HAM in hot water?

[kfzmeister]

Looks like the feminists are at it pretty seriously. HAM is in hot water by a group that claims that he mistreated a gridgirl on the podium after the China GP.

To me it seems petty. If this is so degrading to women, why not work to get them off the grid completely. Me thinks that would do more for image.Thoughts?

[airshifter]

Maybe the feminists should worry about why a woman would want to be there to begin with?

Vettel and at least a couple others have hosed down whoever is left in the podium area once the champagne wars begin. As it should be. Barring any big dignitaries and such, people should expect that they could get sprayed down.

[Tazio]

Classic example of pen*s envy.
69% Those gurlz would crawl 5 km over broken glass at 2 km h−1
to get hosed down by "The Boss" :facelick: or his woman! :santa: :santa:

[Mia 01]

champange should be served in glasses. Kind of understand Nicole now.

[Tazio]

Would you like a dinner date with Slash sweetie? :vampire: :angel:

[N4D13]

While I understand most women violence issues, this one I don't. You usually get race drivers trying to soak EVERYONE who they have close, and it's not uncommon that a driver would try to aim for the VIPs if they were a bit slow to get out of the podium. Someone is just trying to make noise for their cause and they've chosen the wrong example IMHO.

Incidentally, this actually takes the light away from a legitimate discussion - why should there be grid girls and not grid boys?

[AndyL]

I agree. Blame whoever put them up there just to look decorative in the first place. Not the driver who champagnes everyone on the podium in the traditional fashion.

I don't understand their purpose in F1. In most classes of racing, the models on the podium are there to draw attention to the race sponsor's logo that they're wearing. The ones in F1 can't even claim to have that value.

[The Black Knight]

Looks like the feminists are at it pretty seriously. HAM is in hot water by a group that claims that he mistreated a gridgirl on the podium after the China GP.

To me it seems petty. If this is so degrading to women, why not work to get them off the grid completely. Me thinks that would do more for image.Thoughts?

The funny thing about this is that you have girls lining up the boys every grand prix weekend as they walk to the podium. Why have girls at all? They are uptight because he put champagne in her face, yet drivers have done this numerous times over the years. What a bunch of morons complaining about this haha

[DannyQ]

i think more than anything he let his emotions go to his head an over reaction in my book

[TheFamousEccles]

Simply stating that drivers have been doing this for years is missing the point.

The girls were present as representative of whatever organisation (which organisation is not an issue - the track maybe?), and as such were there to perform a job - spurious as it was. I can't imagine anyone would agree that this would be appropriate for the office; the boss (pun intended) signs a big contract and celebrates by lining up the females and spraying them with champers - there would be much tut-tutting and lawsuits abounding.

I would wager that they would prefer not to be hosed down in some pseudo macho display, especially by a nonce like Lulu.

It's old, degrading and has had it's day. If it was changed up a little, say for example there were male model types on the dais, or even better IMO - the drivers were lined up and the girls hosed them with champers, and ignored all protestations to stop. Oh what larfs, stop taking it so seriously, they've done it for ages....

Bottom line, it reinforces the neanderthal image of elite level sports people (men in particular), and it's all a bit naff and should be done away with all together (along with the ridiculous post race interview on the podium, what crap that is).

2 cents are in the post....:bones:

[The Black Knight]

Simply stating that drivers have been doing this for years is missing the point.

The girls were present as representative of whatever organisation (which organisation is not an issue - the track maybe?), and as such were there to perform a job - spurious as it was. I can't imagine anyone would agree that this would be appropriate for the office; the boss (pun intended) signs a big contract and celebrates by lining up the females and spraying them with champers - there would be much tut-tutting and lawsuits abounding.

I would wager that they would prefer not to be hosed down in some pseudo macho display, especially by a nonce like Lulu.

It's old, degrading and has had it's day. If it was changed up a little, say for example there were male model types on the dais, or even better IMO - the drivers were lined up and the girls hosed them with champers, and ignored all protestations to stop. Oh what larfs, stop taking it so seriously, they've done it for ages....

Bottom line, it reinforces the neanderthal image of elite level sports people (men in particular), and it's all a bit naff and should be done away with all together (along with the ridiculous post race interview on the podium, what crap that is).

