This post is going to be about the ongoing attacks by the media on a plus size model who was on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine that has really got under my skin...
In Defence Of Tess Holliday...
Recently Cosmopolitan magazine placed an American plus size model Tess Holliday on the cover provoking all kinds of responses from the traditional media and on social media around the world.
Some of those who expressed opinions condoned the magazine saying that placing a plus size woman on the magazine was dangerous, stupid and irresponsible and promoted obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle. Others congratulated the magazine for being inclusive and promoting female body diversity and acceptance.
The Australian media and social media joined in the chorus of those discussing Cosmopolitan's choice of cover girl. The criticism (in particular by a journalist or opinion giver in my local newspaper) got under my skin and I decided to respond via this blog. I am a plus size woman who has struggled with my weight all of my life. While I weigh a lot less than Tess Holliday and have not put on any weight since my early twenties, and I am now well into being middle aged, I can relate to her many experiences that have been shared. Those Australian newspaper, magazine and online articles I read are referenced below.
"I put to you, that just as it was stupid and irresponsible to plaster magazine covers with dangerously thin women, it is equally so to put a clinically obese woman on the cover of a magazine that has influence and seeks to use it " (Tognini, 2018). Some journalists and opinion givers in the local and national media decided that Cosmopolitan's actions to put a plus size (or morbidly obese) woman on the cover was stupid and irresponsible. Just as their actions would be stupid and irresponsible to put an anorexic woman on the cover. These actions were considered stupid and irresponsible because putting a plus size woman on the cover of a magazine was influential and an unhealthy role model especially for young people and not what young women should be aspiring too (Tognini, 2018).
I don't see some Australian female journalists and opinion givers as having much faith in young women or the women of today in choosing appropriate role models for themselves. Today young women in Australia graduate high school at 18, drive a car at 17, vote in an election at 18, legally drink at 18, go on to further education, have jobs, buy property and participate successfully in the community and have positive and happy relationships with their family and friends. It seems with all the local, national and international discussion about female role models within Australian sport, entertainment, business, arts, academia and the community in the traditional media and on social media it seems some young women can not find and choose their own role models other than what they see on magazine covers like Cosmopolitan.
It still seems some Australian female journalists and opinion givers are so outraged on social media when men and other women tell women what their values should be especially for women like them, normal size women in which attractiveness is an employment and personal quality valued like surf lifesaver, models, grid girls, cheerleaders and television and media personalities. These women, all women should be allowed to use their bodies how they like and make their own choices. But it is alright for them to tell young women and others who and what they should be aspiring to be and that is not someone like plus size model and activist Tess Holliday (Tognini, 2018). Hypocrisy yes and outrageous! The quality of a role model should of course be more than superficial and that is what we should be highlighting, their personal and other qualities not just their physical appearance which the magazine does.
Some journalists and opinion givers quoted health statistics about the impact of obesity on the health system which had no source..."It has been declared a disease in the US since 2013 and there’s pressure in Australia to label it the same. The burden on the health system is upward of $12 billion year and it’s tipped to hit $21 billion by 2025." (Tognini, 2018). It seems some female journalists and opinion givers who are not qualified professional health professionals make decisions based purely on someone's physical appearance about whether a person is healthy or not. In this case Tess Holliday fits the definition of 'morbidly obese' and as a consequence unhealthy (Tognini, 2018).
I agree with Tess Holliday who pointed out her weight and health is no ones business but hers. And because someone who is plus size or defined as 'morbidly obese' doesn't mean they impact negatively on the health system. I certainly know plus size people who are healthy and don't impact on the health system including me.
Bokody (2018) makes several good points in her response "And her message is solid, given researchers have been highlighting the link between low body image and depression and suicide for decades now... But don’t worry about that. You can gloss right over your bullying and your bigotry by dressing the issue up in your “concern” for the health of women." It certainly would be interesting to look at the impact financially and emotionally on young people (both men and women) and their families and employers seeking professional help on the health system for bullying, eating disorders, body image, depression and suicide in particular fostered through the use of social media use.
While some Australian female journalists and opinion givers go on about the impact of obesity on the health system participate in social media with endless selfies contributing to the problems of low body image and depression among women. They continually promote themselves and their products through social media where they think there seems to be some connection between the way a woman looks and the validity of what they do and say and in particular when they appear on pay television programs (Tognini, 2018). Where there is none. There should be more female diversity in the Australia television media.
