Brian Phillips on Olympic rhythmic gymnastics - Grantland: Obviously — I mean, obviously — gender has something to do with this. RG is often not just girly, it's aggressively, in-your-face girly; it's an h-bomb of girliness.4 Looking at the overall culture of the sport, you sometimes get an impression of an ancient, complex civilization made up entirely of 12-year-olds named Bethany. The core aesthetic of RG is … well, there are leotards on which the sequins have sequins. There are pinks that cut your brain. Words like "butterfly princess" and "Euro Disney halftime show" and "the crime scene after the Easter bunny is beaten to death with a vintage Patrick Nagel print" flutter into the mind. If you're a fan who's got the least bit of insecurity about the sports you are watching, it is really, really easy to feel like, OK, at least pro wrestling involves smashing things. It is really, really easy not to give RG a chance.
[Spoiler: he was facinated, and for good reason. This stuff is tough]