without these pioneers, historical concepts and its correspondence with the movie they would not be brought to attention nor recognized so I feel ultimately the film did an accurate job in displaying these concepts in all perspectives.