The sexualization of female athletes in the media is one of the most serious issues today. Female athletes, unlike male athletes, do not have the luxury of being portrayed exclusively as performance athletes, as coverage of their attractiveness and sex appeal often overshadows highlights of their on-field accomplishments. Magazines and advertisements that depict female athletes in provocative stances and clothes, or even nude, essentially convey a "woman first, athlete second" mindset that undermines athletes' successes and self-esteem.
The media not only degrades female athletes' successes and self-esteem by sexualizing them and encouraging them to prioritize sex appeal over strength, but it also alienates viewers and stifles the feminist movement. Practicality and, to a greater extent, sexist social standards have led to the media's sexualization of female athletes. Female athletes who reject the media's sexualization merely alienate themselves because sex appeal has such a strong influence in today's society. The media's sexualized representations of female athletes have essentially legitimized a lack of recognition for the athletes' accomplishments by emphasizing sex appeal over athleticism. The media's sexualization of women's sports takes away self-esteem and individuality by stressing sex appeal over athleticism and encourages athletes to do the same.
Tokyo Olympics
The head of broadcasting for the Tokyo Olympics is keen on removing overly sexualized images of female athletes at an event striving to set the greatest level of television standards. Olympic authorities promote the motto "sports appeal, not sex appeal" in an effort to achieve gender equality on the field of play and on-screen. Olympic Broadcasting Services chief executive Yiannis Exarchos announced that the repetitive things that we've seen in the past such as details and close-ups on certain parts of the body, will not be seen in the coverage. “What we can do is make sure that our coverage does not emphasize or feature what people are wearing in any particular way,” Exarchos added. The IOC updated its guidelines to reach gender-equal and fair broadcasting of events. Keeping the focus less on intimate body parts, looks, clothing, and wardrobe malfunctions to respect each and every athlete’s integrity is the goal.
“They are powerful and gorgeous, but they are not simply women,” Imoto explained, “they are athletes.”
Exarchos stated that the Olympic goals go beyond the elimination of sexualized pictures. Women's and mixed-gender events are featured more prominently on the Olympic program. In volleyball and team handball, women's finals are held after men's finals. The Tokyo Olympics have been positioned as a chance for Japan to embrace diversity and drive progress. Imoto expressed the expectation that following the Games, Japanese media and sports officials will discuss "the norms of portrayal."
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