2 cents are in the post....:bones:

If Hamilton took out his big black Mickey and whipped her across the face with it, then that would reinforce the neanderthal image of elite level sports people. Playfully spraying her with Champagne in celebration is not doing so and to even suggest it is, is absolutely utterly retarded. It must be boring in the PC brigade world right now to say that champagne spraying, which has been occurring for a long time, is now the hot topic of conversation.

Here's some real news:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32299273

[Tazio]

If Hamilton took out his big black Mickey and whipped her across the face with it, then that would reinforce the neanderthal image of elite level sports people. :laugh: Nice touch Reggie. I do agree with the just of your post, but lets face it, we contest much less meaningful acceptable adult behavior on this forum. :rolleyes:

Ecc' what you have reasoned out, is well stated, and meaningful. The one point I agree with you on most strongly is; The podium interviews was a nice novelty, but it generally sucks, and if enough people speak their mind that are in agreement Bernie will panic and ax it faster than you can say ; "wham bam thank ya' mam." :)

[Jag_Warrior]

Men having fun in an area where women are not present as competitors (for whatever reason) equals sexism. So sayeth the angry feminists, so sayeth we all!

If not for this incident, the N.O.W. types wouldn't even know what an F1 race was.

[driveace]

They don't have to be there If the girls are complaining then don't do the job !Millions of girls would give their right arm to be up there with the drivers ,and some more than their right arm !

[Warriwa]

I'm quite surprised that these particular feminists have any time to address this issue at all what with their constant lobbying and political efforts to stop female babies being thrown off bridges and improving the shockingly unequal and culturally accepted women's rights in China. . . . . . NOT
This is a classic example of picking an easy fight.
The serious and committed feminists are busy with more important issues.

[Robinho]

Surely if he'd sprayed Vettel and rosberg and excluded the females who were present that would be discriminatory and sexist?

Sent from my 0PJA10 using Tapatalk

[The Black Knight]

Surely if he'd sprayed Vettel and rosberg and excluded the females who were present that would be discriminatory and sexist?

Sent from my 0PJA10 using Tapatalk

Yeah exactly. I can see the headlines “Sexist Hamilton shunts Chinese hostess”. Then, if there were no females present, F1 would be criticized at some point for lack of female involvement on the podium. People are so stupid.

[The Black Knight]

And what about these girls?

http://f1pulse.com/images/photo-gallery/malaysian_gp_2013_race/vettel-grid-girls.jpg

Should Vettel be made apologize for reinforcing the neanderthal image of elite level sports people here?

Or what about here?

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSWm6wyfERugs55ZZV098nvmhjfavpjZ 1Fegz9ejAto85sEi234

Shocking celebratory scenes altogether lol

I'm going to go out on a limb here and state that she has probably had worse things sprayed in her face over the course of her lifetime :laugh:

[jens]

And what about these girls?

http://f1pulse.com/images/photo-gallery/malaysian_gp_2013_race/vettel-grid-girls.jpg

Should Vettel be made apologize for reinforcing the neanderthal image of elite level sports people here?

Or what about here?

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSWm6wyfERugs55ZZV098nvmhjfavpjZ 1Fegz9ejAto85sEi234

Shocking celebratory scenes altogether lol

I'm going to go out on a limb here and state that she has probably had worse things sprayed in her face over the course of her lifetime :laugh:

+1

It is a bit crazy that we are discussing this.

But probably someone got a bit hurt for whatever reason.

Still... whoever was hurt, needs some perspective and realize there are far worse things in life!

[TheFamousEccles]

If Hamilton took out his big black Mickey and whipped her across the face with it, then that would reinforce the neanderthal image of elite level sports people. Playfully spraying her with Champagne in celebration is not doing so and to even suggest it is, is absolutely utterly retarded. It must be boring in the PC brigade world right now to say that champagne spraying, which has been occurring for a long time, is now the hot topic of conversation.

Here's some real news:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32299273

TBK - that shit bothers me, too. What's your point - I'm not allowed to disagree? I can't have an opinion on more than one thing at a time?

This thread is about Hamilton and the outdated ritual of spraying the podium girls with champers. Not al Shabab.

Do you get it?

