84-year-old BBC golf commentator Peter Alliss is at it again. Alliss managed to spark two different sexism controversies during the British Open, saying “perhaps he likes older women” after Irish amateur Paul Dunne hugged his mother and saying that Zach Johnson’s wife Kim Barclay was “probably thinking ‘if this goes in I get a new kitchen'” about his playoff-winning putt. Now, he’s calling the Women’s British Open, and making derogatory remarks about golfer Christina Kim’s appearance in the process:
So, Peter Alliss, @TheChristinaKim is "built for comfort, not speed", eh? Don't come Monday, mate. That's embarrassing and pathetic.
— Mark Hayes (@Hayesy24) July 31, 2015
Kim responded with a superb series of tweets:
Let the man be. I love being squishy; he can say what he wants if that makes him happy. https://t.co/bYL9tnhJSh
— Christina Kim (@TheChristinaKim) July 31, 2015
@Pinkkimmy1 @_raymatthew also, thank you for defending me, but that's not necessary. I appreciate it, sorry if people give you grief.
— Christina Kim (@TheChristinaKim) July 31, 2015
@Pinkkimmy1 @_raymatthew I get your view, but if I'm happy, why does it matter what someone else says? His words don't affect my happiness 😸
— Christina Kim (@TheChristinaKim) July 31, 2015
While Kim took this well, Alliss’ repeated controversies are further proof the game may have passed him by, a frequent contention of his many critics. This is far from the first time he’s been accused of sexism, too. In fact, he gave a Radio Times interview in April where he said that gender equality legislation had “buggered up the game.” In that interview, he said he might consider an exit if he didn’t feel he was sharp enough:
Having seen the birth and now the imminent demise of live golf on the BBC, Alliss admits he has wondered how much longer he can carry on. “I have thought about leaving. I’ve got problems getting about but the brain is still sharp enough. When I don’t think it’s sharp enough, I shall say I’m off. The BBC keep saying to me, ‘Stay as long as you like.’ It’s lovely nonsense. What if I live to be 105? They’ll only keep me as long as I’m all right, and I’ll only stay as long as I’m all right.”
There are many who would contend that the repeated sexist comments are proof he’s not all right. We’ll see if the BBC agrees, or if they’ll go on apologizing for his missteps.
[H/T: Richard Deitsch]
Comments are closed.