Where do we draw the line??

     So where do we draw the line on what's sexist and what's not? If a man gets a job over a woman, it's sexist. If somone assumes that a man can do something better than a woman, it's sexist. Some people even think that sports teams that are all male are sexist. So we try our best to make things equal. That's what you women are fighting for right? Equality. So I ask you. Where is the line?

     This isn't coming out of nowhere. I wasn't up last night randomly thinking about women's rights. Sorry ladies, there is a reason I bring this up. It's the coed volleyball league I just joined. Yes, coed volleyball made me think of women's rights and why they need special treatment in certain situations. And why that isn't considered sexist. So allow me to set this up a bit. 

     I arrive at the gym with my roommate and contributing writer to Hand-jobs for Ham Sandwiches, Marcus Boyd. We go in and start stretching and warming up. Like the dedicated teammates we are, we showed up first. After a few minutes, our captain shows up with another female player on the team and we all get acquainted. Marcus knew everyone already, I was the new guy. The rest of the team filters and we start to go over some strategy. There are some administrative details that needed to be done before we could start our warm-ups. Waivers, money, residency forms, etc. So after we handled the business, it was on to our bumping and setting drills. We did the usual thing, stand in a circle and just hit it around to eachother. Everything was going pretty well. I was beginning to see some of the skill sets everyone was working with and where our weak points might be. The game that was in progress was coming to an end so we are started getting ready for action. We gathered around the scorekeeper/ref/linesman and went over the basics. He explained the basic volleyball rules in effect and how the scoring would happen. It was best out of 3, standard scoring unless it went to game 3 in which it would be rally scoring. Rally scoring is when a point is scored everytime the ball is served, instead of standard scoring where you only score when you serve. Anyway, there was one more rule he needed to explain, and thats when he dropped the bomb! 

     The "it's about to get sexist" bomb. What volleyball rule could possibly be sexist? Well allow me to set this up as well. First, there needs to be 3 females on the court at all time. There can never be more males than females, and since there are 6 people on the court, you always need 3 ladies. I'm not even upset about that rule. I can understand that to a point. Second, if your team hits the ball more than once, a girl must hit it one of those times. In other words, if the ball comes over the net the hits must go in one of these orders; guy-guy-girl, guy-girl-guy, guy-girl-girl, girl-guy-girl, girl-guy-guy, etc. Hopefully you get the point there. If the ball gets hit more than once, it must be hit by a girl. A guy can just hit the ball right back over without penalty, which ends up being a good strategy in some cases. Does that rule sound a little sexist to you? Especially in a sport like volleyball where, in more cases than any other sport, the females are better anyway. 

     That rule is not only sexist but it really disrupts the flow of the game. Depending on how you have your court set up, a girl can't always hit the ball. So if two guys hit it over, the other team gets the point or side out. Where it really comes into play is when things break down or someone makes a bad pass. Now, you're trying to save the ball and keep the play going. However, if a guy made the bad it, you better make sure that when you try and make a play it goes to a female so she can hit it over. Really? Is that volleyball? NO, it's not. I don't agree with stepping in front of girls to hit the ball, but if it just doesn't make it to them for a play or two then so be it. Most of the time it's the girls that are setting the ball, so if you play the game right they'll get their hits. To make it a rule is completely sexist and ruins the flow of a game. 

     So that brings up the question. Where do we draw the line on what's sexist and what's not? There are certain occasions where females get special treatment and it's kind of expected and acceptable. Then there are times when we try to give special treatment and get scolded for being a chauvinist pig. Have you ever tried to help a woman carry something? Now I know this doesn't apply to everyone, so please relax. In most cases, that I've been involved in, a woman finds it offensive if you offer to carry something for them. "What, you don't think I can carry it?" No bitch, I was just trying to help out and be a gentleman. I hear all the time that chivalry is dead, well it's because woman killed it. That's for another blog another day. I just want to know where we draw the line? When are we allowed to give special treatment and when aren't we? And who makes that call? 

     Would be sexist to refuse a Hand-job for a Ham Sandwich from a woman because I don't think she'll be able to do it right? Or should I seek out the female bums with hunger pains? You tell me!