Brodnick (2018) hits the nail on the head in her article when she states that it is up to individual readers what will happen with this presentation... "But do you know who actually has the power to make my life more dangerous, more free or more valid?... You... Because no matter what kind of magazine covers sit on the stands there is no power in them unless we decide to take that message of body positivity and weave it into our own lives".
And she is right. Tess Holliday's appearance on the cover of Cosmopolitan won't make me eat more because 'morbid obesity' is seen as becoming 'the normal' nor will it rush me to going on a diet and to the gym. I am an adult and can control my impulses. Her shared experiences offer hope and empathy of what it is like to be a plus size woman, some of the struggles we go through and a bit more self-acceptance. A bit more self-acceptance is what I take from all of this. And maybe be inspired to post a selfie in the future.
Thanks Tess Holliday for your inspiration and courage...
References
Bammington, E. (2018). 'Tess Halliday: The size 24 model.' published on 21 September, 2018 at who.com.au
Bokody, N. (2018). 'OPINION: Think Tess is 'dangerously unhealthy'? Get over yourself ' published on 5 September, 2018 at newidea.com.au
Brodnick, L. (2018). 'When I say Tess Halliday's Cosmopolitan I was delighted. But that quickly turned to fear.' published on 31 August, 2018 at mamamia.com.au
Carey, A. (2018). 'Backlash grows over plus-size model Tess Holliday’s appearance in Cosmopolitan UK.' published on 31 August, 2018 at news.com.au
Matthews. R. (2018). 'Piers Morgan labels magazine editor as 'dangerous' after featuring a plus-size model on their cover.' published 4 September, 2018 at that'slife.com
Tognini, G. (2018 a). 'Opinion: Cosmopolitan front cover of Tess Holliday sends wrong message about obesity.' published on 13 October, 2018 at the thewest.com
Tognini, G. (2018 b). Twitter
Bokody, N. (2018). 'OPINION: Think Tess is 'dangerously unhealthy'? Get over yourself ' published on 5 September, 2018 at newidea.com.au
Brodnick, L. (2018). 'When I say Tess Halliday's Cosmopolitan I was delighted. But that quickly turned to fear.' published on 31 August, 2018 at mamamia.com.au
Carey, A. (2018). 'Backlash grows over plus-size model Tess Holliday’s appearance in Cosmopolitan UK.' published on 31 August, 2018 at news.com.au
Matthews. R. (2018). 'Piers Morgan labels magazine editor as 'dangerous' after featuring a plus-size model on their cover.' published 4 September, 2018 at that'slife.com
Tognini, G. (2018 a). 'Opinion: Cosmopolitan front cover of Tess Holliday sends wrong message about obesity.' published on 13 October, 2018 at the thewest.com
Tognini, G. (2018 b). Twitter
Australian Sport And Professional Fan Cheer Squads...A fan responds. published on 9 February, 2018.
"We found it hard to work out a positive about it. There was a grey area to it. It makes women uncomfortable and it makes blokes who take their son to the football also uncomfortable..." Russell Crowe on South Sydney Rugby League Club's decision not use cheerleaders in 2009.
Recently traditional news sources and social media were alive with the story that the Formula One Grand Prix competition had axed their grid girls or the use of models. I have to say I don't know anything about Formula One or the tradition of grid girls except what I had seen on the sports news on television.
From the news articles I have read I gather grid girls were added to Formula One during the 1960's to add some glamour to the motor car sport. Being a grid girl involved walking around the stadium interacting with the fans, having their photograph taken with the drivers and being showered in campaign on the winner's podium. But obviously there was a bit more to it that included wearing the sponsor's clothes, appearing on the track before the event and lining the halls before the drivers got onto the podium (Wheatsone, 2018).
At the end of January, 2018 Formula One issued a statement "While the practise of employing grid girls has been a staple at Formula One Grand Prix for decades, we feel this custom is at odds with modern day societal norms...we don't believe the practise is appropriate or relevant to Formula One and its fans, old and new across the world." (News Corporation Australia, 2018).
