10.22.2010

Strong and Beautiful (and Exploited?): Female Athletes on Magazine Covers


This post, from one of my favorite websites (www.adventure-journal.com), unwittingly became a kind of lighting rod for a discussion on whether female athletes/models are being used for their looks to sell magazines.

You know: I have to say that, YES. Outside Magazine is using these women for their attractive qualities, rather than focusing on their athletic ability.

Any serious athlete is more likely to have a tight, muscled physique than most—so why focus on that? Why not shoot a cover with those women actually doing what it is they are good at? Why do we have to relegate EVERYONE to a freakin' sexual object? And this goes for male athletes as well.

2 comments:

  1. Perhaps it's in our nature to seek beauty. Most publishers want to sell magazines, not ideals.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Agreed, but it's a magazine about sports, right? Not bathing suits.

    I'm not arguing the marketing aspect. Everyone knows that sex sells.

    ReplyDelete

Spit it, betch!