Female athletes are significantly more likely to be portrayed in ways that emphasize their femininity and heterosexuality over their athletic prowess, often with the justification that such depictions attract fans to women’s sports. But as Mary Jo Kane reports in her article in this week’s special Sports issue, far from piquing interest in female sports, hyper-sexualized media images actually serve to suppress interest in—and respect for—women’s sports.
In her research, Kane has identified categories into which the representation of female athletes consistently fall—from competent athlete to soft-core porn star, this slide show illustrates the six ways the media represents sportswomen.