As a female sport's fan in Australia (but not of Formula One) who is interested in the role and inclusion of women fans in Australian sport I welcomed the decision. And yes I agree with Formula One that the idea of grid girls 'are at odds with modern day societal norms'. As a sport's fan I don't really believe grid girls (like cheerleaders) added anything to an exciting sport where men are the stars. Women are often objectified and seem nothing more than eye candy for male supporters. Grid girls and cheerleaders definitely send the wrong message to those women wanting to participate in sport on equal terms with men including motor sport (Ormonde, 2012, Emery, 2018).
I doubt those journalists and columnists in the Australian media who supported grid girls have been to a Formula One Grand Prix event in Australia or overseas or any sporting event where young women perform to entertain the supporters and support men playing the game on the field. Many stated that the presence of grid girls (or cheerleaders) at events didn't bother them. It is easy to support a group of people you personally have no contact with and are not a regular feature of you or your families life such as going to a rugby league game. These women argue that young women have a right use their physical beauty to earn money, wear what they want and to engage in any employment of their choice to earn a living at what they love. Which is true in Australia. One journalist told me 'how dare I tell another woman what values they should have' when I expressed my objection.
I was 'told how dare you tell another woman what values they should have' at the same time they ignored me and my feelings and the right to express my opinion. In fact no where in anything I read did journalists or columnists talk to a female fan about how grid girls or cheerleaders made fans feel at games and events and that was uncomfortable. To be honest I didn't like cheerleader's routines and costumes. The only person I read interested in the position of the female fans and cheerleaders was Russell Crowe back in 2009 when he made the decision to axe cheerleaders at South Sydney.
American cheerleading and the role of women in this sport is different in America than Australia. I have read where many academics, people pro grid girls and cheerleaders argue that the girls are often using these experiences to put themselves through university (Back, 2017). I have also read about cheerleading as a sport in its own right not as an addition to a male game which is a completely different thing. "What I love about cheerleading is that it is for everyone. Just like other sports, cheerleading has positions (flyers, bases, back bases, tumblers, dancers) that require athletes of various shapes, sizes and skill sets to fill them. Tall, short, solid, skinny, blond, brunette -it takes them all to make a perfect routine..."(Mihalopolos, 2014). If this was true in Australian sport about cheerleaders as crowd entertainment then there would be more diversity in those selected to perform in the squads.
I am a female Australian rugby union fan. Australian rugby union has never had cheerleaders as a number of Australian sports. I have been interested in rugby union and women in sport for over thirteen years. During that time I have seen major sporting league teams in Australian actively encourage women to participate in all levels of sport from being a fan, member, player, referee, employed in teams in a range of positions through the media, as health professionals, in team management and on boards. Many rugby union clubs have had special memberships and events including 'Ladies Day' for women fans. The head of Australian rugby union is a woman.
During doing research for the post I read quite a few articles but not in one did I read where someone had asked a female fan of Formula One what they thought (they spoke to the grid girls, drivers and management of Formula One, female academics and females in the sport but not the fans). The only time I have seen cheerleading at an Australian sporting event was when I lived in Canberra and I went to watch Australian rugby league teams South Sydney v Canberra. To me the men were the stars of the show and showed great skills at playing the game. When I went to these games South Sydney had already axed their cheerleaders.
In 2009 Russell Crowe as the new owner of South Sydney decided not to use cheerleaders as they made fans feel uncomfortable. He stated that the focus should be on football and replaced them with other forms of entertainment that were later disbanded. The move was seen as progressive at the time. To be honest Russell Crowe's words rang true at the games in Canberra and I did feel uncomfortable with cheerleaders and their type of entertainment. Several years on from my experiences in Canberra, the rugby league team the Canberra Raiders have decided not to renew their female cheerleading squad. The reason given was that this would distinguish their team from other teams and to 'create more opportunities for women and men and children to get involved.' (Back, 2017).
In 2016 Australia provided the American college football season with a match in Sydney between the California Golden Bears and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at ANZ stadium. This was the first American college football game ever played in Australia. Along with that game came all the razzle dazzle of American football including female cheerleading squads and marching bands. The social media section at ANZ stadium were sending out a large amount of tweets to promote the game using tweets with photographs of cheerleaders who seemed to be included in every promotional opportunity available rather than the players.
I don't have a problem with American college football or any American sports playing in Australia during their regular or off season but I do have a problem with cheerleaders who don't play the game in any capacity being used to promote the sport here. If Americans are going to promote their sport here I would rather see and hear from the players and administrators. When I complained to ANZ stadium on Twitter they blocked me for speaking up for what I considered sexist behaviour.
