women & sports channels

tonight i noticed that even though women's sports have come far from the beginning they still aren't advertised as much as they could be. Lately the most i have seen women in sports on tv was when the world cup was happening and the women's usa soccer team was on, but other than that whenever i watch ESPN with my dad all you see is men's basketball, football, tennis, golf, and even interviews with men athletes! it's the same with college sports. There is always men's college and professional sports being played, but you never see women. i rarely or never on some days see them talk, mention, or show women's sports. maybe every once in awhile you will see a glimpse, but it will be at most a 2 minute segment. Maybe a reason that people are more into men's sports than women's sports is because that's all we are programmed to watch. what if they started showing more women's sports on tv, would more people stand up for women or be more interested in women's sports because they're being offered to watch? women have come far in sports and the next thing i feel that needs to be accomplished is getting their sports more out in the open with the media. especially on a popular channel like ESPN or any other sport/news channels to help different types of viewers become interested in women's sports and let them be recognized for their specific sport just like men sports are because women deserve it just as much as men do.

Robin M.

Kin 338i. 01

Gender characteristics

Yesterday in class we discussed stereotypical characteristics or traits for men and also for women. As I was sitting there listening to everyone shout out the characteristics for men and women I noticed that you could use most of the traits for either sex no days. I understand the idea of the exercise was to think of what fits with each sex but if you looked at the board there were so many that could fall under either sex. Rich, tall, powerful, selfish, intelligent, gentle, obnoxious, etc. the list goes on and on. So as everyone was yelling up traits for the women I noticed that there were several traits I considered to be associated with. Does that make me more feminine? No I'm a male who can be sensitive, emotional, or passive. It just comes to show that everyone is different but there are similar qualities that we can find in each and everyone of us. Anybody care to disagree?

Bennett Grissom

Kin. 338i sec. 6

Early women in sport

Watching the movie Dare to Compete and reading a section in the book about women competing in pedestrianism helps me realize just how far women and this country have come in the past century. Reading that section where there were women who actually walked for competition and that the media covered as extensively as they did blew my mind. I just cant fathom the idea of following a man OR a women walking as a sort of competition. I was reading it saying to myself, "REALLY? WALKING?" The other part of the reading that left me scratching my head me was the doctors who claimed that these women could do physical damage to themselves if they participated in pedestrianism. Are you kidding me? I cant believe people actually believed to that! I understand that technology and science were heavily lacking back in those days but its funny how it seems that back then people will believe whatever they read. Unfortunately that can also be the case today. Anyways its obvious that women have come along way since the days of pedestrianism where a women now can verbally threaten and official on a national stage and only see a financial penalty where back around the beginning of the 20th century that women would see a much larger penalty!

Bennett Grissom

Kin. 338i Sec. 6

"Hottest" Women in Sport

The first thing that appeared when I searched for “Women in Sport” on the Internet was a suggested link titled; “Hottest Women in Sports”. And the very first thing that popped into my head was:
In class recently we have been talking a lot about how, in the past, women, especially white women, have been scrutinized for their participation in sport. Most people thought female athletes were “too masculine” and that exercise in any way was not at all feminine and could actually be potentially dangerous to their health and well-being. In our readings , we learned that the white press would either touch on a woman’s athletic ability and relate her to male athletics by masculine descriptive words, trying to belittle or complain about her image, or associate a woman athlete’s success in sport with flowery, pretty words, in an attempt to keep her feminized. Female athletes that had muscles and who sweated defied common beliefs that sport and exercise was not for women. Females were viewed as ones who should be things like; pretty all the time, working in the home, and pretty much all around subordinate to males. And when females started participating in sport and exercise, which at the time was only acceptable for males, people started criticizing them. Although these women were pioneers for future women athletes to come, my finding of the “hottest women in sports” link on the internet proves that there are still some of the same beliefs out there that women should always act a certain way, especially look a certain way. Just in that one link, a “feminine” word was used. The link “Hottest Women in Sport” shows me that someone out there is trying to keep women in sport feminized. There could have been other links along the lines of “Great Women in Sport” or “Talented Women in Sport”, but the use of the word “hottest” brought me right back to our readings when people were keeping women feminized by using “girly” words in their writing. When I clicked on the link, pictures of the cover of Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Edition came up. Everyone knows how these pictures are, beautiful women in tiny bikinis, showing off their lean bodies. These pictures are another way that society is still keeping female athletes feminized. They almost all have the same image; lean, not too muscular body, pretty face, pretty hair, ideal female. Out of four pictures, only one was a woman athlete in-action. This shows that not everyone out there feminizes female athletes but, gender emphasis is definitely still out there in the world of Women in Sport.


