Unit Six: Sexual Identity in Sport

10 Biggest ideas:

1.     Sexual Identity in Sport- This issues of being a gay or lesbian athlete, and how it affects the individual.

2.     Gender is socially constructed, not biologically constructed. This means you could be born a male but feel female, or born a female but feel male. A male does not need to be masculine, and a female does not need to be feminine.

3.     The privileges that male masculine men have in sport. Part of this privilege comes from the idea that sports are meant for men with a masculine sexuality.

4.     Hyper masculinity and sport- Being a masculine athlete means you hare strong, heterosexual, aggressive, powerful, dominating, and other masculine adjectives.

5.     Problems of being a homosexual male- fear of what others will think/ how they will treat you. There is the fear of what will happen in the locker room. There is also fear of coming out, stigmatization, and marginalization.

6.     Lesbians in sport- Intersecting gender and sexuality. There are assumptions of female athletes who are masculine. Masculine women are assumed to be lesbians. 

7.     On the other hand, there is hyper femininity- The opposite of hyper masculinity. These women are submissive, have grace and beauty.  Hyper feminine women get stereotyped as submissive.

8.     Culture of Silence- Sexuality is downplayed by the media. Many athletes, male and female, feel the need to silence their sexuality, because of the possible backlash it may have for the individual.

9.     Equality/equity in sport- This is important to have because of the backlash gay and lesbian athletes may encounter by peers and the media.

10.  The inequalities that athletes have may discourage future athletes in even joining a sport.

·      Gay and lesbian athletes have had difficult experiences in sports; partly because of the gender ideologies our society has on what it means to be a male or a female. In our society, a female is supposed to be feminine and males are supposed to be masculine, which is problematic when looking at sport athletes.  *

·      Scholarly Research Analysis Protocol: “Gender Transports: Privileging the “Natural” in Gender Testing Debates for Intersex and Transgender Athletes”

·      What structural features define this text as falling within the genre of scholarly/ academic writing? (Create a bulleted list.)

·      Scholarly authors/ books

·      What is the argument statement of this text?  (Write one sentence.)

·      The argument of the text is that higher levels of testosterone do not correlate to better athletic performance, and female athletes with intersex conditions do not have an unfair advantage. The text argues that there is no known optimal level of testosterone that ensures a high-level athletic performance.

·      Identify the jargon of this text. [Jargon is specialized terminology characteristic of a particular discipline or area of theory.]  (Use bullets.)

·      “loggerheads” – 20

1)                     “It is an argument that privileges biology as the path to legitimacy. Of course, an argument based on the grounds of biological diversity attempts to unseat the prevailing view of biological homogeneity or consistency, but it nevertheless elies on the same strategy as those who question an athlete’s gendered legitimacy,”(20).

2)                    “Whatever differences exist in androgen levels in female athletes with intersex conditions, there is no intention to deceive, to unfairly change the playing field, or to “enhance” their athletic performance in ways not permitted in competitive sports,”(20).

3)                    “Trans persons are, after all, individuals who often are “introducing foreign material” into their bodies, in addition to sometimes dramatically altering the body itself,”(20).

4)                    “Until we can begin to consider the ethical dilemmas of gender testing for intersex and transgender athletes in the same conversation, we will never be able to fully examine the range of ethical liabilities for all women athletes.”(20).

5)                    “There is a rich body of literature highlighting the concerns of transgender athletes that demonstrates a striking range of issues that match up precisely with the needs of intersex female athletes,”(20).

·      What values or views were represented in the message?

·      Values that were represented in this article were that it does not matter if you are a female athlete with intersex conditions. It is discriminating to change the playing field just because of a person that is an intersex athlete.

UNIT SIX-  STEP ONE: First, write down two or three direct excepts from President Obama that explain how he changed his original political position about recognizing the right of marriage for same sex-oriented couples in the United States.  Second, incorporate those excerpts into two or three sentences that argue why President Obama changed his position.

“In part because I thought civil unions would  be sufficient but that was something that would give people hospital visitation rights and a other elements that we take for granted”

“For a lot of people you know the marriage was something that evokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs.”

President Obama changed his position because, after talking to friends, family, and neighbors, when I think about members of my own staff, who are incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same sex relationships, who are raising kids together, he thinks that same-sex partners should be able to get married.

