Dolls Gone Wrong

The Chicago White Sox Locker Room, a unique spot for work to be conducted...

Granted most work environments are large spaces filled with desks, computers, TV's, printers, and a fax machine or two. Few "offices" are actual locker rooms... yet the very fine line between a typical locker room and a professional office was crossed on Tuesday. Of course which side of the line the offense falls on depends on who you talk to.

Gist of the deal is someone (no one person has been to blame) placed two inflatable female dolls, propped by bats (you can guess where the bats were placed), inside the locker room. The new "mascots" had signs hanging around their neck that read: "You've Got To Push" and "Let's Go White Sox". It was a petty and cheap display of team spirit with the laughable hope that a few dolls could bring the team out of a losing slump. Hey, we all have our ways of finding motivation. Turns out the cheerleaders dolls didn't work, they still lost. 

Now here's the thing... was the act tasteless? Yeah, pretty much. Offensive? I could see how someone would be. I did not walk into the locker room, so as a woman I can't say 100% that I would or would not be offended by it. Did it completely lack in good judgment? Absolutely. But in the scheme of things, was there any harm meant in it? No way. A bad joke is a bad joke. Beyond someone looking for a cheap pick me up, I don't think there was any bigger meaning beyond it.

I'm not defending the team. This is no Matt Leinart invasion. Displaying it in the locker room where media has access made it fair game to become a big story. On top of that, when the manager has been known for poor taste in past decisions, it's hard to make excuses. 

The real question is should the behavior in the locker room have to change? Is what's acceptable behind closed doors between teammates still ok when visitors aka journalists have access inside those closed doors? Does the set environment have to fit the people who are present? Or should the media recognize that they are only guests in someone else's office and the purpose of their stay is to gather information for the story? The story being the game at hand.

I'd like to think that sometimes our sensitivity gets in the way of humor. Then again, humor can be harsh and repulsive.

In this case, it makes one think. Who knew a blow-up doll could make you do that.