When I was little, the Winter Olympics meant getting to stay up late so I could watch the breathtaking ice-skaters in their sparkly costumes. Now, I spend most of my time fan- girling over Shaun White’s hot new haircut.  Though my prospects have changed, I still hold a deep reverence for the female ice-skaters. The amount of stamina these girls possess constantly amazes me. However, throughout the season I started to notice the amount of physical pressure our society puts on girls in this field. Apparently, it is nearly impossible for a female to be both successful and attractive without the world finding something to critic.

Over the past few weeks, I have scrolled past numerous bolded headlines stating “What Figure Skaters Look Like with No Makeup.” These articles include before and after pictures of the skaters, suggesting the beauty they possess on the ice is fake. First off, the “before” photos provided were unflattering pictures to begin with, when put next to glamorous photos of the skaters in full costume, the comparison obviously appeared drastic.
I do not understand why we must focus all our energy on the imperfections of these female athletes. Why not celebrate their copious medals instead? Last time I checked, winning an Olympic Medal was considered an honor. Therefore, female athletes deserve to be treated with honor, not unfair judgment.

Which brings me to my next question; why are the male athletes not receiving negative attention? So far, society only seems to care about female imperfections. I have yet to scroll past an article about the male appearance on and off the rink and I can assure you, pictures of their bedhead will stay safely hidden in family photo albums. How do men receive credit for guts and glory while still managing to stay on society’s good side? Maybe our unfair comparisons for females prove we still view men as superior?

Either way, these ridiculous “No Makeup” articles should be stopped.  Male athletes require padding for their games just as females require makeup to perform. If we dared to take away body padding, complaints would be heard. Yet, female ice-skaters fall on the hard ice all the time and they never complain. Therefore, they  have every right to wear makeup without being criticized. Personally, I think spinning around in a short skirt while looking beautiful seems more difficult than hitting a puck into a goal.