LA Daily News Article re: Objectifying Sexy Athletes
Columnist Tom Hoffarth writes an interesting POV on objectifying sexy athletes (female) and what that means in today’s society.
This is something we at StantonShade discuss and think about often, as one of the unique issues that female athletes face (far more than their male counterparts).
Our feelings on this matter…
Many female athletes will be faced with opportunities to pose for the FHMs, Maxims, even the Playboys of the world, and sometimes they’ll be offered real money to do so. These decisions – like most – should be guided by their life philosophy, values, and from a marketing standpoint their “marketing plan.” What concerns us is that often women choose to take their clothes off because they don’t feel they have a choice.
Female athletes have been told it’s the only way they’ll get exposure and fame. They’ve been led to believe these opportunities will set them apart from the rest and build a huge male audience/fan base.
This simply isn’t true. Often, these decisions will limit their opportunities in the future. Mainstream brands are looking for athletes that embody their values, their philosophy. Plus, the guys looking at their photos in these magazines aren’t turning on the TV to watch them compete. They’re looking through magazines for the next girl.
And, there are ways for athletes to look beautiful and sexy in the media without taking all of their clothes off. Female athletes should embrace their beauty and showcase their beautiful bodies in a way that’s tasteful and classy.
Every decision counts in an athlete’s career. Choices about marketing “exposure” should be made with the thought and consideration given to their decisions about training, how they eat, how they dress. Every one of these decisions reflects who the athlete is and who they want to be.
Recognizing there IS a choice is the first step.
Read Tom Hoffarth’s Article from the LA Daily News