Reference Page

Academic.edu. Katharina Linder about page. University of Stirlings, Communication, Media & Culture.    Retrieved at: http://stir.academia.edu/KatharinaLindner

Everbach, T. (2008). Still in the minor leagues: a comparison of women’s sports coverage in female-and          male-edited newspaper sports section. Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, 23(2), 55-68.

Hardin, M & Shain, S. (2005). Strength in numbers? The experiences and attitudes of women in sports    media careers. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 82(4), 804-819.

Lewis, A. (2005). Women in Sports. The Education Digest, 70(9), 1-50.

Lindner, K. (2011). Female athleticism on the cinema screen. Feminist Media Studies, 11(3), 321-340.

Lindner, K. (2012). Women’s boxing at the2012 Olympics: Gender trouble? University of Stirling, 10(1).   464-467.

Penn State College of Communication. People Directory.

University of North-Texas System. Dr. Tracy Everbach contact information. Faculty system. Retrieved    from: https://faculty.unt.edu/editprofile.php?pid=1345#1

Application

            In the article, 2012 Olympic Boxing, it discussed how women's boxing isn't considered appropriate or acceptable to women to compete in but it should be actually viewed as a tremendously courageous and physically draining sport. Women who do choose to participate should be applauded and cheered on just the same as men are. One movie that was really eye opening and based on a true story of a woman’s battle through training on and off the ring was, “Million Dollar Baby.” Although the ending of this movie is an extreme eye jerk-er and not how Maggie Fitzergald’s story actual ends, it still accurately shows the endurance and love she devoted to the sport. Throughout the movie you see the main character, Maggie, overcome many obstacles and barriers of being a woman in the sport. Her hard work both physically and mentally shows the audience that women are one hundred percent capable of making it in the sport. Women posses the strength and heart to compete just as well as any other man.

Watch the Million Dollar Baby Trailer here

      In the trailer the young girl, Maggie, goes to a well known trainer in seek of his help. She claims that she is “tough” and he responded with how you think a one-minded man would, “I don’t train girls. Girly isn't tough.” This is just one instance of the movie that acts a barrier for Maggie because of her gender. Throughout the movie her mom then tells her to find a man and that people are talking about what she’s spending her time doing. Once again gender is placed in the movie, that boxing makes her a foreign species. She is seen as someone different, which is considered unattractive. Throughout the movie Maggie goes on to push her boundaries and do what she loves, which should be what competing is about. Not your gender, the masculinity, or the femininity surrounding it.

 The second example is the way women are portrayed and viewed in sports. Whatever sport women are found participating become shaped with their sexuality instead of their talent. Women throughout the media are always shown as sexual object, the man’s ultimate desire. Especially if a woman is fit and lean, she becomes that more attractive to the male’s eye. Her talent and hard work is completely over looked because her butt, legs, and abs are toned.

    

    When looking up women in sports in the Google Search engine, I couldn't believe my eyes as to the pictures that popped up. The first six photos include the backside of two different women, their face’s are unrecognizable and turned away. This truly wraps up how women are viewed in any sort of sport. 

Look at the top 6 photos

    Lindsey Vonn is one of the top downhill skiers in the world after winning the gold medal in women’s downhill in the 2010 Olympics but the pictures and articles found are all about her sexuality. Images of her with skis in a tiny bikini and news articles about her and Tiger Woods relationship, you have to dig to find how many Olympic Medals she’s won. 

See for yourself- the top images of Lindsey Vomm

            

Let me Open your Eyes

Female athletes for the past four decades have been given equal opportunity to represents themselves in all different types of sports. These sports have ranged from dance, gymnastics, soccer, volleyball, and recently boxing. Women have fought for equal rights to play alongside men at a high competitive level in sports. Ever since the passage of Title IX, which is a law that ensures the equal funding and opportunity for girls and women in sports at federally funded educational institutions, females have taken full advantage of the equal treatment law (Hardin, p. 123, 2011).

            Even though women have been given, by law, equal rights and participation to all sets of professional sports something has still been majorly lacking in equality terms. Women sports coverage rate is extremely low when comparing to men sports. Research conducted has looked at the underlying problem, asking questions like why wouldn’t women watch other women compete in a professional sport? Observations are made regarding how women’s sports are being publicized and covered and that the discussion is centered on femininity, grace, and beauty. Along with male sports being the overall dominate gender in sports, both on the field and when reporting sports news.

            An article wrote by Tracy Everbach discussed the comparison of women’s sports coverage in both female and male edited newspaper sports sections. Her research findings about women’s presents in sports related magazines and newspaper showed a reason as to why women are so difficult to find in American sports pages. According to the Associated Press Sports Editors, in 2006 reported that ninety percent of sports editors were in fact male (Everbach, p.55, 2007). Due to the huge lack of female managers and employees in newspaper sports departments may be reason to the death of women’s sports coverage.

            The article, Female athleticism on the cinema screen, discusses the concerns about sports and cinema and the troubling figure of the female athlete. Katharina Lindner discusses the sense of gender-appropriateness found in particular athletic sports. Examples are that football, boxing, and other physical contact sports are associated with masculinity and male sports. While skating, synchronized swimming, and other non-contact sports are considered to carry a feminine and female quality. These gender assigned sports have much to do with the physical activities involved. Men are found in sports involving violence and aggression, while women participate in graceful and aesthetically pleasing activities. It’s hardly ever that we see the gender assumed for the sport being the opposite sex.

            A huge breakthrough for women’s sport happened in the 2012 Olympics. Female athletes were allowed to compete in competitive boxing for the first time in history. There’s the common idea centered on boxing, that it’s been a male-centered and masculine dominant sport.  With women allowed to enter the ring the masculinity of the sport become threatened. Women aren’t deemed appropriate or acceptable in boxing and in doing so boxing labels them as “gender troubled” (Lindner, p 465, 2012). The introduction of women boxing was seen with considerable contradiction and ambiguities. The only reason why people would feel this way is due to how women are shown and portrayed around the world. 

Influential Women

One of the major researchers who study women in sports is Marie Hardin. She’s a woman who teaches classes focused on sports and society at Penn State University. She has been published in countless journals including Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Sociology of Sport Journal, Sex Roles, Newspaper Research Journal, Journal of Sports Management and countless more of her articles can be found. Past careers of hers include newspaper reporter and editor and a freelance magazine writer. Her writings focus primarily around women in media, Title IX, and sport journalism.

For more information click here

           

 Another huge influenced writer of this particular topic is Katharina Lindner. She can be found teaching communication, media and culture at the University of Stirling. Her research focuses around gender theory, cultural theory, sport media, gender and sexuality, and queer theory, just to name a few. She has published writing regarding athleticism and cinema, dance in film, and sport and post feminism. She is currently working on research regarding specifically with queer critiques of traditional phenomenology.

For more information click here

The last person of interest to this particular topic is Tracy Everbach. She is currently teaching at the University of North-Texas. She has worked on a number of projects regarding gender equality. Her most influential work can be found in the past three years which include, Women’s Olympics, College Female Athletes, and Examining Gender Equity, just to name a few.

For more information click here

Conclusion

The way woman are portrayed and shown in sports is degrading in a lot of ways. Their images and attitudes are shaped around their sexuality and bodies. The amount of airtime and channels available for women’s sports are slim compared to the amount of screen time the typical male sport has. Along with women’s representation in the media from magazines, newspapers, and sport updates it’s a very clear inequality when compared to men. 

In actuality women's sports are just as competitive and entertaining as any male sport. Women have a strong sense of what it means to be on a team and the definition of winning. Their grace is found in a win and a loss. Women are strong and united and shouldn't be underestimated.