Roxie Beckles voiced a complaint about women’s gym attire. Over the past six years the IFBB pro figure competitor has gone on a puritanical and fundamentalist Catholic Christian tangent. Beckles asserts that women’s gym shorts are expose too much and could be unsanitary. Roxie Beckles does not consider herself a fitness influencer, but does not have an issue many commentary like one. The video is more about shaming or criticizing women based on a double standard. The irony is that Roxie Beckles posed in bikinis and similar attire. Being a bodybuilder and with 26 years in the fitness industry these statements seem comedic. What she articulates parrots what many on the online conservative media express. Women should not dress a certain way in the gym and if harassment happens it is their fault. There are cases in which women gym goers falsely accuse men of inappropriate staring. The unfortunate reality is that women are going to be harassed no matter what they wear. Women voicing frustration or filming misconduct should not be condemned. Instead of getting vexed at sex based clothing rules or harassment blame is placed on women.
“In our society today, everything and anything goes. And NO ONE can dare question you. But if you’re caught staring… You better watch out! You’ll be put on blast – kCrEeEpER! Well on today, I’M that creeper because I saw this come across my feed and all I could think of was… STAPH INFECTION AND E COLI! Ladies, why do you feel the need to dress like this at the gym? Who is it for? If for yourself, why have total disregard for cleanliness and preventing disease in your privates (or other areas) by wearing clothing less provocative?”
Roxie Beckles argument almost echoes a Karen or a baby boomer projection. Something might be not to your taste, but that does not make it wrong. The video can challenged refuted and when doing so it shows Beckles motivation. Roxie Beckles dislikes low length gym shorts, because it is offensive to her. The claim has nothing to do with appropriate attire, hygiene, or the false accusation of misconduct.
Anyone who has watched a CrossFit, track, or bodybuilding competition notices women are wearing short shorts. Reading fitness magazines every woman is wearing them. Most of the Olympic track and field athletes are wearing what are closer to bikini bottoms. Roxie Beckles just ignores this completely. The woman exercising in the video attire is not that different. The woman gym goer is not wearing a thong. Maybe if that were the case, Roxie’s assertions would have more cogency. Looking closer it appears that her shorts are riding up. The woman has a wedgie and it becomes a subject of a video rant.
Wedgies are going to happen with gym shorts. Track athletes get wedgies when they run. This also can be seen in volleyball. The most common image from track and volleyball is women pulling wedgies out. The woman in the video just forgot to pull down her shorts. Looking at her from the back, her shorts are pulled up to her waist. The video was probably filmed without her knowledge. Roxie Beckles just needs to look at CrossFit, volleyball, and track to see the same gym shorts.
Judging clothing is more acceptable than attacking women. If Roxie has a problem with the style of shorts fashion designers are to blame. Women’s fitness clothing is more revealing. What should be understood is women are not making their own sportswear. Nike and Adidas are making the clothes. Gymshark produces gym shorts of short length. These companies make products to be sold to the public. Based on that fact more of Roxie’s disgust should be directed at the sportswear corporations. Those who make criticisms would never go after a corporation. The reason is most think that a company can do no wrong. Anything can be fine if it supports capitalist enterprise. Getting mad at women wearing really short gym shorts is irrational. The disapproval should be with those who make the clothing. The endeavor would be a fruitless one. Letters of complaint to major brands would be ignored. Women’s gym fashion has changed over the years. Sanctimonious projection is not going to stop that.
Gyms can have a dress code. Just like a business has a one or certain special gatherings. The gym the women was in did not have a rule against those type of shorts. Otherwise she would have been given a warning. The next step would be removal. Whatever gym she was using ,they were fine with her attire. The problem with some dress codes is double standards. Women are subject to more restrictions. Roxie may think that contemporary society is permissive, but that is not the case. Dress codes on college campuses have tried to ban women from wearing sports bras. Men are not subject to this. Some men even take of their shirts when working out. Few rules exist for that. The only message expressed is that women’s bodies by nature are indecent. The woman in the video is not wearing a thong. Most would agree that would not be acceptable in a gym.
