# The TV trope of girls beating boys in sports **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326 "2018-10-02T17:53:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2018, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326/101 "2018-10-09T22:22:38Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Yes, fine. I should have left it out, as it’s a distraction. Or at the least, clarified. I thought it was clear that my snark had to do with the “ever so slightly” aspect (Disney trying to have their cake and eat it too). > > As for why I mentioned it: it’s part of the reflexive PCness of the whole thing: making the winner a spunky female POC and the loser, who is made to look foolish, a not-at-all-slightly white male who seems to have a very bland personality. But your second paragraph is precisely the problem I was talking about. That isn’t the colorism issue you brought up, which is a legitimate topic. It boils down to an objection that the white guy was beaten by the woman of color. And it’s just an immediate reaction, without knowing anything about the characters. You just reflexively recoil and assume nefarious “PC” reasons. I may not have been able to find the full scene, but I did find descriptions. TJ is being just as spunky back to Buffy. This makes sense, given they are both competitive sporty types. If TJ seems to be pulling back, it’s only because he’d been so mean to Buffy before, and is in part trying to make amends. It’s not that it’s a distraction so much as it undermines your other arguments by turning it into yet another debate on whether political correctness is harming our youth. Because that would be the one thing both that and the stated subject of the OP have in common. The idea that having only diverse character who pass as white could be a problem is, on the other hand, a pretty interesting question. You can ask whether it’s intentional, if they are trying to be diverse while also trying not to piss of people who would complain about being PC. You can ask whether it plays into colorism: the idea that darker skinned people are lesser, whether in beauty or skill. The question about female empowerment fantasy was also a decent question on its own, albeit one with a pretty clear answer: No, it’s not bad. But the issue of PCness? No. You’re the only one being reflexive. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326/102 "2018-10-10T07:29:25Z")
> [@Mrs\_McGinty](#): > > It’s not that the trope encourages girls to believe they can achieve more than is possible; its that it tells them that, unless they are truly exceptional, there’s no point even trying to compete with the boys. in terms of athletics, no, there is no point even trying to compete, correct. Why is that basic truth a bad message? The “guy version” would be a weekend warrior who starts to get a big head so he challenges a professional, who then wipes the floor with him. The difference for girls is they don’t need to find a professional to get humbled; the typical jock guy at the high school or frat house would suffice. ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326/103 "2018-10-10T19:34:35Z")
Someone had asked about TV Tropes. The closest fit is [PassionateSportsGirl](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PassionateSportsGirl), which doesn’t necessarily mean girls vs boys, but can be if the boy is another trope: Jerk Jock. There is a another trope called “You Go, Girl!”, but that trope is for any activity (video games, etc.) where a girl or woman competes and succeeds in a male-dominated field. Sports manga and anime, along with their TV and movie adaptations, have a long tradition in Japan and are much more prevalent than in the U.S. No matter the sex of the protagonist, there is a big use of the tiny hero overcoming a hulking brute. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326/104 "2018-10-11T02:09:43Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > One sport in which gender makes no difference is shooting. I’m not sure that “no difference” would be easy to support. The male-female gap seems notably small in rifle events - not so in pistol. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326/105 "2018-10-11T05:08:35Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > I’m not sure that “no difference” would be easy to support. The male-female gap seems notably small in rifle events - not so in pistol. Isn’t it likely though that there is a far larger talent pool for male shooters? If I’m right, we would still expect men to outcompete women in Olympic events on average, even if innate capacity for talent in shooting is equal. (This of course goes the other way: if, as I believe likely, the best male volleyball players would beat the best female players, it’s a testament to innate limitations since it’s far more common for girls to grow up playing the game competitively.) > [@bmoak](#): > > Someone had asked about TV Tropes. The closest fit is [PassionateSportsGirl](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PassionateSportsGirl), which doesn’t necessarily mean girls vs boys, but can be if the boy is another trope: Jerk Jock. There is a another trope called “You Go, Girl!”, but that trope is for any activity (video games, etc.) where a girl or woman competes and succeeds in a male-dominated field. > > Sports manga and anime, along with their TV and movie adaptations, have a long tradition in Japan and are much more prevalent than in the U.S. No matter the sex of the protagonist, there is a big use of the tiny hero overcoming a hulking brute. Interesting, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326/106 "2018-10-11T05:36:55Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > But you ask what I’d rather have. How about a positive story of a girl enjoying basketball against other girls, and leave it at that? The manga _Farewell My Dear Cramer_ takes a different tack. The lead character is a talented soccer player, who has just entered high school. Girls soccer isn’t taking seriously in Japan and basically has no fan base. It’s difficult for the coeds to even get time on the field. The lead character wants to change all that: she wants to raise the bar on girls soccer, prove to Japan that it’s a legit sport by hook or crook. I don’t think the characters are under any illusions though. Rave: [https://twitter.com/leeehama/status/1000993775131418625?lang=en](https://twitter.com/leeehama/status/1000993775131418625?lang=en) Negative review: [Farewell, My Dear Cramer Chapters 1-10 Manga Review - TheOASG](https://www.theoasg.com/reviews/manga/farewell-my-dear-cramer-chapters-1-10-review/8139) To be honest I can’t exactly recommend the manga. But it has its moments. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326/107 "2018-10-11T05:59:49Z")
The art looks cool. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2018, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326/108 "2018-10-13T12:42:22Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Isn’t it likely though that there is a far larger talent pool for male shooters? Very likely. But then the small male-female gap in rifle events doesn’t fit. > [@](#): > > … if, as I believe likely, the best male volleyball players would beat the best female players … I’d call it certain, as would be the case in any sport where speed, strength & jumping ability are important. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2018, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326/109 "2018-10-13T12:52:31Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > They are, but it is in the NHRA. And they win!.. > > it’s all head-to-head, full on equality. Good. ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326/110 "2018-10-18T21:35:16Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Okay, I could point out that Cheryl Miller is 6’2” and a WNBA Hall of Fame basketball player… Nitpick: Cheryl Miller never played in the WNBA. In fact, when the league started in 1997, Miller was a head coach of one of the teams. ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326/111 "2018-10-18T21:38:17Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > … Maybe some individual female basketball player can beat the average man at basketball. Beating the best male basketball player in that same population? Probably not. Not even if you were a student at Collins Hill High School, circa 2006? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-trope-of-girls-beating-boys-in-sports/822326.md?page=5)