Many journalists and sports fans will probably believe the decision to axe grid girls comes in the wake of the #MeToo campaign in 'which has brought sexual harassment and objectification of women into the spotlight' (Emery, 2018). I believe it probably has influenced many professional sports and the role women play within them. But in Australian sport the decision to make sport more inclusive of women and for equal rights has been ongoing for many years. For example, late last year Australian sporting codes Australian Rugby Union, Australian Rugby League, Australian Football League and Australian Netball League joined forces to encourage Australian sport's fans to be more than a spectator and challenge sexist attitudes and behaviours, where ever and when they see them.
So what happens when women sport's fans speak up about sexist attitudes and behaviours in particular in sport around Australia. It seems grid girls, cheerleaders and their supporters are quick to shut those women down. I was told by one journalist on Twitter 'what right do men have to tell women what to do' as I tried to explain the role of women in sport including motor sport and their sponsors and this decision was perhaps not confined to men. Since then other articles have been written and the down fall of the grid girl has been blamed on the middle class well to do women telling working class women what they can and can't do. The grid girls blame women feminists for the lost of a job they loved (SBS, 2018, ABC, 2018).
Regardless of who made the decision to axe the grid girls it seems that those who run a business (either male or female) like the Formula One and their sponsors and fans can't make a decision about what is best for their business. Chan & Walters (2018) stated Formula One paid grid girls in the United Kingdom 300 pounds a day plus all their costs including food, hotels, makeup and travel. The total cost of grid girls ads up to a lot of money and savings if made redundant or replace with a more inclusive model. The axing of grid girls, cheerleaders and other walk on roles for models in professional darts and Australian cycling does reflect current societal norms but also to ensure the future of their sport as they compete for limited sponsorship funding. The money certainly can be used to promote more inclusive women's roles at all levels of the professional sport. What ever the reasons it is a move in the right direction.
References
Back, A. 2017. 'Canberra Raiders drop cheerleaders in 2017' published in The Canberra Times on 9 January, 2017.
Chan, E & Walters, I. 2018. 'It didn't feel sexist': Former grid girls have THEIR say on the controversial Formula One ban but Melinda Messenger says it's the right move' published in the DailyMail.co.uk on 1 February, 2018.
Emery, K. 2018. 'Grid girls are a notion that has had its day' published in The West Australian on 2 February, 2018.
McMahon, A. 2018. 'Formula One axes grid girls from races to keep up with 'modern day societal norms' published on abc.net.au on 1 February, 2018.
Mihalopoulos, S. 'Everything you know about cheerleading is wrong' published in mamamia.com.au on 10 August, 2014.
Musovic, S, (2017), 'Sports stars urge fans to challenge sexism by being #morethanaspectator' published in ourwatch.org.au on 24 November, 2017.
News Corporation Australia, 2018. 'Formula One axes 'grid girls' starting at the Australian Grand prix in March' published in news.com.au on 1 February, 2018.
Ormonde, L. 2018, 'Do you support woman's right to cheer?' published in mamamia.com.au on the 1 May, 2012.
Poulson, J, 2018. 'Broncos say cheerleaders here to stay after Formula One axes grid girls' published in The Courier Mail on February, 2018.
Ritchie, D. & Charnock, C. 2009, 'Cheerleaders axed at Souths' published in the Daily Telegraph on the 17 March, 2009.
SBS, 2018. 'F1 grid girls push back against 'well of women' telling others what to do'.SBS News published on 7 February, 2017.
Wheatstone, R. 2018. 'Grid Grief. What are grid girls, how much do they get paid and who are the grid kids to replace them' published in thesun.co.uk on 6 February, 2018.
"We found it hard to work out a positive about it. There was a grey area to it. It makes women uncomfortable and it makes blokes who take their son to the football also uncomfortable..." Russell Crowe on South Sydney Rugby League Club's decision not use cheerleaders in 2009.
Recently traditional news sources and social media were alive with the story that the Formula One Grand Prix competition had axed their grid girls or the use of models. I have to say I don't know anything about Formula One or the tradition of grid girls except what I had seen on the sports news on television.
From the news articles I have read I gather grid girls were added to Formula One during the 1960's to add some glamour to the motor car sport. Being a grid girl involved walking around the stadium interacting with the fans, having their photograph taken with the drivers and being showered in campaign on the winner's podium. But obviously there was a bit more to it that included wearing the sponsor's clothes, appearing on the track before the event and lining the halls before the drivers got onto the podium (Wheatsone, 2018).
