Another disappointing season for the Philadelphia Eagles has left the franchise down a coach and its fan base incensed, willing and wanting to hurl the worst possible insults at the organization and its players.
For one fan, that insult came in its laziest form: emasculation. The fan wrote on Facebook that the Eagles “played like they were wearing tutus!!!” -- suggesting that those who don tutus are weak and ineffectual, fundamentally lesser than those who, say, suit up in pads and helmets every week.
Of course, that claim is entirely incorrect. Year after year, these dancers work endless hours, train until they can barely stand, in order to perfect the pas de bourrées and sautés requisite for a given performance.
Seriously, has this man not seen "Black Swan"?
Last week, the Pennsylvania Ballet decided to say as much when it responded to the Eagles fan, shutting down the derisive remark so entirely that the post has subsequently garnered over 30,000 Facebook likes.
Here is the ballet's response in its entirety:
With all due respect to the Eagles, let's take a minute to look at what our tutu wearing women have done this month:
By tomorrow afternoon, the ballerinas that wear tutus at Pennsylvania Ballet will have performed The Nutcracker 27 times in 21 days. Some of those women have performed the Snow scene and the Waltz of the Flowers without an understudy or second cast. No 'second string' to come in and spell them when they needed a break. When they have been sick they have come to the theater, put on make up and costume, smiled and performed. When they have felt an injury in the middle of a show there have been no injury timeouts. They have kept smiling, finished their job, bowed, left the stage, and then dealt with what hurts. Some of these tutu wearers have been tossed into a new position with only a moments notice. That's like a cornerback being told at halftime that they're going to play wide receiver for the second half, but they need to make sure that no one can tell they've never played wide receiver before. They have done all of this with such artistry and grace that audience after audience has clapped and cheered (no Boo Birds at the Academy) and the Philadelphia Inquirer has said this production looks "better than ever."
The Pennsylvania Ballet has once again proved that there is no room for sexism at the barre or on the gridiron. Looks like the Eagles lost this one by way of their fan, too.
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