[The Black Knight]

TBK - that shit bothers me, too. What's your point - I'm not allowed to disagree? I can't have an opinion on more than one thing at a time?

This thread is about Hamilton and the outdated ritual of spraying the podium girls with champers. Not al Shabab.

Do you get it?

I get it, you don't. It's not outdated and there no harm in whomever is being on the podium being sprayed with champagne. If people have a problem with it, don't be there or stop watching F 1, otherwise piss off and stop moaning.

[jens]

Simply stating that drivers have been doing this for years is missing the point.

The girls were present as representative of whatever organisation (which organisation is not an issue - the track maybe?), and as such were there to perform a job - spurious as it was. I can't imagine anyone would agree that this would be appropriate for the office; the boss (pun intended) signs a big contract and celebrates by lining up the females and spraying them with champers - there would be much tut-tutting and lawsuits abounding.

I would wager that they would prefer not to be hosed down in some pseudo macho display, especially by a nonce like Lulu.

It's old, degrading and has had it's day. If it was changed up a little, say for example there were male model types on the dais, or even better IMO - the drivers were lined up and the girls hosed them with champers, and ignored all protestations to stop. Oh what larfs, stop taking it so seriously, they've done it for ages....

Bottom line, it reinforces the neanderthal image of elite level sports people (men in particular), and it's all a bit naff and should be done away with all together (along with the ridiculous post race interview on the podium, what crap that is).

2 cents are in the post....:bones:

I think the easiest solution then would not send those girls to stand there at all. There is no purpose of their "job" there anyway, other than just look good.

Drivers have also sprayed champagne on VIPs in suits, who hand out trophies.

[pino]

TheFamousEccles, please cool down, and no more insults thank you !

[The Black Knight]

I think the easiest solution then would not send those girls to stand there at all. There is no purpose of their "job" there anyway, other than just look good.

Drivers have also sprayed champagne on VIPs in suits, who hand out trophies.

It's all done for fun. Unfortunately, there are too many dull people out there with no sense of humor. You're right though, since some people have so little time on their hands as to take offense to something like this, lets just ruin the fun for everyone and limit the podium to drivers and team personnel (male team personnel I presume) only. Then we can wait and see how long it takes the PC Brigade to come along and complain about there never being women from teams on the podium.

[pino]

Also lets quit personal comments, thank you !

[TheFamousEccles]

There's a world of difference between taking offense and having an opinion. Frankly, it's not something I loose sleep over, but I do think that it is boring and predictable and - in light of F1's dwindling viewership - likely to be seen as an anachronism by the casual viewer, who we want to attract to the sport, don't we? Or is this bollocks too - lets keep F1 for the hardcore like you.

Relevancy is important in this day of instant access and goldfish like attention spans. It's been argued that the "millennial's" are increasingly disinterested in cars and by extension motor racing, and they are also quick to switch off. This particular incident with Hamilton was pretty tame by comparison to others we all would have witnessed - but it's all shits and giggles, just boys being boys, innit.

But of course, you get it. I don't. Knock yourself out. But don't tell me what I should think.

[Rollo]

HAM in hot water?
Diniz In the Oven!

[Warriwa]

Rollo ! ! ! !
I am wiping beer from my monitor !
You cunny funt !

[henners88]

The girl who got sprayed said 'it's been blown out of all proportion, and the foreign media are too sensitive'. I agree with her. Tabloid intrusion into a sport they don't understand sadly. Let's hope Lewis is spraying more people this weekend.

[Jag_Warrior]

The girl who got sprayed said 'it's been blown out of all proportion, and the foreign media are too sensitive'. I agree with her. Tabloid intrusion into a sport they don't understand sadly. Let's hope Lewis is spraying more people this weekend.

Wouldn't it be hilarious if she eventually wound up on Hamilton's arm? She does bear a light resemblance to one of Hammy's early lady friends (Jodie Mao, I believe was her name). But that would certainly provide a gigantic cup of STFU to the "let's find misogyny under every rock" brigade. Do it, Lewis... ask her out!

I mean seriously, she realized that she was being used as a pawn by whiny western feminist types and she decided that she wasn't going to play that game. Good for her.

[anfield5]

HAM in hot water?
Diniz In the Oven!