At the end of January, 2018 Formula One issued a statement "While the practise of employing grid girls has been a staple at Formula One Grand Prix for decades, we feel this custom is at odds with modern day societal norms...we don't believe the practise is appropriate or relevant to Formula One and its fans, old and new across the world." (News Corporation Australia, 2018).
As a female sport's fan in Australia (but not of Formula One) who is interested in the role and inclusion of women fans in Australian sport I welcomed the decision. And yes I agree with Formula One that the idea of grid girls 'are at odds with modern day societal norms'. As a sport's fan I don't really believe grid girls (like cheerleaders) added anything to an exciting sport where men are the stars. Women are often objectified and seem nothing more than eye candy for male supporters. Grid girls and cheerleaders definitely send the wrong message to those women wanting to participate in sport on equal terms with men including motor sport (Ormonde, 2012, Emery, 2018).
I doubt those journalists and columnists in the Australian media who supported grid girls have been to a Formula One Grand Prix event in Australia or overseas or any sporting event where young women perform to entertain the supporters and support men playing the game on the field. Many stated that the presence of grid girls (or cheerleaders) at events didn't bother them. It is easy to support a group of people you personally have no contact with and are not a regular feature of you or your families life such as going to a rugby league game. These women argue that young women have a right use their physical beauty to earn money, wear what they want and to engage in any employment of their choice to earn a living at what they love. Which is true in Australia. One journalist told me 'how dare I tell another woman what values they should have' when I expressed my objection.
I was 'told how dare you tell another woman what values they should have' at the same time they ignored me and my feelings and the right to express my opinion. In fact no where in anything I read did journalists or columnists talk to a female fan about how grid girls or cheerleaders made fans feel at games and events and that was uncomfortable. To be honest I didn't like cheerleader's routines and costumes. The only person I read interested in the position of the female fans and cheerleaders was Russell Crowe back in 2009 when he made the decision to axe cheerleaders at South Sydney.
American cheerleading and the role of women in this sport is different in America than Australia. I have read where many academics, people pro grid girls and cheerleaders argue that the girls are often using these experiences to put themselves through university (Back, 2017). I have also read about cheerleading as a sport in its own right not as an addition to a male game which is a completely different thing. "What I love about cheerleading is that it is for everyone. Just like other sports, cheerleading has positions (flyers, bases, back bases, tumblers, dancers) that require athletes of various shapes, sizes and skill sets to fill them. Tall, short, solid, skinny, blond, brunette -it takes them all to make a perfect routine..."(Mihalopolos, 2014). If this was true in Australian sport about cheerleaders as crowd entertainment then there would be more diversity in those selected to perform in the squads.
I am a female Australian rugby union fan. Australian rugby union has never had cheerleaders as a number of Australian sports. I have been interested in rugby union and women in sport for over thirteen years. During that time I have seen major sporting league teams in Australian actively encourage women to participate in all levels of sport from being a fan, member, player, referee, employed in teams in a range of positions through the media, as health professionals, in team management and on boards. Many rugby union clubs have had special memberships and events including 'Ladies Day' for women fans. The head of Australian rugby union is a woman.
During doing research for the post I read quite a few articles but not in one did I read where someone had asked a female fan of Formula One what they thought (they spoke to the grid girls, drivers and management of Formula One, female academics and females in the sport but not the fans). The only time I have seen cheerleading at an Australian sporting event was when I lived in Canberra and I went to watch Australian rugby league teams South Sydney v Canberra. To me the men were the stars of the show and showed great skills at playing the game. When I went to these games South Sydney had already axed their cheerleaders.
In 2009 Russell Crowe as the new owner of South Sydney decided not to use cheerleaders as they made fans feel uncomfortable. He stated that the focus should be on football and replaced them with other forms of entertainment that were later disbanded. The move was seen as progressive at the time. To be honest Russell Crowe's words rang true at the games in Canberra and I did feel uncomfortable with cheerleaders and their type of entertainment. Several years on from my experiences in Canberra, the rugby league team the Canberra Raiders have decided not to renew their female cheerleading squad. The reason given was that this would distinguish their team from other teams and to 'create more opportunities for women and men and children to get involved.' (Back, 2017).
