In our society we have many different ideologies and standards that put pressure on the way that we present ourselves. One of the hardest struggles is determining what it means to be male or female. Social institutions such as school or work add more pressure trying to stress the differences between the two genders. Let's take a closer look at another social institution many people would categorize as masculine that would be sports entertainment. It is extremely difficult for women to be accepted into this male dominant institution. Just thinking about sports makes you picture a group of guys wearing jerseys, drinking beer and eating meat with a side of junk food, and screaming at the Television while watching fit and strong men compete against each other. Not much romance or chivalry there right? Well the sports entertainment business has found a way to incorporate women into their institution. Sports encourage and in many cases, force women to sexualize themselves either by choice or by the media. It is in our society’s makeup to under appreciate female athletes and their sports.
The first Olympics consisted of events such as human and chariot races, wrestling, jumping and javelin-throwing. Men would compete in front of large crowds of people cheering and chanting. It has always been determined that men and women cannot compete in the same sport because men have more natural advantages compared to women. In sports, men are idolized as heroes for being a superstar; that's how they make their money. Men are idolized through the media which in the end gives that athlete money through endorsements and commercials and merchandise sales. It is the complete opposite in female sports. It is very possible for a woman star to be popular in the media, but her earnings are nowhere near that of a male star athlete. Women's sports simply do not generate enough revenue from merchandize, concession, and ticket sales to pay their players with large contracts. If you take a look at all the female athletes that are making money off of marketing and endorsements, they are all doing so by sexualizing themselves. If you look at the 5 top paid female athletes of 2011, 3 of them clearly sexualize themselves for financial gain. Maria Sharapova, Danica Patrick and Venus Williams all add some sexual aspect to themselves to gain marketing opportunities. Women pose in magazines and photos in a sexual manner while men pose in a strong and competing manner. An obvious way sports sexualize women is with their uniforms. If you look at some of the more popular women’s sports, you will see this to be true. Women’s tennis is arguably the most popular of the women’s sports. They wear very short skirts and tight tops that show off their bodies. Other sports such as volleyball have women in very tight, short shorts or even bikinis in beach volleyball. In track and field, women are starting to practically wear a bikini. They even created a female version of football, but they must wear lingerie to play. These types of uniforms are unnecessary to functionally play their sport. It is a strategic choice to get more attention.
The first Olympics consisted of events such as human and chariot races, wrestling, jumping and javelin-throwing. Men would compete in front of large crowds of people cheering and chanting. It has always been determined that men and women cannot compete in the same sport because men have more natural advantages compared to women. In sports, men are idolized as heroes for being a superstar; that's how they make their money. Men are idolized through the media which in the end gives that athlete money through endorsements and commercials and merchandise sales. It is the complete opposite in female sports. It is very possible for a woman star to be popular in the media, but her earnings are nowhere near that of a male star athlete. Women's sports simply do not generate enough revenue from merchandize, concession, and ticket sales to pay their players with large contracts. If you take a look at all the female athletes that are making money off of marketing and endorsements, they are all doing so by sexualizing themselves. If you look at the 5 top paid female athletes of 2011, 3 of them clearly sexualize themselves for financial gain. Maria Sharapova, Danica Patrick and Venus Williams all add some sexual aspect to themselves to gain marketing opportunities. Women pose in magazines and photos in a sexual manner while men pose in a strong and competing manner. An obvious way sports sexualize women is with their uniforms. If you look at some of the more popular women’s sports, you will see this to be true. Women’s tennis is arguably the most popular of the women’s sports. They wear very short skirts and tight tops that show off their bodies. Other sports such as volleyball have women in very tight, short shorts or even bikinis in beach volleyball. In track and field, women are starting to practically wear a bikini. They even created a female version of football, but they must wear lingerie to play. These types of uniforms are unnecessary to functionally play their sport. It is a strategic choice to get more attention.