CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SPORT IN SOCIETY

Brandi Chastain, USA World Cup champion soccer team member, nude behind a soccer ball in Gear magazine (1999)
Anna Kournikova in Sports Illustrated in sexy clothes and positions in bathroom and with pillow on bed (2000)
Four female Olympic swimmers naked behind a single towel for Annie Leibovitz in Women's Sports and Fitness magazine (2000)
Semi-nude male and female Olympians in Esquire magazine
Jenny Thompson, Olympic swimmer, shirtless in Sports Illustrated, her breasts covered only by her own clenched fists (2000)
Olympic female track athletes posing in nude calendar (1999)
Annie Leibovitz photos of male and female Olympians in Vanity Fair (1996)

Sports Illustrated has asked top female athletes to remove their clothes or wear sexy clothes or adopt sexy postures and be photographed in a non-sport setting while it does not ask top male athletes to pose in this way. Male athletes are photographed to display their skill and muscles while in athletic gear and in sport settings. This is a double standard that objectifies women. Because Sports Illustrated seldom covers women for their athletic exploits and frequently portrays women as sex objects rather than athletes, such coverage is objectionable and demeaning to female athletes.

Esquire and Gear are not sport magazines and often portray women as sex objects. If men and women are displayed in similar poses and environments, the magazine is not being "sexist." The male or female athlete's decision to appear in this magazine nude or semi-nude is one that reflects on her image. Does he or she wish to be remembered as an athlete or a model posing unclothed? Today, when a woman takes off her shirt to reveal a sports bra it is often referred to as a "Chastain." Because female athletes receive 80-90% less coverage of their athletic achievement in the print and electronic media than their male counterparts, female athletes who use this opportunity for non-sport exposure allow the media to continue to marginalize the achievements of the female athlete.

Annie Leibovitz is known for her artistic photos of male and female athletes. In these photos, athletes display their physiques in strong, athletic positions or adopt poses to accentuate competitive psychological attitudes as opposed to reflecting sensuality. Leibovitz's Women's Sports and Fitness and Vanity Fair spreads may be argued to be in this category of artistic photography. The photographs do not appear to be sexist (both males and females photographed for Vanity Fair) and in neither case are poses "sexy." As a magazine, Women's Sports and Fitness portrays female athletes in multiple roles: models, athletes and artistic studies. This photograph can be argued to fall in the latter category. However, it should be noted that Women's Sports and Fitness magazine, on occasion, has objectified male athletes as sex objects and that as a publication, it has presented a very narrow view of female athletes. The vast majority of it's covers have been of young, long haired white females posing passively in form-fitting clothing (Schell, 2000).

In the case of the calendar of naked female track athletes, in the great majority of the photos, athletes appeared in high heels or sexy poses that did not hint of their athletic abilities. This was straight soft porn and we haven't seen a similar soft porn calendar of male athletes. An athlete's decision to participate in such a product, is one which reflects on his or her image and beliefs, not his or her athletic ability.

The Foundation believes that there is nothing wrong with portraying female athletes as feminine, physically attractive, or in ways that seek to represent an artistic study of their bodies. One might simply ask the question, is the photograph displaying the female athlete's muscles or her breasts? The answer, with regard to a photo of a naked athlete, is one that requires an examination of context. When a female athlete appears in a sports publication or advertisement to promote a sports or fitness product, she should be portrayed as respectfully as is her male counterpart, who is most often portrayed as a skilled athlete.

There are many ways in which women choose to "reclaim their bodies" after being objectified in the media for so many years. Displaying their strength and their muscles is one such method and should be commended. Male and female athletes can do this in minimalist athletic wear (swimsuits, compression shorts, sports bras) in authentic athletic poses without displaying or attempting to accentuate genitalia in "sexy" ways. For the female, who has been the victim of portrayal as a nude or semi-nude sex object for many years, one would think that the decision to appear naked should be carefully considered, especially when her male counterpart is not similarly displayed. Why is this important? In the end she can't ignore the fact that she is most likely a role model for thousands perhaps millions of young girls.


