Popular Culture Review Vol. 8, No. 2, August 1997 | Page 90

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Popular Culture Review

In light of this cultural history, why were the Red Heads so
successful? This is an especially interesting question since there has
never been a successful women's basketball league in the United
States. The newly launched American Basketball League which
played its first game in October 1996 and the Women's National
Basketball League which begins play June 1997 follow in the wake of
three previous attempts that ended in failure.
It is postulated that the major reason for the Red Heads'
popularity and financial success was that the owners, C.M. Olson,
1936-1954, and Orwell Moore, 1955-1986, capitalized on the inherent
role conflict between being female and being athletic. They did this
without challenging the dominant ideology of male superiority or
traditional definitions of male/female gender roles. The owners
accomplished this in two ways: one, by having the women play only
against men's teams in the "battle of the sexes" and two, by having
the women appear very feminine.
The Battle of the Sexes
The owners had the Red Heads play only against men's
teams, so that the games could be publicized as the "battle of the
sexes." For marketing purposes, the sensationalism of having the
"weaker sex" take on men was a good gate draw. Much like
vaudeville shows or the traveling circus. Red Heads' games were a
major event in small towns throughout the United States. This was
true even after the advent of television.
To make sure that the women never challenged the dominant
ideology that sports are a male domain and that men are physically
superior, the owners billed the games as entertaining basketball
shows. By calling the games shows, the contests were placed outside
the realm of "true" professional sport and into the realm of
entertainment. Showmanship then became as important as
athleticism. Publicity emphasized the Red Heads comedy routines,
their half-tim e show of basketball wizardry, and their
attractiveness.
The Red Heads played prinuirily against local teams made
up of amateur or semi-pro basketball players. On two occasions, they
played against National Football League (NFL) players. The San
Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs players' basketball skills
were no match for the Red Heads. The football players size and