Danielle C
KIN 338i.01

Women Sports Video Games?

Why is it that no one ever talks about video games having to do with Women's professional sports? As an avid sports game freak -- it totally perplexes me as to why big name labels like EA sports or 2k have yet to climb that hurdle in today's technological era. Could money be the issue? How about the fear of a decline in sales in some of the companies most popular franchises? I did some research and found some interesting information...

First off, there hasn't been a women's sports video game developed on the new consoles (PS3, XBOX 360, or even the WII). What there have been, are poorly made 1st generation games for the "old school" consoles. Games like BEACH SPIKERS (which my sister had way back when), MIA HAM SOCCER 64, and SEGA SPORTS TENNIS. I can remember earlier in the decade a game called DEAD OR ALIVE: XTREME BEACH VOLLEYBALL. Just from the cover it rubbed me the wrong way - it was definitely sexist.

Here's an image:


What's wrong with this picture? Notice in particular the "Only on Xbox" tag at the very top. Easily a money making ploy to convince young boys to buy an Xbox to see what "real women" look like. Growing up in a generally female household, I felt it would be disrespectful if one of my middle school buddies were to bring this into a friendly video game session.

Dead or Alive not only pushed limits, but people's buttons as well. So I ask this question, if it's ok to publish a video game that exposes and labels women negatively, why can't they release a game that appeals to women? Something like Clay Matthews: One on One. Here's why, it's because men, and the money hungry corporations they run are afraid of losing fan bases, and afraid of losing money.

On the other hand, do you think women like playing an NBA game where your only option is to create a MALE "My player"? What's wrong with creating a WNBA game? And, if your main goal is to make money, who thinks that wouldn't sell? I know tons and tons of athletes, and just chicks in general that would kill to play games like that. Why do women constantly have to be limited to male dominant sport titles.

I call upon video game companies to eliminate the fear of being different -- you have SO MUCH to gain, and so little to lose. Why not give it a shot and give women athletes what they want? Some time to relax and play as their favorite tennis player, WNBA athlete, or track and field champ? Now...don't take this post literally and go make Lingerie Football League 12: Special Edition.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this guys.

-Elliot Osrin (KIN 338I.S6)

Muscle Fibers

Today in class we spent a lot of the time discussing how women are physically more disadvantaged than men. Some people argued that or society and how we bring up our young children is the reason for the physical differences. Others stated that it is biological that men are more physically gifted then women. Which is partly true because of the muscle fibers associated with our bodies. Everyone has two types of muscle fibers in their bodies, type I and type II. Type I are labeled as slow twitch muscle fibers which are commonly seen more in track athletes and swimmers because these muscle fibers are the muscles that can have much more endurance than type II. Type II muscle fibers are labeled as fast twitch muscle fibers that are seen in body builders, football, baseball, basketball, and other major sport athletes. These muscle fibers are more prevelant in men which is the reason it is easier for men to put on more muscle mass than women. Therefore, both types are in everyone however men have more of both than women and have much more of the type II than women have. But to answer a topic today, the reason the "times" of the track and field athletes for women are catching to the mens times does have to do with the training that is now more accessable to them but it is also because female athletes have enough type I muscle fibers to "hang" with the boys.

Bennett Grissom

kin 338I.S6

Women in Football/Hockey

It's interesting to me that of the five major American sports only soccer, basketball, and baseball have leagues where women play at some national level. Where as Football and Hockey, as far as i know, do not have nationally covered leagues where women compete. Its obvious that women sporting events dont get the media attention like male sports but I've never heard of a female hockey or football league. Is it because the physical stature one needs to play either sport? Or is it because our society doesnt want our young girls to get involved in Hockey or Football?

I believe it absolutely has to do with our society. For instance, I dont think my parents would of let my sister play hockey or football even if she really wanted to! I think its safe to make the assumption that MOST of our parents would of done the same thing. If anybody has heard of women playing hockey or football leagues that are legit let me know.

Bennett G.
kin 338I.S6