	WOMEN'S SPORTS FOUNDATION - Position on Nude/Semi-Nude photos of Athletes in Magazines
The Women's Sports Foundation BACK TO NEWS SECTION	POSITION: Women's Sports Foundation ISSUE: Nude/Semi-Nude Photos of Athletes in Sports Magazines Situations Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society is proud to support the stance of the Women's Sports Foundation on this Issue. The Women's Sports Foundation has been asked to comment on the following situations: � Brandi Chastain, USA World Cup champion soccer team member, nude behind a soccer ball in Gear magazine (1999) Anna Kournikova in Sports Illustrated in sexy clothes and positions in bathroom and with pillow on bed (2000) Four female Olympic swimmers naked behind a single towel for Annie Leibovitz in Women's Sports and Fitness magazine (2000) Semi-nude male and female Olympians in Esquire magazine Jenny Thompson, Olympic swimmer, shirtless in Sports Illustrated, her breasts covered only by her own clenched fists (2000) Olympic female track athletes posing in nude calendar (1999) Annie Leibovitz photos of male and female Olympians in Vanity Fair (1996) Women's Sports Foundation Responses: Are there distinctions in the above situations? Answer: Yes. Sports Illustrated has asked top female athletes to remove their clothes or wear sexy clothes or adopt sexy postures and be photographed in a non-sport setting while it does not ask top male athletes to pose in this way. Male athletes are photographed to display their skill and muscles while in athletic gear and in sport settings. This is a double standard that objectifies women. Because Sports Illustrated seldom covers women for their athletic exploits and frequently portrays women as sex objects rather than athletes, such coverage is objectionable and demeaning to female athletes. Esquire and Gear are not sport magazines and often portray women as sex objects. If men and women are displayed in similar poses and environments, the magazine is not being "sexist." The male or female athlete's decision to appear in this magazine nude or semi-nude is one that reflects on her image. Does he or she wish to be remembered as an athlete or a model posing unclothed? Today, when a woman takes off her shirt to reveal a sports bra it is often referred to as a "Chastain." Because female athletes receive 80-90% less coverage of their athletic achievement in the print and electronic media than their male counterparts, female athletes who use this opportunity for non-sport exposure allow the media to continue to marginalize the achievements of the female athlete. Annie Leibovitz is known for her artistic photos of male and female athletes. In these photos, athletes display their physiques in strong, athletic positions or adopt poses to accentuate competitive psychological attitudes as opposed to reflecting sensuality. Leibovitz's Women's Sports and Fitness and Vanity Fair spreads may be argued to be in this category of artistic photography. The photographs do not appear to be sexist (both males and females photographed for Vanity Fair) and in neither case are poses "sexy." As a magazine, Women's Sports and Fitness portrays female athletes in multiple roles: models, athletes and artistic studies. This photograph can be argued to fall in the latter category. However, it should be noted that Women's Sports and Fitness magazine, on occasion, has objectified male athletes as sex objects and that as a publication, it has presented a very narrow view of female athletes. The vast majority of it's covers have been of young, long haired white females posing passively in form-fitting clothing (Schell, 2000). In the case of the calendar of naked female track athletes, in the great majority of the photos, athletes appeared in high heels or sexy poses that did not hint of their athletic abilities. This was straight soft porn and we haven't seen a similar soft porn calendar of male athletes. An athlete's decision to participate in such a product, is one which reflects on his or her image and beliefs, not his or her athletic ability. The Foundation believes that there is nothing wrong with portraying female athletes as feminine, physically attractive, or in ways that seek to represent an artistic study of their bodies. One might simply ask the question, is the photograph displaying the female athlete's muscles or her breasts? The answer, with regard to a photo of a naked athlete, is one that requires an examination of context. When a female athlete appears in a sports publication or advertisement to promote a sports or fitness product, she should be portrayed as respectfully as is her male counterpart, who is most often portrayed as a skilled athlete. There are many ways in which women choose to "reclaim their bodies" after being objectified in the media for so many years. Displaying their strength and their muscles is one such method and should be commended. Male and female athletes can do this in minimalist athletic wear (swimsuits, compression shorts, sports bras) in authentic athletic poses without displaying or attempting to accentuate genitalia in "sexy" ways. For the female, who has been the victim of portrayal as a nude or semi-nude sex object for many years, one would think that the decision to appear naked should be carefully considered, especially when her male counterpart is not similarly displayed. Why is this important? In the end she can't ignore the fact that she is most likely a role model for thousands perhaps millions of young girls.
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