This document discusses the portrayal and treatment of female athletes in sports and media. It argues that women are often sexualized and objectified rather than focused on for their athletic skills. Media coverage tends to emphasize femininity, beauty, and gender stereotypes rather than athletic achievement. As a result, female athletes face inequality and lack of opportunities compared to their male counterparts.

1. Sexualized Women in Sports Brittany Spears

2. Introduction Women are exploited in sports because of their sex Women are expected to act feminine Female athletes are expected to have a certain body type Media coverage depends on gender Beauty is the main focus of the coverage for women sports

3. Textual Portrayals of Female Athletes: Liberation or Nuanced Forms of Patriarchy? The author of this article is Victoria Carty and it was published in 2005 in Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies . Carty’s main point is that women are stereotyped and face inequality in sports. I am using this article to talk about how women are stereotyped and all the inequality they face in being a female athlete.

4. Title IX Title IX was passed as a law to extend equal rights to women in 1972 Enabled more women to participate in sports It positively influenced more women to play sports by giving them more opportunities. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1151522/1/index.htm

5. The Difference Between Femininity and Feminism Some media showed feminist movement achievements “ . . . hints that these should be pursued over traditional ideals of femininity.” Some media showed feminine stereotypes concerning women in sports Media ignored feminism It is more about femininity and feminism rather than athletic skill

6. Being feminine as a female athlete If you do not act feminine then you are considered masculine, which is worse than being a feminist You cannot always be yourself in the sport you play if you always have to act feminine and appeal to the ideals of the majority of consumers of sport Even if you act feminine in sports people still are going to favor male sports over female sports

7. Serena Williams 2k Commercial

8. The female athlete’s body Through the outfits that female athletes wear in some sports to how they are portrayed in the media, a certain expectation is placed in order to appeal to the majority of the audience Women are sexualized through their sport by the display of their bodies http://cityrag.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/08/womens_beach_volleyball_5.jpg

9. Gender and Media Time There is an inequality in media coverage involving women’s sports Not all female sports are shown or supported equally The media affects gender stereotypes and plays into the idea of feminine and masculine

10. Beauty and Media Time Being pretty in sports will always get you media time as a female athlete Having a sexy body as opposed to a masculine body is viewed more positively Beauty is media’s main concern rather than the sport Muscle can sometimes be considered sexy if it is thin and lean and not bulky or powerful

11. Race and Media Time Media has a huge affect on the perceptions of an athlete’s race Gender stereotyping on race forces femininity and masculinity to play out in a very black and white dichotomy Feminism Increases or decreases when femininity is affected further subdivided by race

12. Sports and Stereotyping Gender stereotyping in sports forces femininity and masculinity to play out in a very heterosexual way Femininity only portrayed in a heterosexual way Heterosexual is what is accepted and valued

13. Conclusion The problem of sexism in sports needs to be addressed at its core to be solved Although females in sports and society’s view of females in sports are continually changing and progressing in the right direction, there are constant reminders of why the idea of females in sports is still a new concept that has to be grasped rather than accepted Unequal media coverage Objectification of female athletes

14. Bibliography carty , victoria. "textual Portrayals of Female Athletes: Liberation or Nuanced Forms of Patriarchy?." frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 26.2 (2005): 132-172. Web. 5 Apr 2011. http://cityrag.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/08/womens_beach_volleyball_5.jpg inside.nike.com/blogs/nikewomen-en_US/2009/02/06/change-th...-in-sport www.sporting-hero.net http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1151522/1/index.htm