That is my all time fav F1 headline of all time! Put it with the photo of him bailing out of his aflame Ligier... pure editorial gold.

[kfzmeister]

The girl who got sprayed said 'it's been blown out of all proportion, and the foreign media are too sensitive'. I agree with her. Tabloid intrusion into a sport they don't understand sadly. Let's hope Lewis is spraying more people this weekend.

Yeah, i just read the same thing. She actually wishes this whole thing were to just go away. It's not a big deal to her and she even said it was over within a couple of seconds anyway(that's what SHE said...).

Typical media overblowing this again!

[Mia 01]

Over the years I have not seeing Kimi soaking the podium Girls with bubblewater. And it is, get that MacLarens out of the way, not monkeys.

[The Black Knight]

Yeah, i just read the same thing. She actually wishes this whole thing were to just go away. It's not a big deal to her and she even said it was over within a couple of seconds anyway(that's what SHE said...).

Typical media overblowing this again!

Yup, and, as usual, there are always sheep that follow!

[Big Ben]

I agree it´s blown out of proportion. Were they really expecting him to behave as a gentleman or what? This is who he is and this is how he behaves. Just watch, judge and dislike him, like I do. I don´t get all this fuss.

[Jag_Warrior]

Over the years I have not seeing Kimi soaking the podium Girls with bubblewater.

What, Kimi waste good booze???!!!

[Mia 01]

What, Kimi waste good booze???!!!

No no. Did you observed that yesterday Kimi had a close Watch on Lewis bottle and on the man himself.

[airshifter]

What, Kimi waste good booze???!!!

Kimi does seem to always at least get a taste before he sprays anyone down. :)

[Triumph]

This criticism of Lewis Hamilton is an absolute load of nonsense. Podium girls have been getting comprehensively squirted on a regular basis in all forms of motorsport for as long as I can remember. Lewis did nothing to warrant being singled out for criticism, apart perhaps for committing the crime of being Lewis Hamilton, which I understand is a problem for some people.

I think the uninitiated critics ought to watch some bike racing podium celebrations to help establish some context. Bike racers on the whole take themselves far less seriously than car racers. I remember one girl being pursued around the podium with a jet of champagne aimed deliberately up her bum. Imagine the outrage if Lewis attempted anything like that. Once the half-wit readers had been instructed by the Daily Mail on what they should suddenly become outraged over, Lewis would be finished!

[Hawkmoon]

This criticism of Lewis Hamilton is an absolute load of nonsense. Podium girls have been getting comprehensively squirted on a regular basis in all forms of motorsport for as long as I can remember. Lewis did nothing to warrant being singled out for criticism, apart perhaps for committing the crime of being Lewis Hamilton, which I understand is a problem for some people.

I think the uninitiated critics ought to watch some bike racing podium celebrations to help establish some context. Bike racers on the whole take themselves far less seriously than car racers. I remember one girl being pursued around the podium with a jet of champagne aimed deliberately up her bum. Imagine the outrage if Lewis attempted anything like that. Once the half-wit readers had been instructed by the Daily Mail on what they should suddenly become outraged over, Lewis would be finished!

While I don't agree with the 'outrage' and believe Hamilton's actions to be completely inoffensive I think you're missing the point. It's not enough to defend an action by saying that other people do it too. That doesn't defend your actions but merely says that you shouldn't be singled out.

Again, I don't agree with the outrage but the question isn't one of whether women should be sprayed with champagne but rather should women be used as nothing more than decorations? Personally I don't have a problem with the concept of grid girls but I'm male and don't mind looking at a pretty face (don't tell my wife, not that her face isn't pretty). To a degree, I can see why people of certain persuasions get upset over this type of thing. Sometimes it's misplaced (as is the case here) other times it's a genuine issue and shouldn't be dismissed as the rant of an out-of-control PC fanatic.

[The Black Knight]

While I don't agree with the 'outrage' and believe Hamilton's actions to be completely inoffensive I think you're missing the point. It's not enough to defend an action by saying that other people do it too. That doesn't defend your actions but merely says that you shouldn't be singled out.

