The WAGs take Baden Baden by storm

It’s a matter of days before kick-off at the World Cup. However, for those individuals who find the idea of watching hour upon hour of sweaty men kicking a ball around a pitch somewhat uninspiring, there may be another element to the beautiful game which really makes them sit up and take notice.  In fact, some have hailed the impact that the wives and girlfriends (WAGs) of footballers have on the World Cup experience as a ‘cultural phenomenon’; others have blamed these women for their country’s swift exit from the event.

Who could forget the images taken in Baden Baden, Germany in 2006 in which an immaculately turned-out Victoria Beckham strode alongside a soon-to-be Mrs Coleen Rooney, Michael Owen’s wife Louise Bonsall and soon-to-be-ex Mrs Frank Lampard, Elen Rives?  Manicured, tanned and preened they walked Sex and The City-style all over the picturesque German town, raising more than a few concerns along the way regarding their behaviour.

However, the impact of the WAGs has now transcended fashion; the issues of femininity and feminism now prevail in what has become a great debate.  For some, these superficial women represent the decline of feminism; that is to say that their identity is solely defined by men.  They have hindered societal change and are sending a troubling message to the next generation of females: finding and keeping a rich man represents success and, ultimately, happiness. For others, WAGs are a symbol of female empowerment, allowing women to finally experience freedom on a number of levels: freedom to explore their femininity on a physical level; freedom to choose how to live their lives; freedom to embrace the celebration of women.

While the media largely mock and point fun at your average WAG, there are those staunch supporters who believe that the WAG phenomenon is not to be sniffed at.  Dr Catherine Hakim, a sociologist at The London School of Economics, believes that the way WAGs are culturally demonised is symbolic of a particular kind of sexism, “It’s just another example of the Anglo-Saxon prejudice against beauty, pleasure and sexiness that goes way beyond WAGs to anything that displays erotic capital.”  This ‘erotic capital’ Hakim refers to is key to her argument in favour of these women, and she is keen to stress that these females may also possess social, economic and human capital too, but it is the erotic for which they are persistently criticised.  She notes, “It’s just another asset.  Nobody criticises someone for going to university – at public expense I might add.”

Indeed, a number of these women possess (whisper it) qualifications.  Research by education experts suggests that most wives and girlfriends of footballers have gained decent qualifications and are often far better educated than their partners. Alex Curran, wife of Steven Gerrard, holds a beauty qualification; Claudine Keane, wife of Robbie, has a degree in economics, and Carly Cole, wife of Joe has a personal training qualification. According to the Learning and Skills Council, the exception to the rule is Victoria Beckham, who left school with only a few GCSE’s, yet went on to find fame and fortune of her own accord.

However, the fact that a number of these women choose to disregard these achievements in favour of the ‘high life’ is more than enough ammunition for their critics.  Research by the Girls’ Schools Association , which represents top fee-paying schools, concluded that parents believed that WAGs were a damaging influence on their daughters’ lives.  Pat Langham, former GSA head and principal of Wakefield Girls’ High School said of such women, “If they believe to have cosmetic surgery, hair extensions and a good handbag will bag them a footballer and therefore fulfil their career aspirations, then they need better career aspirations.” She then expresses how fortunate it is that students don’t seem too impressed by the WAG phenomenon, “When I talk to the girls in my school, they see through the façade and sometimes see people with very high heels and quite low IQs.”

A negative role model for young women?

However, many WAGs make the choice of abandoning career opportunities and the chance to carve out their own identity in favour of family life and support for their partners.  These women are often vilified for their polished looks, lifestyle choices and ability to ‘flash the cash’, but there is a darker side to the life of a WAG.  Isolation and loneliness are often prevalent factors involved in following a footballer’s career.  Many women report that they feel pushed to one side in favour of their super-star partner; women flock to them in nightclubs and men admire them in droves.  There are the long periods of time their partner may spend away from home travelling, and let’s not get into the affairs and tabloid circus of rumours surrounding them which will inevitably arise at some point during the relationship.

On the one hand, these women possess a number of redeeming qualities: they are often family oriented, passionate about their partners and willing to support them throughout difficult times both in their professional and personal lives. But there is something distinctly unsavoury about the image which these seemingly switched-on females portray. Excessive consumption of goods in the form of designer handbags, clothes and shoes is encouraged; cosmetic surgery is seen as a viable option in order  to attain physical perfection; for some infidelity is not an issue, it is merely seen as the price a woman must pay in order to retain her dream lifestyle.

Ultimately, the message that these females are sending to the next generation is an irresponsible one.  They are promoting a warped kind of femininity in favour of feminism which stands for everything which should make us glad to be female.  We should be fiercely proud of our independence; our strong-willed nature; our ability to empower others. And we certainly should not encourage young girls to embark on the fantasy of becoming the wife or girlfriend of a footballer in the blind belief that this will make them complete.