Reflection 03: The Price to Play?—The Sexualization of Female Sports Stars

Are female stars, such as Lindsey Vonn, sexualized in a way men are not?

As female athletes have increased in visibility in American sports, so too has their sexualization. Now, it is not uncommon to see both established and up-and-coming female athletes in provocative magazine spreads or overtly sexual commercials. And while the male athletes, led by international stars Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham, are increasingly gaining sexual attention, it is nothing on the scale of their female counterparts. Is sexualization just part of the price of being a pro female athlete? And are these women being smart about their careers by maximizing their exposure or are they ultimately shortchanging themselves and other female athletes?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "Sex Positive and Hyper Sexualization in Sports: Is There a Way to Negotiate?" (Bitch)
• "If Sex Doesn’t Sell Women’s Sports, Why Do They Keep Trying?" (Fit and Feminist)
• "The Media's Sexualization of Female Athletes: A Bad Call for the Modern Game" (StudentPulse)
• "Before ESPN’s Body Issue: A Short History of Nude Female Athletes" (Blisstree)

Required:  

• MLA Style
• Must be exactly two-full pages in length
• A Works Cited page

Due: We 2.29

Sporting News 02.20.12

Bocce, a seemingly simple game, doesn't come cheap in NYC

• $507,000: The cost to build a new bocce court in Queens, NYC Gothamist
• Fired ESPN Headline Writer: No racism intended toward Lin Huffington Post
• Qatar: Let us host the 2020 Summer Olympics—in October Reuters
• Lackluster: The Premier League's response to an anti-homophobia campaign Independent
• NASCAR's Danika Patrick tones in down Dayton Daily News
• Introducing Invicta, a new all-female MMA league USA Today

 

Week 05: Kelly Slater, Surfing

Thus far, Slater has earned a record 11 ASP World Champion titles

Mo 2.20
Read: eR— “NCAA to Consider Sweeping Changes in Athlete Aid and Eligibility Rules (The Chronicle of Higher Education), “Should College Athletes be Paid? Why, They Already Are” (Sports Illustrated)
Class: Reading discussion, Writers workshop
Due: PERSUASIVE ESSAY (DRAFT 1—BRING 3 COPIES)

We 2.22
Read: eR—“Why I Can't Stand Youth Sports Anymore” (Denver Post), “Why Sports are Critical for Young Girls” (Huffington Post)
Class: Lecture—“Sports on Film”

Upcoming:

WEEK 06: Mia Hamm, Soccer
Mo 2.27
Read: eR—“I Believe that Sports Truly Saved My Life …” (This I Believe), “I Hated Gym Class and Other Stories” (Runner’s World)
Class: Reading discussion; Lecture—“On Wordiness: Exercises”
Due: PERSUASIVE ESSAY (FINAL DRAFT—ATTACH: A. ONE COPY OF DRAFT 1 AND B. A ONE PARAGRAPH RATIONALE FOR YOUR REVISIONS)

We 2.29
Read: eR—“One Man’s Love for Basketball: First, Baseball” (Owen Strachan), “Gym Class Horrors” (110 Pounds and Counting); FEVER—“1968 – 1975”
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 3