Follow Up: Responding to Hilary

Levy addresses how American society perceives sex and women. She asserts that instead of viewing the confident, self-determined, powerful, free ideal the women’s liberation movement, our icons have become porn stars, strippers and prostitutes. Her book makes me wonder: Why have strippers and porn stars been adopted as role models?

I agree with Hilary that Levy stresses the importance of the responsibility of women to present a positive image of their gender and sexuality. This notion reminded me of Brandi Chastain, who, at the 1999 Women's World Cup, scored the championship-winning goal and celebrated the victory by ripping off her jersey and falling to her knees in jubilant triumph. Her “sporting body” (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2009/08/22/2009-08-22_brandi_chastain.html) reveals the complicated relationship between athletic females in relation to sports and dominant notions of femininity today. I’ve noticed that the media coverage of female athletes tends to focus on their physical appearance and sexual attractiveness by portraying female athletes, not as powerful or strong, but as seductive, sexy, and vulnerable, a topic which Levy discusses in depth. When Brandi’s image first surfaced, writers for several magazines and newspapers explicitly used sexual innuendos to describe it. Sportscasters called it a “striptease” and deemed her the owner of the most talked-about breasts in the country.

I disagree with how these writers perceived her image. I think Brandi’s picture is a source of inspiration and a positive image that challenges the male-centered gender ideology that is promoted and reproduced in sports. Male soccer players often rip off their shirts and twist them over their heads after scoring a goal without provoking criticism. Chastain emulated this; it was simply an act of exuberance. We should not view this as “wrong” or “un lady-like.” Rather, this image captures the new meaning of the female form – powerful, fit, and independent. Her image reflects the hope that more athletes will be provided with opportunity to dispel the myths surrounding the gender ideology.

However, just like the female athletes Levy discussed who took time out of their rigorous training schedules to appear naked in Playboy, after the World Cup, Brandi posed nude in a magazine, just holding soccer balls to cover her body. What do these female athletes, by posing nude and separating themselves from the sports arena, hope to express to the public? Is it partially thier responsibility to fix the challenges women face? Despite the controversy surrounding these images, it will be useful to investigate the driving factors of these female athletes for posing nude.