Tainted love
On Sunday, photographers came out to shoot photos of us hooping for the Portland Monthly magazine's Best Of issue. I should be more excited. Fame! More fame! But what was going to be a fun-filled silly afternoon quickly turned into a promo piece for the local wannabe "high profile" hoopers here. I felt like I was in high school, vying to get in with the cool kids. It totally sucked the fun out of the whole day. There we were, maybe 40 or 50 of us dressed in bright colors as we'd been instructed. The photographers asked us to get in a huge wide line stretching out in front of him. He climbed up on a ladder, and the idea was to see hoopers stretching on for miles. When the ring leader, or hoop leader, saw this, she of course ran to the front and called her closest friends each by name, to join her.
Sure, maybe I am a little jealous. But I got out of the photo to watch for a while (the shoot took a long time) and was bummed by a fun sport turned into yet another example of women sexifying things to the point of grossness. There they were, all up front bending themselves and playing up to the camera. Were they sexy? Sure. But they are sexy and fun without overdoing it and hamming it up and excluding others. I left early, and didn't go to hoop practice this weekend. Am I a poor sport?
Possibly. Then, as if to get me back, I went out yesterday afternoon by myself for an afternoon session. I wore my hair down, and took 4 hoops. I also had my black pants with the silver sequins on the belt.
I'd almost gotten to my post when I realized there was a creep-o following me. I sat down and waited for him to leave. When he leaned up against a tree and stared, I got up and went to the other side of the park. I tried to ignore him. Finally he came up to me and mumbled something random about seeing me at a club. He hadn't. He was in his early 20s, maybe, and had this sneaky demeanor about him. He didn't look me in the eyes, just at my boobs. He got too close for comfort. I took off again across the park and sat down next to a nice-looking guy with a dog.
This happened the last time I went out hooping too-- I had to cut my session short when some dude came up and started talking to me. He wasn't creepy, but still bugged me and wouldn't leave. The whole point of hooping for me, is to share it, so of course I want to be freindly and include everyone. And, I offer my hoops right away if anyone wants to try. But this is getting ridiculous.
Hula hooping is like dancing, and with my ipod I get really into it. But I don't do certain moves on purpose, because I know I am in public. I don't bend backwards, or to other crazy things that people will want to ask me about. I try to keep it simple. I don't know if it's just a string of bad luck, or maybe I am getting better. Or hotter. But this kind of attention makes me want to hide.
After the creep-o went away, I left. I didn't feel like hooping anymore, I felt dirty. I got to the edge of the park, and saw kids and families playing on the swings. I thought I'd give it another try. People with kids are nice, right? Well, turns out I was too close to a basketball court, and within minutes had a black dude asking if I'd be his teacher. He wasn't menacing either, but I just wish I was invisible sometimes.
Sure, maybe I am a little jealous. But I got out of the photo to watch for a while (the shoot took a long time) and was bummed by a fun sport turned into yet another example of women sexifying things to the point of grossness. There they were, all up front bending themselves and playing up to the camera. Were they sexy? Sure. But they are sexy and fun without overdoing it and hamming it up and excluding others. I left early, and didn't go to hoop practice this weekend. Am I a poor sport?
Possibly. Then, as if to get me back, I went out yesterday afternoon by myself for an afternoon session. I wore my hair down, and took 4 hoops. I also had my black pants with the silver sequins on the belt.
I'd almost gotten to my post when I realized there was a creep-o following me. I sat down and waited for him to leave. When he leaned up against a tree and stared, I got up and went to the other side of the park. I tried to ignore him. Finally he came up to me and mumbled something random about seeing me at a club. He hadn't. He was in his early 20s, maybe, and had this sneaky demeanor about him. He didn't look me in the eyes, just at my boobs. He got too close for comfort. I took off again across the park and sat down next to a nice-looking guy with a dog.
This happened the last time I went out hooping too-- I had to cut my session short when some dude came up and started talking to me. He wasn't creepy, but still bugged me and wouldn't leave. The whole point of hooping for me, is to share it, so of course I want to be freindly and include everyone. And, I offer my hoops right away if anyone wants to try. But this is getting ridiculous.
Hula hooping is like dancing, and with my ipod I get really into it. But I don't do certain moves on purpose, because I know I am in public. I don't bend backwards, or to other crazy things that people will want to ask me about. I try to keep it simple. I don't know if it's just a string of bad luck, or maybe I am getting better. Or hotter. But this kind of attention makes me want to hide.
After the creep-o went away, I left. I didn't feel like hooping anymore, I felt dirty. I got to the edge of the park, and saw kids and families playing on the swings. I thought I'd give it another try. People with kids are nice, right? Well, turns out I was too close to a basketball court, and within minutes had a black dude asking if I'd be his teacher. He wasn't menacing either, but I just wish I was invisible sometimes.
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