STEP TWO:

Write down two or three excepts as you watch that identify the tensions that permeated U.S. society regarding individuals with same sex orientation. Afterward, compose 2-3 sentences in which you incorporate the excerpts into a statement that defines why U.S. society has changed in the way it depicts individuals with same sex orientation.

“The average homosexual, if there be such, is promiscuous.”

“He is not interested in, nor capable of, a lasting relationship like that of a heterosexual marriage.”

“The rest of your life will be living hell.”

“Homosexuals, and atheists, are not to be allowed to be registered as leaders, or members, of the Boy Scouts of America.”

There was also the issue of gay men being able to donate blood. The video mentioned how these gay men have to be tested first, in case of HIV. We still have a long way to go in our world, but have made major improvements. There are more openly gay men and women today then ever before. Gay men and women are being portrayed positively in the media, such as movies and television. The video talks about why the U.S. society has changed in the way it depicts individuals with same sex orientation. One man talked about how you cannot just discriminate a group of people because of their orientation. Gay men and women are able to adopt, where there was a ban at one point.  The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy has expired.

STEP THREE:

 “So why is it that sports world still lacking when the law says it needn’t be, and logic says it shouldn’t be.”

“It’s absurd to think of just how many athletes today might be feeling compelled to essentially hide in plain sight at game we all enjoy, simply because of their sexual orientation.”

“Jocks don’t like to talk about homosexuality, and when they do its often crude terms.”

Gumbel talks heavily on how absurd it is that in today’s sports world (this was back in 2011 but sill relates to today), being gay is something to almost be ashamed about as an athlete. He talks about how athletes feel compelled to hide in plain sight because of their sexual orientation.

STEP FOUR:

This was a great video. The argument of this video was that being a heterosexual or a homosexual is not something that you choose.  I liked how one of the women said how it’s not a choice, but it just chooses itself. We aren’t always necessarily “born gay”, but it could just happen naturally as you get older. It’s something that we cannot control, and nobody else can control it for you.

STEP FIVE:

This is the first time I have ever heard of this film. One contradiction that the film presents about same sex orientation that is portrayed in the film is, how being gay is just experimental. If you are a woman feeling attracted to another women, it’s just a “phase”. Once the right man comes along, everything will be back to normal. This sends the wrong image to society, especially younger men and women who are going through changes, and not sure if they are straight or gay.  Also, one of the women in the film says how she is guilty for being attracted to another woman. Why does this make a person guilty?

STEP SIX:

I have never seen this film, but have seen the documentary in the seminar I took my junior year.  I think there is still progress that needs to be done in the U.S. regarding same sex orientation.  I believe their needs to be a more positive outlook on being part of the LBGTQIA community. There needs to be more roles played in movies and television as well, since the media is run by heterosexual white, able-bodied, males.  There needs to be more representations in schools, starting as young as elementary, so kids understand what they are going through it normal, and does not make them abnormal.

STEP SEVEN:

I have never heard of this project, but find it amazing. The athletes who are endorsing the You Can Play Project are hoping to accomplish equality and justice in sports. Some of the athletes say that we are all on the court together, and if you have a will to win, you have a place on our team. It does not matter what color your skin is, what gender you are, what sexual orientation you have, you have a place on our team. The athletes state that there is no place for discrimination. My favorite line is at the end, which stated, “if you can serve, you can serve. If you can swim, you can swim.  If you can fence, you can fence. If you can play, you can play.” This was a powerful video to watch, and should get more coverage around the world.

STEP EIGHT:

The Supreme Court verdict was historic for many reasons. As Feinstein stated, “when DOMA was passed fifteen years ago, not a single state supported same-sex marriage. Now you have six states, plus the District of Columbia that changes the argument. “ Same-sex parents are able to adopt children who may have never been adopted. Same sex marriages are being legalized, and finally getting the rights and benefits that heterosexual couples have always gotten.

STEP NINE:

This was such a great article, and Jason Collins is an inspiration. He is an athlete that young boys should look up too. I think Jason points out perfectly how our cultural climate of sport in contemporary U.S. society portrays same sex orientation.  Collin’s said, “When I was younger I dated women. I even got engaged. I thought I had to live a certain way. I thought I needed to marry a woman and raise kids with her. I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue.” We have this idea in our society that there are only certain ways to live. One includes the idea of masculinity and femininity. You are male, which means you must be masculine and if you are feminine you must be female.  We have an idea from young ages that you are supposed to be attracted and be with the opposite sex. Collins’ talks about how he thought he had to live a certain way, just as many people do in the society in which we live in today. “Now I'm a free agent, literally and figuratively. I've reached that enviable state in life in which I can do pretty much what I want. And what I want is to continue to play basketball. I still love the game, and I still have something to offer. My coaches and teammates recognize that. At the same time, I want to be genuine and authentic and truthful.” This statements gives hope to all boys and girls out there, who are feeling uncomfortable in their own skin. He clarifies that he is finally free by becoming open about his sexuality. I want to end with this quote that Jason had in this article which stated,   “I've endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie. I was certain that my world would fall apart if anyone knew. And yet when I acknowledged my sexuality I felt whole for the first time.” Many people in today’s world fear for what may happen if they come out to the world. Will my family, friends, co-workers, teammates, betray me? You have to put all these questions behind you, and just come out to the world. It may not be an easy task to do, but it is what will set you free. 

Unit Five: The Role of Race and Gender Identity in Sports

10 biggest ideas/thoughts:

1.     The definition of racism and institutional racism- How racism effects people on a day-to-day basis, even now in the 21^st century.

2.     Racism in Football- How black and minority football players have experiences racism from fans in England

3.     Abuse/racism examples- Monkey chanting, throwing bananas onto the pitch. This abuse was from the crowds.

4.     Comments on racism- prejudice and racism are not acceptable in any part of life, including in football. Hating another person because of their color is wrong.

5.     How should authorities deal with racist fans- I believe racist fans should be kicked one of the game, and banned from public games for a long period of time. Racism is never okay, in any circumstance.

6.     Case studies of recent cases of racism in sport- It’s incredible how these cases of racism in sports were from recent years, 2011 and 2012.  These cases varied, but all had the same issue of racism and discrimination. It’s terrible that the victims of racism were being racially abused by their opponents

7.     Racism is present throughout the United States, but also in other countries, such as Portugal.

8.     Combating Racism- We can combat racism in life and in sport by doing various actions. One way that stuck out to me was including more ethnic minority players in sports. I think this is very important, and good for the public.

9.     Combating Racism- Another action that stuck out was, carrying out national campaigns such as Show Racism the Red Card. I believe this campaign is very important, and educates people against racism.

10.  Controversial advertisement from the UN- This commercial is disturbing, but is on point with what racism does to a person. The more racist you become, the more ugly you look. Racism should not be happening in the public and in sports.

·      This unit describes the term racism, and how racism is present in today’s various sports/sporting events, and how we can combat this racism as a society. There have been many actions already, such as commercials, which depict racism. *

Scholarly Research Analysis Protocol

What structural features define this text as falling within the genre of scholarly/ academic writing? (Create a bulleted list.)

·      Scholarly authors

·      Direct quotes- athletes, reports

What is the argument statement of this text?  (Write one sentence.)

The argument of this text is how black female athletes are being discriminated through the media and by spokespeople, purely based their race and sex. African American women are still struggling with negative bodily representations by the media.         Identify the jargon of this text. [Jargon is specialized terminology characteristic of a particular discipline or area of theory.]  (Use bullets.)

·      ‘Jezebel’, ‘mammy’, ‘Sapphire’, ‘welfare queen’, ‘matriarch’, and ‘Amazon’ – page 494

·      ‘Ghetto Cinderella’s’- page 495

What are five statements that the author uses to support the argument statement? Use only direct excerpts; frame them with quotation marks, and note the page number

1) “Gender hierarchies are threatened whenever women’s bodies are deemed to be excessive: ‘too fat, too mouthy, too old, too dirty, too pregnant, too sexual (or not sexual enough) for the norms of conventional gender representation,”(492).  Women are picked apart with the way they dress, look, act, and live. This happens throughout the media for sport athletes, celebrities, etc.

2) “Saartjie epitomized the ways in which black women’s buttocks, in particular, were constructed as ‘sexually grotesque’ and compels a discussion about the ongoing role of racism in creating an aesthetic that depicts black bodies as diseased, animalistic, deviant, and hypersexual,”(493). Black women athlete’s bodies are being picked apart and sexualized. It’s as if these black women athletes are not being judged by how they play the game, but judged on their appearance.

3) “Such commentary has often been anchored by the stereotypes to which we have alluded of black people being constructed as animalistic and closer to nature. Following Venus’ victory at Wimbledon in 2000, a journalist hailed her as a ‘role model for blacks’ and lamented that black people had not been given more opportunities to participate in sport, because ‘There is a natural physical superiority about those of African origin.. only centuries of repression has prevented them becoming masters of so many sports,”(497).  Black women are being discriminated because of their race, and called such animalistic names.

4) “It is the ongoing systematic pathologizing of African American women’s bodies as ‘sexually grotesque’ that, in tandem with ‘pornographic eroticism’, synecdochially constructs them as racialized and sexualized spectacles,”(500).

5) “African American women continue to struggle to articulate progressive ways by which they can escape the formidable ‘prisons’ of racism and ‘closets’ of sexism. Thus the talented and physically powerful African American women who contribute to the contemporary global sports industry confront severe obstacles in combating heteronormative ideologies of male superiority and unquestioned racism,”(500). In a male dominated society, black women have to overcome not only the obstacles of their gender, but also their race.

What values or views were represented in the message? (Write no more than three sentences.)

Values or views that were represented in this reading were the social constraints that African American sportswomen still encounter. African American women still struggle with negative bodily representations, and are discriminated against through the media, and put into stereotypical categories. 

STEP ONE:

1.      “When we use stereotypes, we take in the gender, the age, the color of the skin of the person before us, and our minds respond with messages that say hostile, stupid, slow, weak. Those qualities aren’t out there in the environment. They don’t reflect reality,”(53).

2.     “We want to feel good about the group we belong to- and one way of doing so is to denigrate all those who aren’t in it. And while we tend to see members of own group as individuals, we view those in out-groups as undifferentiated-stereotyped- mass. The categories we use have changed, but it seems that stereotyping itself is bred in the bone,”(54).

3.     “Scientists think that the automatic activation of a stereotype is immediately followed by a conscious check on unacceptable thoughts- at least in people who think that they are not prejudiced,”(54).

4.     Our society talks out loud about justice, equality, and egalitarianism, and most Americans accept these values as their own. At the same time, such equality exists only as an ideal, and that fact is not lost on our unconscious,”(55).

I believe not all, but many individuals learn beliefs from their parents. I was lucky to have grown up with both my mom and dad, and have such great people to look up too.  I never could believe there was such a thing as being ‘prejudice’, and this is because my family never told me there was a difference, because there isn’t. It does not matter if you are white, black, blue; we are all human beings.  In the reading it said how people should be judged as individuals and not as members of a group. I completely agree with this statement, and believe that many people stereotype and discriminate a person based on their appearance, family members, skin color, etc. Something else that stood out to me in the reading was how certain groups of people are discriminated purely based on their gender and/or race. African Americans are stereotyped as criminals, and women in general are stereotyped as sex objects. This reminds me of my friend with green hair, piercings, and many tattoos. Whenever we go out in public, she gets so many stares. She was even accused of stealing at the mall, purely based on her outside appearance.

STEP TWO:

This article was interesting, and I believe individuals feel gender discrimination or racism at least once in their college years.  In the case of “Spirit Rock”, no one has been physically hurt, and campus officials have taken action in response to the events described in the article.  Just because this group of black women were not ‘physically’ hurt, they were verbally abused, and intimidated/ harassed by members of a white fraternity. I believe that gender discrimination should get more than just a slap on the hand, and have extreme consequences. In the case at Spirit Rock, I believe the abusers/bullies did not get enough punishment to keep them from just doing it again. The frat should not have just gotten placed on probation, but instead be ended. They were punished by being “monitored and evaluated” and were not allowed to pain rocks on campus. This sounded like a joke to me. These were the only punishments for the discriminating and racist things these men said to innocent women? If I was in charge of this case, I would have made the frat take classes on gender and race inequalities, and have them publicly apologize to the women. 

STEP THREE:

1.     Black women being sexualized in the media

2.     Black women’s butts and boobs are being popularized

3.     Black women represented as animals

4.     Black women being characterized as “wild”, or party girls

5.     Black women being portrayed as ‘promiscuous’, with revealing clothes/cleavage

6.     Black women characterized as ‘hood’ or ‘ghetto’

7.     Black women pictured as hyper-sexual/ lustful

8.     Black women portrayed as slaves to males- “Honey, I’m waitin’ fo you”

9.     Black women being seen as “easy”, and to get “black ass” is easy

10.  The negative portrayal of women in the media

The video clip was sad to watch, because all of the black women pictured were pictured sexually. In the media, sex sells, and these black women are being hyper sexualized. Black women are portrayed as ‘jezebels’. 

STEP FOUR:

This list is includes the ways that female athlete face barriers to success in sports, and also how female athletes of color face even deeper barriers.

·      Men and women have been separated into stereotypical categories. Men are supposed to be strong and aggressive, while women are supposed to be weak and submissive. A women’s place is supposed to be in the home, and men are the athletes/providers. Sadly, this idea is still present in some male minds.

·      Although there have been positive advancements for women in sport, there are still factors that serve to undervalue the women’s game.

·      Women do not have equal opportunities to play, in such things as the NBA vs. the WNBA

·      Women do not have equal pay with men. For example, the highest paid woman basket-baller is paid $103,500 while the top paid male basket-baller is paid $24, 806, 250. This may discourage women to even be an athlete. How is this fair?

·      The differences of men and women athletes’ portrayal in such things as the media. One, women are being lacked of media coverage. Two, if they are in the media, women are being sexualized. This is especially true for black female athletes, as seen in previous videos. Their bodies are the main topics, especially their boobs and butts. On the other hand, male athletes are being valued for their skills.

·      Female athletes are being paid less for equal amount of effort and dedication to their sport/career.

·      For some countries, watching live competitive sports if forbidden for women.

·      Females are not always being judged on their qualities that define them as an athlete, but rather for their body type and attractiveness. 

STEP FIVE:

The first image I chose was, the ESPN cover, which states, “HOW BIG CAN CANDANCE PARKER GET?”  This cover shows Candance Parker in a white dress, and pregnant.  She is showing a little bit of cleavage, and looks very feminine. I feel that this image headline could go two different ways. Is this author asking how big can she get as a pregnant woman, or is this author asking how big can she get as a black female athlete? Some people in society could take this image the wrong way, and be discouraged, especially as a black female athlete. Is this image saying that if you’re pregnant, you’re sport’s career is over? Men obviously do not have this problem, and it can be discriminating for women athletes to see this. The second image I chose was, the New York Times Magazine cover with the Williams’ sisters. They are both half naked, with a sports bra on, and one with a short skirt, and the other with short shorts on. Under the image reads, “HOW VENUS AND SERENA WON THE GAME BY JOHN JEREMIAH SULLIVAN”.  There is also the word ‘DEUCE’ over their crotches. This made me think that this author is saying, ‘how did two vaginas win?’  This author is a white American writer from the south. I feel that this image could go two ways, depending on how you look at it. One way could be, how they won as two black women athletes with two vaginas, and as if they were weak and it was something unheard of. The other way may be a more positive outlook of two black and strong female athletes with two vaginas won once again. The third image I chose was the Sports Illustrated cover with Jackie Joyner-Kersee. I believe this sends out a positive image for a young black female athlete. Sports Illustrated is showing this woman as strong, confident, and as a gold medal winner. She is even described as “SUPER WOMAN”. This would be a positive image to show young children; especially those discouraged as female black athletes.

Unit four: Femininity versus Feminism and Beyond

10 Biggest Ideas:

1.     Differences between men and women physically and psychologically- Men and women can be seen as two different species, with no similar characteristics. Men are seen as superior to society, while women are seen as inferior.

2.     American values vs. reality- The belief that each of us should be judged as an individual and not defined by group membership (man or woman). Sadly, women and men are judged on their gender and identity, and the American values are not always held in society.

3.     Denial of gender inequality- This is such a problem in society. There is a clear divide in gender in so many things, and many inequalities that come with the divide.

4.     Dividing sports by sex- Women’s sports have been seen as second-class, because of how much more popularity comes with men’s sports and men’s athletes. I always wonder what would happen if there was not a divide. Men might realize how strong a woman athlete really is.

5.     Social cohesion- We need a more social cohesive society. This type of society works towards the well-being of all its members, no matter your race, class, gender, etc.

6.     Empowerment of women- Not only in sports, but also in society, such as more political and economic rights.

7.     Media stereotypes- The media can give off terrible stereotypes and images of women and men. It can dehumanize an individual in every way.

8.     Feminism- Feminism has changed drastically in the world, slowly, but surely, in such things like sports.

9.     “Images that injure”- This is such a powerful line. Whether it’s in the media, on the web, or magazine, images can injure a person’s self-esteem, mind-set, and well-being. The media can put out unrealistic images or messages on how you are supposed to act and look if you are a specific gender. The media usually only covers if you identify as a man or woman, which is certainly not right.

10.  Binaries- Our society needs to get rid of the binaries that we hold in our minds. For example, there are not just two genders. Just because you are a male, does not mean you are masculine, and just because you are a female, does not mean you are feminine.

*This unit deals with the how the media, traditional American values, and stereotypes can lead to inequalities between men and women in such things like sports. Our society needs to get rid of the idea of a gender binary, and become a more socially cohesive society. *

Scholarly Research Analysis Protocol:

Journal of Sport & Social Issues: Hoop Dreams: Professional Basketball and the Politics of Race and Gender

What structural features define this text as falling within the genre of scholarly/ academic writing? (Create a bulleted list.)

·      Scholarly authors

·      Scholarly interviews

·      Athlete interviews and quotes

What is the argument statement of this text?  (Write one sentence.)

The argument is that WNBA athletes are rhetorically marked as a return to the game, and such problems including access to funding, media exposure, and general credibility as a sport are all happening due to gender. These women basketball players are being glamorized not because of their skill, but by their bodies, and are not taken seriously enough, compared to the NBA.

Identify the jargon of this text. [Jargon is specialized terminology characteristic of a particular discipline or area of theory.]  (Use bullets.)

·      “hang-time” abilities – page 410

·      slam dunks

·      wonder woman theory – page 414

What are five statements that the author uses to support the argument statement?

1) “The inevitable comparison between the WNBA and the NBA, a comparison that is made ostensibly on the grounds of athletic ability but is really much more about the intersection of race and gender in professional sports,”(404).

2) “The WNBA has been consistently compared with the NBA and, almost as consistently, it has been found lacking in the areas of particular kinds of athletic skill,”(410). This is pretty much saying women are good athletes, but could never play like the NBA players.

3) “The WNBA athletes have had to “prove” to the fans and their sponsors that they are “worthy” of the game. Part of their strategy has been to challenge the rules of the game: The WNBA plays with a smaller ball than the NBA, the lanes are narrower…” (411) The list continued with just a bunch of excuses. It seems to disgust some men that women basketball players could have any similarities to men basketball players. Sorry NBA, you’re playing the same game as the WNBA.

4) “The public recognition of individual female athletes attends much more to their feminine beauty and objectified status as particular kinds of commodities than to their athletic skill,” (411). This tells us that women athletes are being watched sexually, rather than athletically. 

5) “Establishing the WNBA players’ commitment to being feminine, and an explicit argument against the history of female athletes, who were so often criticized for their distinctly unfeminine qualities, such as muscularity and athletic skill,”(413).

What values or views were represented in the message? (Write no more than three sentences.)

Some values or views that were represented in the reading was how WNBA athletes had to reassure fans that although they do not dress as girly as ice-skaters, they are in fact feminine beings. The reading shows how much gender and identity matters as an athlete, and the comparison between the WNBA and NBA.

UNIT FOUR- STEP ONE:

            This video was eye-opening to me, and brings up great points on the dominant construction of the feminine in sports. As you are growing up, there is this idea that if you are a male and not an athletic male, you lose your masculinity. When you lose your masculinity, you are characterized as being feminine.  On the other hand, if you are a female and play sports, it makes you less feminine, and more masculine. In the Dave Zirin video, he stated how some men believed sports would make women “insane”, and they would lose their feminine features as a woman.

            In the video, men thought that women who were riding bikes would be a threat to social order. Men believed that riding a bike would give women a “bicycle face”, which meant a pale complexion. Men wanted women to just stay at home and be mothers and housewives. Men were the ones who got to do leisure activities outside the home, like riding a bicycle. This type of leisure activity was not mean for a woman.

            It was thought to be unnatural and un-American for women to play sports, such as basketball. Women were not supposed to be rough or show aggressive behavior, even if wearing dresses on the court. Men were supposed to stay manly, while women were supposed to stay womanly.  Running was also seen as not lady like.  Men felt it was too strenuous for the female form, and the woman’s 800-meter run was even banned for thirty years.  It is amazing on how far women and women athletes have come over the last seventy years, especially since the women’s movement. The women’s movement helped women brake out of traditional gender roles, and be more than just a housewife.

            Although we have come far in women’s sports, women’s bodies are still being sexualized. In the video, Zirin talks about ESPN covers, and how men were on the covers ninety-five percent of the time. If women were being presented in the media, it was not for their athletic abilities. Women would be promoted as swim suit models, cheerleaders, or props, rather than being promoted as serious athletes. There was and I believe still is a fixation on women’s bodies.

STEP TWO:

Kilbourne’s speech and video was excellent. She talks about how society’s expectations of women’s images, have gotten worse because of the media. Women’s bodies are being portrayed as things and/or as objects. Women are supposed to believe the most important thing in life is how we look. The media gives the world an unrealistic image of how a woman should look and act. Some examples given from the video included, no blemishes or pores, no stretch marks, no fat rolls, and other things that cannot be achieved. Advertising tells us that women should be skinny, flawless, have big boobs, wear make-up, and the list goes on. This is how advertising and the media define ideal beauty in women and girls.  Kilbourne mentions how women’s bodies are hacked apart at adolescence and are pressured to have physical perfection. The media tells us who we are and who we should be, with unrealistic images and expectations. Another way that the media has gotten worse is by how skinny models have to be to make it in the supermodel world. Kilbourne gave the example of a model that died of anorexia, weighing just around eighty pounds. Is this really a healthy portrayal for young girls to look up too? Some adolescents and other women may not realize that throughout all forms of media, Photoshop is used on the men and women models, to create “flawless” images, which are pretty much impossible for normal human beings to reenact.  This video has taught me some of the effects that medias images can give to the world, for both men and women, and how the media can create violence against women.

 

STEP THREE:

These two videos that included Maya Moore in one and Jennie Finch in the other, were very interesting! They are both such powerful women and athletes, on and off the field. There needs to be a greater recognition of female athletes, and female athletes need to start getting more spotlight that they deserve. Jennie Finch proves in her video that hitting a baseball is not the hardest thing to do in sports. She proves that the softball is actually the hardest thing to do, and that the other thoughts are just myths. She proves the myth, and proves that the softball creates a lot more force than a baseball does, in an experiment that she did. When she threw the softball, it generated much more force, and even broke the glass that she threw the ball at. In Maya’s video, it shows how high she can leap, and how great her court vision is. Her techniques are very impressive, compared to other WNBA AND NBA athletes.  She steals fast, passes fast, catches fast, and moves her hands 5.5 feet in 284 milla seconds, which is faster than a rattlesnake. Not only is Maya an amazing athlete, she also does amazing academically. She had a 3.7 grade point average, and was on the NCAA academic all American team. I never had even heard of these two amazing athletes, and this is problematic. The whole world should know about these two women, but women athletes are not getting the recognition in which they deserve. Male athletes are far more recognized and popularized by the public. I hope one day, women athletes will get more publicized, an appreciated for all they can do.

STEP FOUR:

I am so happy to see a girl born from the 21^st century showing so much power and courage. We need more confident young girls like Sam Gordon. I researched more on her and am adding a link that shows just a few of her skills. In the article it tells us some of the ways that sports can be a mechanism to improve society. “Before Title IX, one in thirty-four girls played sports; now it’s one in three.” This is exciting to hear, and reminds me of how many female athlete stars we had from my school. The Olympian star, Elizabeth Beisel went to my school, and show how anything is possible, especially coming from a small town and state. Sports can be a mechanism to improve society because with participation of sports, studies have show that there is “an increase in confidence, a lessening likelihood of eating disorders and abusive relationships, and greater defense against the relentless shrapnel of sexism aimed at young teenage woman.” Sports have shown woman and proven to the world that women are just as capable as men of playing and excelling in sports. Women are able to be seen as strong, powerful, and athletic.

STEP FIVE:

Mo’ne is absolutely an amazing young girl! I cannot believe the courage, strength, and bravery she has as a young girl playing such a competitive sport with boys. She lets nobody intimidate her, and continues to play the sports that she loves to play. In the article, it stated, “She’s not self-conscious at all. She doesn’t get too high or too low and nothing fazes her, as people are seeing. And she’s all about the team, which is why her teammates love her." Mo’ne has been able to prove that it’s possible to play with the boys, and even dominate in every sport. She is now been a national phenomenon, and on the cover of a Sports Illustrated.  She has been able to overcome being a female athlete and being black.  I believe Mo’ne Davis will continue to succeed as an athlete, and continue to get bigger and bigger. She has already proven her skills as a female athlete at such a young age, and she will just keep on advancing as she ages. Something I noticed while looking at the various website features, was that most of the articles were about males.  All the links that I went through were based on a male athlete, and not a female athlete, which I found interesting.