Article Review #1: Women and Sports- Sarah Jump

Sarah Jump

WGST 202

T/Th 11-12:15

Professor Currans

Blog Topic: Women and Sports

Article Review #1

Women and Sports; when athletes are objectified

Kim, Kayoung, and Michael Sagas. "Athletic or Sexy? A Comparison of Female Athletes and Fashion Models in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues." Gender Issues 31.2 (2014): 123-41. ProQuest. Web. 18 Sep. 2014.

In “Athletic or Sexy? A Comparison of Female Athletes and Fashion Models in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues,” Kayoung Kim and Michael Sagas evaluate the objectification of models and female athletes involved in the beloved swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated.  (Kim, Sagas). In the beginning of the article, Kim and Sagas describe the memorable front cover of the 2010 bikini issue. There is a beautifully skinny Brooklyn Decker on the front, holding her bikini top while partially submerged and glistening in the Caribbean blue water. She was standing in a twisted stance, while wrapped in a tennis net and sporting sky high heels. Why is it that this athlete, who has worked so hard to attain her athletic goals, is depicted as a fashion model when she is not? Isn’t a porn star or a model supposed to be the one posing for such a picture? In their article, Kim and Sagas address this very issue.

            It is clear that magazines like Sports Illustrated are looking to emphasize these women’s sexuality rather than their athleticism. The women are depicted to fit the traditional stereotype that was set for their gender. In their research, Kayoung and Sagas found that “swimsuit issues in particular tend to reinforce gender stereotyping, stressing femininity rather than athleticism. That is, the swimsuit issue characterized female models as defenseless, emotionally weak, nature oriented, childlike, and dependent on males” (Kayoung Sagas). Women who can make it into the Olympics or any major competition are probably some of the strongest women out there, so why are they portrayed in that belittling way? Another point that Kayoung and Sagas make is regarding the idea of a “forbidden body” to a male audience. By doing this, the authors explain the feeling of “wrongness” that is attached to the ideology behind that word and it is rightfully so. Advertising serves as a frame that defines the image of people’s social behavior, and this frame includes gender roles (Kayoung Sagas). These gender roles turn into stereotypes, which turn into norms that young women accept. This is a type of poison that has kept women from excelling from the beginning.

Being the accomplished athletes that they are and looking at how far that they have come, it is hard to believe that many of these respected women would want to pose half naked in front of a camera. With this in mind, one may wonder “why do they do it?” There are a lot of factors that go into advertisements and what the endorsement companies and publicists want in order to increase popularity and ratings have everything to do with it. The article states that “the portrayals of gender roles in advertising can perpetuate stereotypes, and help set the behavior norm for males and females” (Kayoung Kim). Traditionally, males maintain the more “powerful” stereotype therefore the companies are catering to exactly to their customer base.

After all of this research, Keyoung and Kim address the question, why aren't male athletes objectified like female athletes? Objectifying women in general does not leave that woman feeling treasured or valued, therefore they are blocked in by the traditional stereotypes that block their potential. Their achievements become trivialized whereas male athletes carry the applause of nations all because of this unfair, uneven portrayal. The coverage of sports played by women athletes is significantly less than the coverage that is devoted to male athletes as if they were less newsworthy. Photos of women are twisted in a way that satisfies the heterosexual male whereas photographs of male athletes are twisted to make them look masculine and strong (Kayoung Sagas). The media tends to favor women in sports that are obviously gender appropriate such as beach volleyball, tennis, and figure skating. Of course women are pushed to allow themselves to be sexualized! They have to fight for every little opportunity of exposure that they can get.

It is obvious that the athletes that earn their prestigious titles deserve them. Women and sports haven’t always gotten along in the realm of equality. All of this objectification and sexism has created barriers that are almost impossible to overcome. Jane Pilcher and Imelda Whelehan said in their article that, “women suffer social and/or material inequalities simply because of their biological identity and are committed to challenging this, but the means by which such challenges might be made are many and various” (Pilcher Whelehan). By looking at a racy advertisement or photographs like the one that Brooklyn Decker is pictured in, even I feel that I am supposed to appear similar to her as well as carry all of the same type of titles as her. Why wouldn't I think this way? She looks like she has it all doesn't she? Therefore, from one woman to all sexualized female athletes and beyond, I think that is our official call to fight what has been used against us.