b'T3 Journal - Student Writing in Drama, University of Exeter 2020-21 Sabrina CassCharlotte Josephines Bitch Boxer (2012): a reflectionmedal. More generally, allowing women to box at the 2012 London Olympics opens up a platform to break stigmas. on the portrayal and expectation of gender in womensWomen do not need to ape maleness but can offer theirJosephine, C., 2012. Bitch Boxer. 1st ed. London: Oberon Books, pp.1-62.boxing in regard to the 2012 London Olympics own version of the boxing event. As we know, not only areLeslie, C., 2008. Boxing is the best way to stop violence in kids. The Guardian, [online] Available at:https://www.theguardian.com/politics/performances and narratives of womens boxing hauntedblog/2008/apr/14/boxingisthebestwaytostop [Accessed 12 April 2021].Dissertation Extracts by the ghosts of male champions and contenders gone before, but the sport is also burdened by the fascination ofCrews, S. and Lennox, S., 2021. Boxing and Performance: Memetic Hauntings. Sabrina Cass 1st ed. Oxon: Routledge, pp.1-147.what female bodies are and are not capable of (Solomon Lennox and Sarah Crews, 2021: 6).Hargreaves, J., 1994. Sporting Females: Critical Issues in the History and Sociology of Womens Sport. 1st ed. Abingdon: Routledge.The link with masculinity is present in Bitch Boxer through As a female boxer, I have had mixed experiences. Box- that is so often the hallmark of teenage years. It reachesChloes relationship with her father, who dies. She car-ing has offered me empowering opportunities while Iinto the underground, anarchical world which engulfs sories on through grief after her dads death, believing that, have also suffered the inequality that can come alongsidemany school drop-outs, which many other forms of socialFighters dont get sick (Charlotte Josephine, 2012: 35). participation in a traditionally masculine pursuit. Whenengagement cannot penetrate. And, crucially, boxing givesWomen have been fighting an uphill battle for years to not I first tried boxing, I instantly felt a connection with theyoung people who may be bad at everything else theyveeven come close to something as grand as competing in sport. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, but I remember, aftertried a sense of worth and self-esteem. They stop labellingthe Olympics.my first padding session, feeling nearly speechless, thethemselves as drop-outs; the frantic quest to prove them-only words I could find were, I want to fight. These wordsselves by bravado is not necessary (Charlotte Leslie, 2008:Chloe understands what entering the professional world of made me think that it wasnt just the adrenaline, it was thenp). Chloe is the main character in Bitch Boxer. She showsboxing will be like as a woman, but she also knows that, experience of performing an act outside my produced gen- strength and spirit in times of hardship. When her motherEvery competition planned, every fight one step closer to der norm that gave me a sense of purpose and power. leaves, she finds a motive and direction for her anger inmy new dream. A chance to prove to the whole world Im boxing, which ultimately gives her purpose for somethingworth sumink, to prove em all wrong. Women cant box? Bitch Boxer (2012) is a one-woman play written and per- greater to strive for. The societal view of boxing, especiallyYou watch (Charlotte Josephine, 2012: 40). Shes adamant formed by Charlotte Josephine. The play was first con- for women, is as aggressive, violent and transgressive, butin not wanting to talk about her feelings, grieve or ever ceived when Josephine was working at a coffee shop andthis demonstrates how womens anger and hardshiplook weak, as she doesnt always like to let people in and on one of their shifts they were lifting heavy boxes into anis rarely taken seriously. Chloes Mum leaving her wasits hard to when the image of a fighter is always strong. office. Upon seeing them do this, a stranger commentedfate that gave her a purpose and a chance to make historyLetting her guard down could mean that her gendered that they didnt look very ladylike. Instead of ignoring thefor women.assumed emotions get in the way of her being a profession-comment, Josephine directed that frustration and angeral boxer and so make her a liability to the sport. Thus, by into writing a rant on their phone. The rant theyd writtenFirst year women can fight and its in London.creating this strong persona through boxing, Chloe shields was later structured into a monologue and it was only afterOf all the places in the world they choose Stratford. Couldand guards her own femininity as this is the only way she hearing about the news of women being able to box com- have been held anywhere and its down the fucking road?!knows how to survive after her Dad dies. Upon interview-petitively for the first time in the 2012 London OlympicsIf that aint fate then I dunno what is. Someones trying toing Charlotte Josephine, it was clear to me that a lot of that Bitch Boxer (2012) was written into a play.tell me sumink though eh? Its practically on my fuckingChloes character was made up of experiences reflecting doorstep/ throw a stone and Im there. Ive got to fight. IJosephines own life of what it means to be a woman in Womens boxing first featured in the Olympics in 2012,just have to. And bollocks to all the haters. Ill prove ema western society. While truthfully, there is nothing new where it was approved by the International Olympic Com- wrong. Cant be an embarrassment to that silly slag with aabout women boxing, Jennifer Hargreaves reminds us:mittee (IOC) and Amateur International Boxing Associa- gold medal can I? (Charlotte Josephine, 2012: 39).tion (AIBA), and further finalised by the president ofAlthough its now officially acknowledged that the IOC committee, Jacques Rogge. Nonetheless, dueAs we see from the above, the drive that Chloe has mir- no reasons exist why biological differences between the to this being the first time in history that women wererored the fact that her Mum has no time for her interestsexes should impose restrictions on womens participation given the spotlight in a typically male dominated environ- in boxing and sees it merely as a teenage phase that shellin sports, it is exceptionally difficult to shift institutional-ment, the participation alone was enough to inspire womensoon grow out of. Personally, I find this a particularlyised practices and ideas that have supported them for so to achieve tasks outside a produced and reproducedstimulating side to the play, that Chloe, though angry atmany years (Jennifer Hargreaves, 1994: 282).gender norm.her mum, doesnt ever express this feeling to her in person. Instead, she controls it by taking the damage that herAllowing women to box has therefore created a challenge Boxing reaches out to the places that other sports dontmum caused and chanelling it through productive rebel- to gendered views, but more than that, it hands over to reach. Why? Because it engages with young people on theirlion instead. For Chloe, getting to and winning the 2012women power that is traditionally assigned within a mascu-own terms and recognises that frustration and aggressionLondon Olympics is about so much more than just a goldline narrative. 46 47'