Volume CXXXII, Number 1 September 13, 2002 f

Focus on the sport
J.P. BOX
ORIENT STAFF

Man, she's hot. Dude, she's got it going on. In fact, she's looking real good.
We're not talking about a model-we're talking about an athlete. Sports marketers demand that women be both athletes and sex symbols; strong, swift, sexy, and seductive comprises the prime formula. While men just have to perform on the field, women must perform at a high level and look good doing it too.

Serena Williams poses on the August 19 cover of ESPN magazine. (Courtesy of espn.com)

Sexism in the media's coverage of women's athletics is abundant, blatant, and journalistically acceptable. If you dont believe me, scan through any major sports publication and absorb the salient aspects of each article that concentrates on women. Sex appeal is often first and foremost, while athletic talent is a close second.

For example, Serena Williams graces the cover of August 19 edition of ESPN Magazine. The number one ranked women's tennis player is dressed casually: white tank top, trendy jeans, earrings, and a fancy watch. Her blonde-dyed hair is blowing freely and she's flashing a confident smile.
So what? She's in great shape and deserves to strut her stuff; she's worked hard for her body.

But, try to imagine number one ranked mens tennis player Lleyton Hewitt on the cover of ESPN in a trendy outfit with his hair blowing in the wind. Or how about Shaq? Manny Ramirez? Kurt Warner? Its comical - they're athletes!

I dont want these guys to be trying to look sexy on the cover of a magazine. I want to admire them as athletes.

In ESPN's feature story on Serena, eight photos of the tennis star appear. In only three of them is she actually playing tennis. In the other photos, the magazine chooses to focus on feminine beauty. My favorite is of her straddling one of those huge bouncy balls. Can't you just see Drew Bledsoe in a similar photo shoot?

Isn't there something wrong with this picture? We see more cleavage than coverage of her tennis exploits.

ESPN prefaces the article by admitting that, "Answering questions while a makeup artist's tweezer is yanking wild hairs out of your eyebrows is not the easiest way to give an interview." But, hey it's no sweat for the "hottest act in tennis!" I wonder if Roger Clemens ever got his eyebrows plucked before an interview.

In addition to this stellar work, ESPN Magazine also included an article about the Lady's Professional Golf Association (LPGA). The headline? Style Council.

Evidently, the LPGA has become style-conscious and is looking for ways to boost their ratings. The league hired a panel of fashion specialists to coach the women golfers not on their swings, but on their fashion.
Trish McEvoy, who is described as a "makeup queen," demands that the women "be critical. Looking good is discipline." In other words, stop being lazy and focusing so much on being a great golfer-you gotta dress with some spunk if you want to get noticed!

At least the article ends on an upbeat note. Natalie Gubis, a 19-year-old phenom, says, "I want my skirts shorter next year! Its too hot to wear long, clingy skirts." I cant wait until Tiger Woods replaces his silk slacks with something a little more revealing…

To be fair to ESPN Magazine, they are not the only media outlet that capitalizes on common gender stereotypes and exploits feminine beauty to sell a sport. The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) once used the slogan "We got next!" to advertise the new, upcoming league.
After struggling to garner a sufficiently large audience, the focus has changed. Now, the league proudly announces, "Basketball is Beautiful." Beauty has forever been associated with women and it sells, so why not market a sport with this proven technique? Chamique Holdsclaw averaged 19.9 points, but let's not talk about her game-let's talk about her beauty because basketball really is beautiful.

Basketball is tears, blood, sweat, and hard work. Aspects of the game are beautiful, but its not a dance-bodies are banging, hands are clutching and grabbing, and wills are tested. Take one good look at the sweat dripping from Patrick Ewings forehead at the free-throw line and tell me if basketball is beautiful. He sweats so much that he changes his jersey at halftime.
Or how about the elbow-swinging, fight-instigating scrappy play of a Bill Lambier? Are you telling me that's beautiful too?

Instead of exploring original and thought-provoking techniques, marketers and journalists alike continue to rely on age-old stereotypes. The media must critically assess its coverage of women's sports and stop exploiting the female form to improve the game's marketability.

While it may increase profits in the short-run, it hurts the credibility of women's athletics long-term.

Oh, by the way, Serena Williams just won her third straight Grand Slam by defeating her older sister, Venus Williams, in convincing fashion. Only six women have previously accomplished this feat.

Now, can we focus on the sport?