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Terry and Jan Todd Series on Physical Culture and Sports
Roller Derby: The History of an American Sport
Since 1935, roller derby has thrilled fans and skaters with its constant action, hard hits, and edgy attitude. However, though its participants’ athleticism is undeniable, roller derby has never been accepted as a “real” sport. Michella M. Marino, herself a former skater, tackles the history of a sport that has long been a cultural mainstay for one reason both utterly simple and infinitely complex: roller derby has always been coed.
Richly illustrated and drawing on oral histories, archival materials, media coverage, and personal experiences, Roller Derby is the first comprehensive history of this cultural phenomenon, one enjoyed by millions yet spurned by mainstream gatekeepers. Amid the social constraints of the mid-twentieth century, roller derby’s emphasis on gender equality attracted male and female athletes alike, producing gender relations and gender politics unlike those of traditional sex-segregated sports. In an enlightening feminist critique, Marino considers how the promotion of pregnancy and motherhood by roller derby management has simultaneously challenged and conformed to social norms. Finally, Marino assesses the sport’s present and future after its resurgence in the 2000s.
Richly illustrated and drawing on oral histories, archival materials, media coverage, and personal experiences, Roller Derby is the first comprehensive history of this cultural phenomenon, one enjoyed by millions yet spurned by mainstream gatekeepers. Amid the social constraints of the mid-twentieth century, roller derby’s emphasis on gender equality attracted male and female athletes alike, producing gender relations and gender politics unlike those of traditional sex-segregated sports. In an enlightening feminist critique, Marino considers how the promotion of pregnancy and motherhood by roller derby management has simultaneously challenged and conformed to social norms. Finally, Marino assesses the sport’s present and future after its resurgence in the 2000s.
296 pages, Hardcover
Published October 12, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 12, 2023
When considering things that are quintessentially American, often one considers things like baseball, Coca-Cola, and Jazz. Roller Derby may be a representation of some of the better aspects of America.
Marino has put together a great history not just of Roller Derby but how it served as a reflection of the changes occurring in American society and how it was affected by cultural changes in the country over time. Marino takes you through the beginnings of Derby as a skating marathon, to it becoming a contact sport, the modern rules being crafted on a napkin, and up to the recent revival of the sport in Austin, TX in the early 2000s.
The most important quality that this book helps to highlight in the gist of Roller Derby is feminism. The idea of men and women competing equally and how this was accepted and not accepted in America. Women seen as brutes and unfeminine in the past participated in beauty pageants (Roller Derby Queen; the runner-up in the one of the first Miss America pageants was in Derby, fun fact) and were also mothers. They had to show that they could compete without sacrificing the qualities that society deemed necessary for them to be called women. Then, in a total flip flop of sorts, the recent revival had people viewing the female skaters as oversexualized and like circus performers. The men in the early days of derby also had to make shows of their bravado and even compete in contests for the label of Roller Derby King due to their masculinity being questioned due to competing with women at times.
Marino examines the family atmospheres, the diversity of the skaters over time, how the sport grew thanks to television (it even had Hollywood stars as its biggest fans from the 40s to 60s), how it almost faded away and now how it may become an Olympic sport. Through it all, Marino gives praise to the skaters that came before and uses great research and oral histories to make this book come alive. Roller Derby may very well exude the qualities that we want people to think of when they think of America.
Marino has put together a great history not just of Roller Derby but how it served as a reflection of the changes occurring in American society and how it was affected by cultural changes in the country over time. Marino takes you through the beginnings of Derby as a skating marathon, to it becoming a contact sport, the modern rules being crafted on a napkin, and up to the recent revival of the sport in Austin, TX in the early 2000s.
The most important quality that this book helps to highlight in the gist of Roller Derby is feminism. The idea of men and women competing equally and how this was accepted and not accepted in America. Women seen as brutes and unfeminine in the past participated in beauty pageants (Roller Derby Queen; the runner-up in the one of the first Miss America pageants was in Derby, fun fact) and were also mothers. They had to show that they could compete without sacrificing the qualities that society deemed necessary for them to be called women. Then, in a total flip flop of sorts, the recent revival had people viewing the female skaters as oversexualized and like circus performers. The men in the early days of derby also had to make shows of their bravado and even compete in contests for the label of Roller Derby King due to their masculinity being questioned due to competing with women at times.
Marino examines the family atmospheres, the diversity of the skaters over time, how the sport grew thanks to television (it even had Hollywood stars as its biggest fans from the 40s to 60s), how it almost faded away and now how it may become an Olympic sport. Through it all, Marino gives praise to the skaters that came before and uses great research and oral histories to make this book come alive. Roller Derby may very well exude the qualities that we want people to think of when they think of America.
January 15, 2022
An interesting history of roller derby from its Depression-era beginnings through the current "Whip-It" revival that nonetheless still leaves me with plenty of unanswered questions. Among other things, I'm still not clear about just what the game was like pre-Damon Runyon, and how the changes in track configuration impacted the game. I do give her kudos for providing a new-to-me history of Roller Games, and going into considerable depth about the off-track lives of the skaters--the "Diaper Derby" chapter was especially interesting. It's a book no old-time roller derby fan should be without, and one that should be read by the new wave of derby girls.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews