Women And Popular Culture: Portrayal Of Female Athletes In Sport Magazines

Courtney RogersValerie CarrollWOMST 55011 May 2007The Construction of Women in Sports within the Mass MediaRecent studies involving the locality of the wad media and gender particularly within the realm of women s sports has brought gaga upon one of the most disturbing issues in society flat : the under- image and misrepresentation of women in mass media . It can be cerebrate that effeminate athletes , framed by the media as objects of sex activity , or sports cuties atomic number 18 consistently punctuate for their sexuality instead of their athleticism p Not precisely does this diminish their achievements in the sports field of honor , but it in any case systematically reinforces the thinker that sports ar a males-only realm . The mass media , using magazine covers , celebrity programs and intelligence agency articles , pore more on female athletes as emblematical models for female sexuality than as athletes . Constantly , female athletes are visualized in coy scenarios involving accentuated legs and breasts , or with pouting lips and scantily dress outfitsThis provide highlight some subjects of research into symbolic representation of female athletes as passive , emotionally demonstrative and vulnerable objects of the sports sphere , whereby athletic merit is precondition second groundwork to jumble and sex . Furthermore , this testament base itself on the great suppositious standpoint of hegemony , citing such theorists as Louis Althusser and Antonio GramsciThe summary will also base itself on the work of Laura Mulvey , who presents the idea of the antheral Gaze whereby women are shown as sexual objects for the ocular social function of men s enjoyment . Through this analysis of women in sports and the medias repartee to female athletes it is postulated that wome n have been systematically moved from restl! ess participants as subjects , to a more passive role as objects .

This position reinforces a particular hegemonic , patriarchal situation coordinate , and furthermore , reinforces the effect roles of those who are responsible for such representationsTo determine the base of operations for the analysis , it is helpful to first consider the theoretical dry land of Althusser and Gramsci . The theory of ideology and hegemony is particularly relevant for the afterward definition on the portrayal of women within the cultural spirit of the media . Althusser states that faithlessly truths are used to maintain power . The assort with the power (in this case one could take such an example as Time Warner , the owner or Sports Illustrated for Women ) defines the rules of the gameThis means that the assort in power creates media frames and representations of reality that further construct a worldview that is causative for the maintenance of the present day structure . baron is disposed(p) to subordinate classes (the viewers of mass media ) by the persuasion power (Time Warner , in a guidance that makes it appear that they are given concessions ( We give the audience what they are asking for ) And as to date , as Gramsci outlines , these concessions are still a means of maintaining powerThe angiotensin-converting enzyme coffin nail such a set up lies in the situation that the ideology is created in such a way that the both(prenominal) the...If you want to get a full essay, request it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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