How does the media bring out the negative portrayal of sportswomen?

Exploring this issues of how female athletes and women’s

sports are framed in the media and in particular sports

magazines

ESPN The Magazine

Maria Sharapova, June 2005 Ray Lewis, 2001

This states that men are shown in advertisements as the

more important role, while women attract the consumers.

“Men act and women

appear”John Berger

Maybe it’s the way your looking at it?

The fact that women are viewed

as objects is also evident in the

tendency of men to dissect

women’s bodies into parts, which

are then discussed separately

from the whole person.”Timothy Jon Curry (1991)

Sports Illustrated

Jennie Finch

July 11, 2005

- Passively posed in a way which

intends to attract or intrigue

readers

- Comedien Bill Murray pointing in

the direction of her breasts. In this

way she is reduced from a woman

to an object.

- Women’s sport is downgraded

to the same level of importance

as animals in sport.

Depicting athletes in the role of a

traditional mother or wife -

Kerri Walsh

Predominantly advertising

for beauty products –

Jessica Ennis

“Coverage and acceptance of females as athletes

depend on their ability to mange traditional feminine

roles” Hilliard, 1983

Jessica EnnisPowerade

John Huet in 2011

“We Can Do It!”J.Howard Miller in 1943

Conclusion

- The portrayal of women has not changed

- Having more coverage of sportswomen in magazines in

not effective unless the way the coverage changes from

its current form of objectification