Women are not working out in thongs either. This is only seen in fitness photo shoots or exercise equipment related advertisements. Roxie almost appears to make an argument of indecent exposure. By legal definition the woman in the video is not doing that. There is no exposure of the reproductive area. Nor is she attempting to expose herself to other gym members. If Roxie Beckles is offended, then the ire should be directed at gym rules. Gyms have dress codes, but there is no evidence the woman in the video violated a rule.
hygiene is a concern. However wearing short gym shorts does not result in e coli and staph infection. It is possible that wearing them on unclean equipment could make a woman susceptible to infection. E coli can be found in feces. If a person does not wash their hands from the restroom or does not clean the posterior it can emerge. Unless a woman is not washing her shorts or engaging in basic hygiene infections can happen. Shorts themselves will not cause e coli or staph. Wearing sweat pants does not offer complete protection. This is why it is advised to wipe off machines before and after use. Gym clothing should be washed frequently. The combination of perspiration and contact with gym machines makes bacteria and viruses fester. Roxie Beckles does not seem to grasp how microbiology functions. The gym should have enough janitors to keep areas clean. Customers should also be responsible for keeping the spaces they use sanitary. Roxie Beckles makes it seem as if women are working out in loincloths.
Roxie even admits that she did pose in scantily clad clothing. Take for example the image of Roxie competing in 2014. Her blue colored bikini can barely contain her glutes. That is more skimpy and could be more inappropriate than the video she was complaining about. Competition bikinis like hers were at onetime were deemed illegal for the stage. The reason this was done in the early 1990s was due to competitions being broadcast on network television. The purpose was to avoid dispute with the FCC. This changed in the 2000s and smaller bikini bottoms were allowed. Granted Roxie is on stage, but it would be hard to believe that she has not donned smaller gym shorts.
A 26 year career in fitness and personal training it would almost be a shock. The hysteria about gym shorts is unnecessary. Leg warmers were a fashionable in the 1980s and got phased out. A number of years will go by and women’s gym short could change. The same complaints are made about women in yoga pants. These cover all of the legs and glutes. Maybe it is not the clothing at all, but people who have a problem with women’s bodies. A man in trunks or posing shorts would not generate the same ire. Roxie Beckles knows this, so her commentary is coming from a disingenuous place.
Asking the question “who is it for?” is a tired argument. That could easily be interpreted as women wearing certain clothing invite incidents to happen. Roxie Beckles almost implies that women wear certain gym shorts are trying to attract men. Then correcting herself she then comes to the realization some might do it for themselves. Women are more interested in fashion and clothing. The selection of gym attire is just their personal preference. Women discarding a certain type of shorts is not going to eliminate harassment. There are women who falsely accuse men of inappropriate staring or sexual harassment. Such videos are even posted for clicks by these women on social media. That recent phenomenon is a symptom of the humiliation viral video trend. Some cases are not this horrid aspect of social media. Men are harassing women in gyms while they exercise. Roxie indirectly invokes victim blaming. The articulation might not be intentional, but some might view it that way. Roxie Beckles qualm with the clothing has nothing to do with hygiene or appropriate attire for a public space. She is just offended by it. At least has not gotten to the point of telling people what they should wear. Those who get offended by something minor want to control other people’s lives and behavior. The woman in the video was not guilty of indecent exposure and as far as we know did not violate a gym dress code. If Roxie Beckles is so offended by shorts maybe she should not watch the video. The woman was probably filmed without her knowledge and was subject to unwanted critique about her attire. If one is so offended much of the frustration should be direction athletic clothing companies and gyms that do not have a dress code. Sanctimonious lecturing comes of as another form arrogance. Roxie Beckles states she “never went that far,” but looking at some of her contest photos tells another story.
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