The images above show the cover page of ESPN magazine which is world-renowned. We can see from those two images that the male is portrayed as sports athlete in his sports attire with an aggressive attitude, whereas the female athlete, Serena Williams, a famous tennis player, is portrayed as a bare-skinned woman with seductive posture rather than wearing her tennis attire in an athletic motion.
The issue is not only about how much of recognition is shown to the female athletes through the media but also how they are portrayed in media; as sex objects.
As one can see, the women on the sports magazine cover is enormously different compared to the male. There are seductive stares, raunchy subtitles and revealing clothing, whereas the male athlete is wearing his sport attire and showing an athletic motion of breaking through a wall.
There was an article written about Candace Parker (the woman athlete in the middle that is pregnant). The first sentence of the story states, “Candace Parker is beautiful. Breathtaking, really, with flawless skin, endless legs and a C cup she is proud of but never flaunts”. As a reader, I would see Candace Parker’s body, not her athletic ability. ESPN The Magazine is a sports magazine that is showcasing these women as sexual fantasies. For more info, click here
In conclusion, men are showcased as athletic specimens showing off their tenacity and skills in the media unlike women who show off their bodies and sex appeal.
Also, the usage of words used to describe male and female athletes are immensely different too. Men are described as "big," "strong," "brilliant,” and "aggressive," women are more often referred as "weary," "fatigued," "frustrated," "panicked," and "vulnerable". Also, female athletes were known as "girls" or "young ladies", whereas for male athletes they were known as "men" instead of "boys" or "young men". Women are normally called by their first name instead of their surname. In contrast, men are referred by their surnames. For info, click here.
All these shows that women athletes are not meant for sports and are seen as ‘weak links’ and the male athletes are given more respect than women athletes.
(All the images are from google.)
(All the images are from google.)
I like the topic that you have chosen for study. This is a very meaningful topic that has the potential to stimulate thought-provoking discussions. While you have shown examples of how male and female sports athletes are portrayed in the media, you could have also provided some of the views presented by media experts/researchers on the issue.
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