what we talk about when we talk about Dr Eva Carneiro
Pretty much everyone on my twitter timeline was disgusted by what happened to Dr Carneiro this week, which is nice. But I wasn’t just disgusted. I was pissed off. I took it personally. And I wasn’t the only one. So let’s recap.
Dr Eva Carneiro is a sports medicine specialist who has been working at the top level of her field for close to a decade. She has a MSc in Sport and Exercise from Queen Mary University of London in addition to her medical qualifications. Previous to her appointment at Chelsea she worked for West Ham United and for the UK Olympic Medical Institute, preparing British athletes for the 2008 Olympic Games. She has been at Chelsea since 2009.
I list her accomplishments because from the point of view of a fellow professional that is what you want to be judged by. Not how you do your hair or what you’re wearing, or what you do in your spare time.
Dr Carneiro is a rare, visible inspirational example of someone who is thriving in her dream career despite all the obstacles placed in her way.
She has suffered vile sexist abuse from football fans in the course of doing her job. This is something no one should have to put up with in their place of work. Imagine thousands of men telling you to get your tits out as you’re trying to do whatever it is you do for a living. Imagine those chants being audible on TV, so that literally millions can hear them.
The loudest voice in the Premier League and the second or third most powerful person at her place of employment denigrated her in front of the press thus: “I wasn't happy with my medical staff because even if you are a medical doctor or secretary on the bench, you have to understand the game.” A secretary?
She has now been demoted by her employer from her highly visible and unique position, literally for just doing her job and following the rules of the game. Can you say constructive dismissal?
Let me repeat that: SHE DID NOTHING WRONG. For any employer to behave the way Chelsea have is to invite a employment law case.
May I also note that first team physio Jon Fearn, the other person criticized by Mourinho, did actually get to travel with the team to their game against Manchester City.
Journalist Duncan Castles, who is widely known to be a reliable source for Mourinho-related news/a mouthpiece for Mourinho (pick one), wrote an article 4 days ago which sought to blame this demotion on the Chelsea players, who were allegedly uncomfortable with having a woman around. Leaving aside everything else wrong with this notion, it contradicts every other piece of reporting on this incident, which universally mentions the players being bewildered or dismayed by her demotion.
The Daily Mail (the most visited English-language newspaper website in the world, least we forget) and its group of influential big name football journalists, including their chief sports writer Martin Samuel, rally to tell the world that a layperson knows better than a professional, and it was fine for the professional to be publicly humiliated for no reason. Some of them use grossly sexist language to do so. [Don’t worry, that’s not a link to their site.]
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail also carries articles highlighting and analyzing Dr Carneiro’s appearance and personal life. But not that of Jon Fearn. Of course not.
Because there is no low to which they will not sink, the Sun on Sunday went and found some shitbag ex of Dr Carneiro’s to dish all about her personal habits and sex life, in an article that amounts to WOMAN LIKES A DRINK AND ENJOYS SEX: THE HORROR. They use headlines that imply she might have slept with some players, even though the goddamn shitbag ex says in the ‘article’ that he doesn’t think it’s true.
Was there ever any legitimate public interest in the Mail and the Sun’s coverage of her personal life? Was any of it ever newsworthy? Of course not. Do we expect better from the Sun? No. There was an interest, so they went and filled the gap in the market. That doesn’t make it acceptable.
Dr Carneiro is supremely qualified. She was very popular with the fans and had never had a single bit of bad press. She did not do anything wrong. None of that shielded her from this flood of bullshit. For anyone who is just trying to do her job to have to put up with all this is outrageous.
This incident has proven that for a woman in the public eye, especially in football, we might as well still be living in the last century. And that’s why this whole thing pisses me off.
[Also: don’t buy the Sun. Don’t click on anything that links to their website. Don’t even mention their twitter handle.]
