An unglamorous look at women in athletics

Posted at 11:10 AM on November 3, 2011 by Bob Collins (10 Comments)
Filed under: Sports

Common sense, an even an occasional glimpse at the sports pages, will confirm the problem that MPR's Midmorning tackled today -- women's sports don't get the attention they deserve, it may discourage more girls and women from participating in sports, and the media too often portrays women as sexual beings before showing them as outstanding athletes.

Mary Jo Kane, professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota, used Minnesota native Lindsey Vonn as an example, saying she was constantly portrayed in sexual tones rather than athletic ones.

"It's because there are too many men -- and in particular white men -- in sports journalism," added Don Sabo, professor of Health Policy and Health Education at D'Youville College in Buffalo.

Unanswered in the hour was whether Vonn, herself, is making it more difficult for women to be portrayed as athletes. Vonn has crafted her sexy image. Just check our her website.

In a recent tournament, the Associated Press reported on what Serena Williams was wearing while reporting on the results of her tournament. It struck me as despicable, but it's also a role Serena Williams has cultivated. Check her website.

Dr. Kane said this isn't about an individual female athlete, it's about why corporations don't want to sponsor female athletes as athletes. She suggested that women athletes who market their own sexuality do so because of the need for corporate sponsorships.

It also may have something with the Williams' sisters non-athletic businesses which push the glam, and the fashion, and the perfumes.

In the recent Minnesota Lynx run to their championship, there's no question that many people -- mostly men -- dismissed the WNBA, often appearing personally threatened by the success of female athletes. But it's also true that many men overcame their gender and their whiteness to support the squad. And so did the media.

For example, when's the last time you read or watched a story about Lindsey Whalen that stressed sexuality and glamor? The Star Tribune's Jim Souhan -- he hates everybody -- lavished nothing about athletic praise on the squad at season's end.

By the way, Dr. Sabo indicated during the show that NPR did its part to diminish the coverage of women's sports. "They had Diana Nyad," he said. "Now, she's out. Instead we have Tom Goldman." (Disclaimer: Nyad was at one time also the highest paid non-executive in American Public Media)

That didn't stop NPR, however, from providing consistent and compelling coverage of the athlete's recent attempt to swim to Cuba. It was written by Greg Allen, a white guy.

That, too, is worth acknowledging. Maybe a corner has been turned.

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Comments (10)

I believe the corner has been turned when the lynx request a stadium politicians start seriously considering spending public money on it.

Posted by jon | November 3, 2011 11:44 AM

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While I agree that there are individual cases of more positive coverage now, and I did see growing respect for the Lynx after all the men's teams stank up the place, I think the overall point of Prof. Kane's research is still valid: both nationally and worldwide, there continues to be a double standard in press coverage of women athletes and sports, whether it's because it is absent altogether or minimized, or because women are sexualized first. I think it's gross when the women play along with it, but they are being told that this is how they will get attention that leads to endorsements.

Posted by Joanna | November 3, 2011 11:53 AM

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//Prof. Kane's research is still valid: both nationally and worldwide, there continues to be a double standard in press coverage of women athletes and sports,

as I said at the beginning of the piece, there's no question -- at least to me -- that her research is valid. Lindsey Vonn, however, makes for a lousy example.

Posted by Bob Collins | November 3, 2011 11:54 AM

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//when the lynx request a stadium politicians start seriously considering spending public money on it.//

They already have. Also, in his Vikings stadium proposal he unveiled -- and the Vikes rejected -- a few days ago, Rybak included the dough for Target Center.

Posted by Bob Collins | November 3, 2011 11:57 AM

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Seriously where do you get these ideas?!
If women are being protrayed in some sexual manner instead of athletes it's because it serves their own purpose. Wome these days can and do know how to say no. That leads me to believe this is a strategy of theirs -- not some idiot, misguided, outdated white guy's.

Think a little more dude.

Posted by Jack | November 3, 2011 12:17 PM

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Has Danica Patrick cashed those checks as a result of her role in those "GoDaddy.com" commercials?

While I agree with the underlying premise of Professor Kane's thesis, it seems to me that anytime an athlete (male or female) appears in some advertising medium, that is a result of the athlete and his/her representatives signing the dotted line. In that regard, I agree completely with Joanna's post above.

Posted by John O. | November 3, 2011 12:30 PM

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//Think a little more dude.

It's unclear whom you're talking to.

Posted by Bob Collins | November 3, 2011 12:41 PM

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These women are all adults ( except for Serena Williams, who is the anti-thesis of a good sportsperson).

People don't watch womens basketball when mens basketball is available, because of the significant difference in quality.

In tennis, women are payed equally for 40% less work.

And anyone - women or men - who participate in sports for the attention they may garner are doing it for the wrong reasons.

Posted by Jim Shapiro | November 3, 2011 2:56 PM

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Professor Don Sabo sounds like a joy. "Too many men, particularly white men, in sports journalism"?

Perhaps he meant to say that there needs to be more women in order to shift the focus.

Surely he can't be suggesting than men of color would be less sexist than their Caucasian counterparts.

I wish Serena Williams would kick his ass.

Posted by Jim Shapiro | November 3, 2011 3:13 PM

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Maybe it just works in reverse for the men; they prove themselves to be outstanding athletes first, then they market their sex appeal. David Beckham's underwear ads are just following in the footsteps of Jim Palmer's, Joe Namath's and (my personal favorite) decathalete Dan O'Brien's.

Posted by Diana | November 3, 2011 5:26 PM

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