Again, I don't agree with the outrage but the question isn't one of whether women should be sprayed with champagne but rather should women be used as nothing more than decorations? Personally I don't have a problem with the concept of grid girls but I'm male and don't mind looking at a pretty face (don't tell my wife, not that her face isn't pretty). To a degree, I can see why people of certain persuasions get upset over this type of thing. Sometimes it's misplaced (as is the case here) other times it's a genuine issue and shouldn't be dismissed as the rant of an out-of-control PC fanatic.

I don't think he's missing the point at all. If people have an issue with something then misplacing and not communicating what their actual problem is isn't the way to go. If they misplace their issues, as they have in this case, then that's their problem. It's up to them to communicate what they really have an issue with correctly.

Personally, if someone had said they have an issue with grid-girls lining the walkway as decoration while the boys saunter up to the podium then I would understand this, not the champagne in the face thing. Everyone on the podium is fair game to be sprayed with champagne as far as I'm concerned. It's a place for celebration.

[Tazio]

Let us take this a step further. The woman that got hosed said:

“I think some foreign media are more sensitive about the topic than local media. I was just told by my employer to stand on the podium, and that’s what I did.”
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/16/champagne-lewis-hamilton-chinese-grand-prix
:sailor: Does this make her a freakin' "Ho" as she got paid by her boss to let
The Boss hose her down? :angel:

[henners88]

It seems Lewis was just a racing driver doing what they all do when they win but in a week when feminists had decided to make another statement about the use of women in Motorsport. I think before the racing drivers are attacked for what is perceived as common celebratory behaviour, a few other factors need to be considered or individuals questioned. Let's face it being a grid girl or promotions model male or female is not a full time job. It is work they opt to do because they feel it looks good in their modelling portfolio. A friend of mine used to be a small time model and one week she would be modelling suits for Next, the next lingerie for Littlewoods and another she would be wearing a catsuit and handing out flyers next to a drift car at the NEC. it's the nature of the industry so perhaps those with a problem should seek answers from the people that have chosen to do it? The girl in this story didn't have an issue with it, but some of the European media did? Papers like the Sun here in Britain took digs at Lewis and it's only recently they have moved their page 3 girls onto a subscription website rather than the paper itself. Rather rich of them to even comment really.

As has already been said it is a storm in a teacup with an agenda that disappeared as quickly as it made the headlines. Lewis sprayed the head of the Design Department at Mercedes AMG F1 in Bahrain last weekend and nobody has jumped to his defence because he has a masters degree and shouldn't be humiliated by being covered in Rose Water on the worlds stage. Poor guy eh? He doesn't sell papers though because he isn't pretty. :)

[Triumph]

While I don't agree with the 'outrage' and believe Hamilton's actions to be completely inoffensive I think you're missing the point. It's not enough to defend an action by saying that other people do it too. That doesn't defend your actions but merely says that you shouldn't be singled out.

Again, I don't agree with the outrage but the question isn't one of whether women should be sprayed with champagne but rather should women be used as nothing more than decorations? Personally I don't have a problem with the concept of grid girls but I'm male and don't mind looking at a pretty face (don't tell my wife, not that her face isn't pretty). To a degree, I can see why people of certain persuasions get upset over this type of thing. Sometimes it's misplaced (as is the case here) other times it's a genuine issue and shouldn't be dismissed as the rant of an out-of-control PC fanatic.

Yes, precisely. That's what I'm saying, that Lewis shouldn't have been singled out. That's my point.

I'm not going to enter into the debate as to whether women should be used as decorations as I'll leave that for them to decide for themselves (you know, equality and all that: let them do their own thinking), but as I was saying, to criticize Lewis for this is an absolute load of nonsense. This was motivated by a desire to criticize Lewis, not out of genuine concern for the welfare of women during podium celebrations. If it was out of concern for the treatment of women, we'd have been through many previous instances of podium celebration-related outrage, but of course we haven't.

[TheFamousEccles]

This was the Chinese GP - you don't think the possibility exist that this woman was instructed to say this?

Frankly, in the end you could count on an amputated stump the number of rats arses I could give for "tradition" and the fact that "they've always done this so what's the problem", and my thoughts on the matter have nothing to do with Lulu or any other driver.

Its about respect. Regardless of gender. And if people don't get that then more fool them.

And it seems that this forum is over represented.