Gender ideologies

In my Writing-140 course, we are exploring the portrayal of women athletes in the media. Advertising campaigns rarely highlight the physical dominance or competitive spirit of female athletes, they rather illustrate women’s femininity and daintiness by adorning the subjects in form-flattering clothes or unrealistic makeup. These campaigns do remarkably well for women hoping to heighten their sexual vitality will be attracted to these products that supposedly promise amplified femininity. The ideology that women in the sports sphere are supposed to be composed in both appearance and mannerisms undermines the physical greatness that these women have achieved. Thus, the female athletes face a huge obstacle in being able to compete and attain as high of a level of achievement compared to male athletes. For example, male athletes can express frustration or happiness when competing and it is viewed as energetic and enthusiastic while female athletes’ expressions of emotion are looked at as masculine or aggressive.