Puck bunny

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A puck bunny is a female ice hockey fan, often one whose interest in the sport is primarily motivated by sexual attraction to the players rather than enjoyment of the game itself [1]. Primarily a Canadian term, it gained popular currency in the 21st century, and in 2004 was added to the second edition of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary which defines it as follows [2]:

Puck bunny: a young female hockey fan, especially one motivated more by a desire to meet the players than by an interest in hockey.[3]

The term is somewhat analogous to the term groupie as it relates to rock and roll musicians. Sociological studies of the phenonenon in minor league hockey indicate that self-proclaimed "puck bunnies" are "'proud as punch' to have sex with the [players]", as it confers social status on them. However, these transitory relationships are often contrasted with those of girlfriends, whom players have more stable, long-term relationships with.[4]

Some sociology researchers dispute the stereotypes of "puck bunnies" — as Crawford and Gosling put it:

The term ‘puck bunny’, which is applied almost exclusively to female ice hockey fans, implies that these supporters are ‘inauthentic’, not ‘dedicated’ in their support, and are more interested in the sexual attractiveness of the players rather than the sport itself.[5]

Their study suggests that female fans at games are just as knowledgeable as the male fans, and that the physical attractiveness of players does not play a significant role in attracting females to the sport.[5] Nonetheless, some female fans object to the term, as they are often viewed and described as puck bunnies simply by their presence at a game, regardless of their true intentions or motivations. Other female fans embrace the use of the term as a way of making a distinction between a puck bunny and a "true" female fan of the sport.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nallainathan, Maurika. Puck Bunnies. The Vancouver Observer. November 16, 2006. http://www.thevancouverobserver.com/cgi-bin/show_sitemap_article.cgi?ID=46
  2. ^ 5,000 new words. CBC News (2004-07-24). Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  3. ^ Barber, Katherine (January 20, 2005). Canadian Oxford Dictionary, 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195418163. 
  4. ^ Messner, Michael A. (2002). Taking the Field: Women, Men, and Sports. University of Minnesota Press, 45. ISBN 0816634491. 
  5. ^ a b Crawford, Garry; Victoria K. Gosling (2004). "The Myth of the ‘Puck Bunny’". Sociology 38 (3): 477–493. doi:10.1177/0038038504043214. 

[edit] External links