Women, Sport, and Film Course

1. What is the meaning of the images used in the popular media that portray women? Portray women athletes? Give some examples of positive images and some negative images. Look at the WNBA website for an interesting look at the intersection of media and women's professional sport. www.wnba.com

2. What role does gender play as enhancing the athletic image of women in sport? What influence, what difference, did the image of Velvet as being gender neutral – and in fact trying to pass as a male jockey. What does this say about women in sport, women in male domains, and the cultural ideal of women? Is this applicable toady?

3. How does the cultural ideal of sport relate to the cultural ideal of women in society?

For those students who watched National Velvet, add the question:
Are you, or did you ride horses in your youth? Describe the passion of riding horses. How would you describe the link between gender as portrayed in the movie?

In the documentary we viewed before we watched "National Velvet", the issue of female athletes being portrayed as sex objects came up. I believe the idea was that it was 'unempowering' for female athletes to be shown in a sexualized manner. My thought is this: No one forced those athletes to pose naked. If female athletes do not want their image to be reduced to that of a sex object, then they as a whole should refuse to pose for photographs that would do so. And honestly, if I see a sports magazine with a half-naked male on the front, my first thought has absolutly nothing to do with his ability to play an organized sport.

http://www.madison.com/wisconsinstatejournal/opinion/42343.php

cheers

**To answer the last question: I have never ridden a horse.

question 1: (title IX)

Title IX is a social justice issue as it is a law that concerns not privilege, but the right of women to have the same access to education as men. Title IX takes as its basis the fact that women in America are not treated as full citizens, but are relegated to a kind of partial citizenship. For years the government has sought to control everything from a woman's right to vote, to her right to protect and make decisions about her own body. After years of having their bodies demeaned and demonized, women are finally taking control of their bodies and their education, and are re-learning how to situate themselves as members of society with equal rights to education and competition.
The impact of Title IX on women today cannot be overstated. Even for women who are not athletes, all women have benefited from Title IX. For women who do not consider themselves athletes, or have no interest in sports, they still turn on the television to glimpse UCONN women's basketball or to see Serena Williams smashing a ball across the court. If cultural perceptions are at least partially due to repetition, then seeing the images of women participating in sports should lead to a kind of internalizing of the idea that as women our bodies are useful and powerful.

question 2: (cultural ideals of women)

The cultural ideal of women in sports seems to be the woman who can combine beauty with talent. Thus, as a competitor she might be fierce, but her attractiveness makes her less threatening to the male ego. Media correspondents can call these women "graceful", and "attractive" while also mentioning that they have a superb serve or "great athleticism". However, the fact that one never hears a male athlete described according to their physical characteristics, (except for "tall" in basketball, and then it is used as a factor which only enhances their maleness), further shows how the cultural ideal of athletic women still seeks to feminize and control women.
Also, there is a cultural ideal of women as graceful losers, as competitive, but not too competitive. I have often heard male commentators call female athletes "intense" in what seemed a negative tone of voice, and I have also heard commentators shaking their heads when women have been angry or upset at the end of competition and not able to smile for the cameras. Rarely, if ever, have I heard commentators or writers speak this way about men. In fact, the cultural ideal of men in sport supports and applauds intensity, even condoning aggressive behavior among male athletes. When men do this they are seen as asserting their maleness, as acting "like a man", whereas when women get angry, frustrated, or are not able to put on a smile after they've been beaten they are seen as being too involved, as being too intense.
I hope that these cultural ideals are changing. I still see too many women apologizing. I still see too many women who are timid in the weight room. However, I have also seen Serena and Venus Williams become famous for being incredible tennis players, as well as competitors who are often terrifying in their fierceness. Since I have been at college I have encountered fewer men who have questioned my athletic ability or potential, and when most of them speak of my muscles, they do so with admiration in their voice.

Although female sports are gaining more popularity with more female athletes are gracing the covers of magazines and appearing on television spots, we need to look at the images that these women are projecting. We see female athletes half-naked on the covers of magazines and in advertisements, yet athletes of equal talent like Pete Sampras are pictured with a tennis racquet.
In response to another post, yes these women were not "forced" to pose in these manners, but then we might ask ourselves if they would ever appear on magazine covers if they didnt agree to pose and present themselves in these overly sexualized and super-feminine ways.
In addition, isnt it even more awful that these athletes, women who have accomplished so much and worked so hard, still feel as though all they have to offer on the cover of a magazine is their body and their face?They should be presenting their talents and accomplishments.

The simple meaning of this is that women are still objectified. It's not that their talents are not appreciated, it's just that it's more appealing in our culture for a woman to be an example of beauty. It's kind of like a mating ritual. An athletic woman threatens the men in the male-dominated world of athletics, but a beautiful woman is more likely to mate and be taken off the market and out of the competition. Her beauty, her sexuality, makes her less of a threat in the long-run, because it shows a hint of what she will most likely leave sports (for a while) to do - have children.

It's just easier for everyone this way, apparently. Even I love to look at advertisements of these women and wish that my body resembled theirs.

In National Velvet, I don't think that Velvet WAS gender-neutral. She was a girl, very specifically; "girls love horses" is a traditionally gendered interest, and only when there was no other option did she become the jockey. In fact, Mi could have been the jockey, but was persuaded by what I suppose were "feminine wiles" or whatnot.

Note that even as a "masculine" figure, she wore makeup and looked cute and fit the feminine ideal, excepting her hair.

This is similar to the cultural ideal of women in society. Today, women are given more opportunities than ever before to become active in male dominated fields. While I do not think that our cultural ideals of sports and women in society are perfect, I do agree that they have come a long way.

Introductions: Hi, I'm Ingrid Hansen, a junior English major at Bryn Mawr. In elementary school I had a 2 year stint with soccer, but it wasn't really my thing. I've grown up with outdoorsy sports--hiking, cross-country skiing, canoeing, etc. I've felt isolated from the organized sports world, and have largely rejected it. Sitting in this class, however, has forced me to reconsider how I think about organized sports in a positive light.

week one response: Title IX is necessary in the same way that affirmative action policies are necessary. Enforcing legislation that requires visible measures of equality surely puts us in better stead for changing historical notions of women in sport. Looking at the statistics, we can assert that progress has been made and will continue--the video mentioned that women's participation in sport has reached a critical mass, and going back to pre-Title IX enrollment would be impossible. We are coming into a world (or country, at least) where women command respect. Legislation is an important part of this process--it is not such a far trip down memory lane to recall when sexual harassment allegations were laughable. The truism stands firm--we've come a long way, but there is still a long way to go. There are numerous organizations dedicated to equality (room for more), and there is legal backing for equality (room for more), but cultural perceptions do play a role in how we as a culture really value women.

As a response to National Velvet, I wanted to bring up a point I've heard (which, unfortunately, I cannot cite). The argument is that preadolescent girls are especially drawn to horses because horses represent attractive male qualities for girls who do not yet take interest in boys (and this is based on heterosexist principles). Horses are large, muscular, and provide an outlet for much attention/ affection. When Velvet "practices" her riding in bed, several of us found humor in what appeared to be implicitly sexual behavior, but wrote it off because of the time period. This argument would suggest that there is foundation in our perception. It would also suggest that Velvet is thoroughly feminine. While I can find fault and exception to this argument, I thought it posed an interesting perspective on National Velvet.