Danica Patrick

A few weeks ago at the Indy Japan 300, Danica Patrick became the first woman to ever win an IndyCar race. This was of course a huge moment not only for Danica, who had long been considered the Anna Kournakova of racing, but for female athletes everywhere. Most of the media coverage was the same, all of them congratulating her while at the same time trivializing her accomplishment with comments such as "Beauty is a Beast" and "Danica proves she's not just a piece of meat." Every single article included some kind of photo of her, usually wearing a little bikini. One article made sure to include that she happened to cry which was only significant because she is a woman. Another article gave the credit of the win to her pit crew. While all of these articles were rather disappointing in their portrayal of Danica and her accomplishment, it was also typical of what's to be expected. Being an attractive woman who has marketed herself and her body, Danica is first recognized as a sexual object, second as an athlete. Sara Stith kin338I.S7