FEMOSPHERE

If you haven’t seen the recent discourse over Simone Biles’ relationship, it is actually rather interesting and poses many questions about the male-female dynamic. Here’s a brief summary:

Simone Biles, Olympic gold medalist and accomplished gymnast, recently went on a podcast with her husband, Jonathan Owens. The hosts of the podcast, The Pivot, asked Owens “how did you catch Simone Biles?” to which Owens responded that she caught him.

Owens went on to describe how Simone pursued him originally and how he had “no idea” who she was. The discussion came to a peak when Owens stated that he thinks men are always “the prize.” More information on the interview linked here.

Of course, when this podcast was released, Owens was met with backlash over his comments about his wife. Many social media users called Owens “insecure,” and speculated that he was lying about never having heard of Biles before, especially given that he is also in the sports industry as a player for the Green Bay Packers.

There were many thought-provoking statements Owens made throughout the interview but a few stuck out to me.

Firstly, never having heard of Simone Biles. Biles has quickly become a household name as she is one of the most decorated gymnasts in the world. Having won seven Olympic medals, she has dominated her industry and has been on numerous magazine covers and talk show platforms. Most people I know, know who Simone Biles is regardless of their interest in sports.

I find it hard to believe that Jonathan Owens, a player for the Green Bay Packers, had never heard of Simone Biles before she took interest in him. Regardless of if it is true or not, I find it very embarrassing that he would admit that publicly. Not embarrassing for him, but for his wife.

Secondly, to add to the embarrassment, Owens goes on to talk about how he is the prize. There is a lot of internet discourse over who is “the prize” in a romantic relationship. Whether you think it is the man or the woman, any spouse who has taste would not publicly assert themselves as the prize.

It’s extremely disrespectful to be on a public platform, looking at your very accomplished, decorated wife and proudly declare that you are the prize.

This may be something that Owens and Biles discussed, maybe he really thinks that he is the prize, but what value is it to say that? Is it necessary in a marriage to classify one party as “the prize?”

Publicly declaring that one person is the prize, especially when both are public figures, invites random people to judge and give their own opinion. It’s not protecting your privacy or relationship.

Part of me wonders if the whole ordeal is engagement farming. In the wake of the backlash Owens faced for his comments, Simone stood by his comments, posted wedding photos on her social media, and commented on Owens’ Instagram post about the “haters.”

Perhaps this was crafted by the couple for engagement, and it worked. It is a very controversial, and seemingly pointless, statement to make.

Regardless, there’s a few things we can take away from the whole situation. Positive or negative, what you say about your spouse- especially publicly- has a great affect.

The words you use to describe your husband or your relationship with them can convey something you may not want. When you are caught speaking negatively about him, it can be a huge detriment to his confidence and the reputation of your relationship.

You wouldn’t want someone to overhear you bad mouthing your husband, or diminishing his achievements, and question the integrity of your relationship. There could be women, even your own friends, who hear you complaining or belittling your husband and think they have a chance.

On the other hand, there have been many times that my husband uplifting me to his coworkers, family, and friends, has come back to me and it only motivates me to be an even better wife to him. Be careful about the language you’re using about your spouse and relationship.

One other thing, you shouldn’t view your spouse’s accomplishments as a threat to your own. Marriage should not be a constant competition. Being athletes, I’m sure Simone and Jonathan are very competitive, maybe that even translates into their marriage- hence, Owens’ self-serving comments.

In marriage you should uplift each other, inspire each other to improve, motivate each other to be better while simultaneously loving them despite bad habits or traits. You should want to protect each other, even protecting each other’s reputations.

There were much more tasteful ways Owens could have handled the situation. He chose to uplift himself, point to himself, instead of pointing to his wife or just saying “I’m a lucky man,” like every other normal person when asked about their spouse.

Self-serving has no place in a marriage. This is something that some marriages spend years trying to overcome, sometimes selflessness comes naturally to others. If both parties are trying to honor and love each other, it comes pretty easy.

The question of who is the prize, men or women, is a whole other, nitty gritty topic to get into. What do you think? What do you think about how Owens handled the situation?