Pole Dancing An Olympic Sport?

As I'm drinking my morning Diet Dr Pepper, watching FOX & Friends News (the best "F&B" news ever)and I am about to spit out my drink because Brian is reporting the above title. The question was "Should Pole Dancing be an Olympic Sport in the year 2016?" Of course Brian being a typical man, he was all for it. He is so crazy and I think making a little fun of the proposed sporting category. Then, they announced the world renowned Cambridge University (UK) is offering Pole Dancing lessons to students and possibly giving out scholarships.

According to NY Daily News, the university wants to offer the lessons to all young female students in order to relieve stress at high pressure Cambridge.

Brisbane Times reports that the university spokesperson doesn't find this type of dance to be "degrading" and they find women that want to take these classes are a way of "empowering women as well as being a fantastic way to exercise."

So what about the title question? Where does it go from an extracurricular activity to an Olympic sport? Well, in a write up from The Independent, a UK online news reporter, tells the emotional and exciting story about Japan's Mai Sato. During this past Winter Olympics, Sato watched all the athletes receiving their medals and wishes that Pole Dancing would became an Athletic Event. "Sato knows the demands of being the best. In her world, blisters are the rule, bruises a way of life. And the training — five hours a day, five days a week."

"The world champion in her sport, Sato is as athletic, dedicated and competitive as the Olympians representing their nations. And she thinks it's high time her discipline, too, got some real recognition."

"'I could definitely see pole dancing in the Olympics," said Sato, who, a dancer since the age of three, out-twirled a bevy of athletes from 11 countries at the second International Pole Dancing Fitness Championships in Tokyo two months ago. "I would love to win a gold medal.'"

So, what do you think? Should Pole Dancing finally get it's recognition as a sport and become an Olympic sport? Is it empowering women or just degrading us? Are we moving forward after the big women's movement or stepping back? You decided.