In 2016 Australia provided the American college football season with a match in Sydney between the California Golden Bears and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at ANZ stadium. This was the first American college football game ever played in Australia. Along with that game came all the razzle dazzle of American football including female cheerleading squads and marching bands. The social media section at ANZ stadium were sending out a large amount of tweets to promote the game using tweets with photographs of cheerleaders who seemed to be included in every promotional opportunity available rather than the players.
I don't have a problem with American college football or any American sports playing in Australia during their regular or off season but I do have a problem with cheerleaders who don't play the game in any capacity being used to promote the sport here. If Americans are going to promote their sport here I would rather see and hear from the players and administrators. When I complained to ANZ stadium on Twitter they blocked me for speaking up for what I considered sexist behaviour.
Many journalists and sports fans will probably believe the decision to axe grid girls comes in the wake of the #MeToo campaign in 'which has brought sexual harassment and objectification of women into the spotlight' (Emery, 2018). I believe it probably has influenced many professional sports and the role women play within them. But in Australian sport the decision to make sport more inclusive of women and for equal rights has been ongoing for many years. For example, late last year Australian sporting codes Australian Rugby Union, Australian Rugby League, Australian Football League and Australian Netball League joined forces to encourage Australian sport's fans to be more than a spectator and challenge sexist attitudes and behaviours, where ever and when they see them.
So what happens when women sport's fans speak up about sexist attitudes and behaviours in particular in sport around Australia. It seems grid girls, cheerleaders and their supporters are quick to shut those women down. I was told by one journalist on Twitter 'what right do men have to tell women what to do' as I tried to explain the role of women in sport including motor sport and their sponsors and this decision was perhaps not confined to men. Since then other articles have been written and the down fall of the grid girl has been blamed on the middle class well to do women telling working class women what they can and can't do. The grid girls blame women feminists for the lost of a job they loved (SBS, 2018, ABC, 2018).
Regardless of who made the decision to axe the grid girls it seems that those who run a business (either male or female) like the Formula One and their sponsors and fans can't make a decision about what is best for their business. Chan & Walters (2018) stated Formula One paid grid girls in the United Kingdom 300 pounds a day plus all their costs including food, hotels, makeup and travel. The total cost of grid girls ads up to a lot of money and savings if made redundant or replace with a more inclusive model. The axing of grid girls, cheerleaders and other walk on roles for models in professional darts and Australian cycling does reflect current societal norms but also to ensure the future of their sport as they compete for limited sponsorship funding. The money certainly can be used to promote more inclusive women's roles at all levels of the professional sport. What ever the reasons it is a move in the right direction.
References
Back, A. 2017. 'Canberra Raiders drop cheerleaders in 2017' published in The Canberra Times on 9 January, 2017.
Chan, E & Walters, I. 2018. 'It didn't feel sexist': Former grid girls have THEIR say on the controversial Formula One ban but Melinda Messenger says it's the right move' published in the DailyMail.co.uk on 1 February, 2018.
Emery, K. 2018. 'Grid girls are a notion that has had its day' published in The West Australian on 2 February, 2018.
McMahon, A. 2018. 'Formula One axes grid girls from races to keep up with 'modern day societal norms' published on abc.net.au on 1 February, 2018.
Mihalopoulos, S. 'Everything you know about cheerleading is wrong' published in mamamia.com.au on 10 August, 2014.
Musovic, S, (2017), 'Sports stars urge fans to challenge sexism by being #morethanaspectator' published in ourwatch.org.au on 24 November, 2017.
News Corporation Australia, 2018. 'Formula One axes 'grid girls' starting at the Australian Grand prix in March' published in news.com.au on 1 February, 2018.
Ormonde, L. 2018, 'Do you support woman's right to cheer?' published in mamamia.com.au on the 1 May, 2012.
Poulson, J, 2018. 'Broncos say cheerleaders here to stay after Formula One axes grid girls' published in The Courier Mail on February, 2018.
Ritchie, D. & Charnock, C. 2009, 'Cheerleaders axed at Souths' published in the Daily Telegraph on the 17 March, 2009.
SBS, 2018. 'F1 grid girls push back against 'well of women' telling others what to do'.SBS News published on 7 February, 2017.
Wheatstone, R. 2018. 'Grid Grief. What are grid girls, how much do they get paid and who are the grid kids to replace them' published in thesun.co.uk on 6 February, 2018.
