Before listening to the debate about whether or not female
athletes should pose provocatively in the media, I was on the pro side,
thinking that they should be allowed to do whatever they want to do. However,
after the debate and lecture, I was left thinking about the picture of Danica
Patrick posed on the car that was described as soft-core pornography. The
picture did not make me respect her any less necessarily, but it made me take
her less seriously. In today’s society, women’s sports are already struggling
to be taken seriously, so it is certainly not beneficial for female athletes to
be posing in a way that would make people take them even less seriously. I am
still an advocate for athletes being able to do what they want when it comes to
appearing in the media so I guess I am still on the pro side, but I think women athletes should consider the
consequences and perhaps negative connotations that come with posing in a
sexual manner, before they decide to do so.
The article listed below is one that I came across on the issue that includes 22 pictures of women athletes being featured in a way that showcases their athleticism. Hopefully we will see more of these images in the future.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/female-athletes-endorsements-sexualization-lack-of-visibility-research_n_1725786.html
The article listed below is one that I came across on the issue that includes 22 pictures of women athletes being featured in a way that showcases their athleticism. Hopefully we will see more of these images in the future.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/female-athletes-endorsements-sexualization-lack-of-visibility-research_n_1725786.html
Kirsten Makowiec
LT 24
Kin 577
Kirsten,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this article on sexualization of female athletes and overall lack of visibility in the media. After reviewing the article and lecture notes it’s surprising to find that some women are portrayed for the physical appearance and not athletic competition. This article does an excellent job pointing out the faults of media overly-sexualized portrayals of women’s sports stars. At times the true message of the ad is forgotten and only physical attractiveness is highlighted.
The stat of only 1.6 percent of women’s sporting events were broadcast in 2008 is surprising. Some questions arise on the lack of visibility. Would greater visibility lead to more endorsements and fans of women sports? Why is women visibility at a small percentage with the implementation of title 9 in 1972?
This is an interesting topic for future sport managers. Hopefully this subject will change for equal visibility and for women being publicized on their skills not looks.
Paul Leaf
LT 24
KIN 577