Title IX in the Media

With over three and a half million subscribers, Sports Illustrated is commonly known as one of the most popular and well respected sports magazines in the media since 1954. Interestingly enough, many athletes define success as being on the front cover of the prestigious magazine, often comparing it with being on the cover of Wheaties cereal box. While Sports Illustrated has featured some of the most famous athletes of all time, rarely has it featured women on the front covers before Title IX was passed in 1972. Even when women did have such a privilege, they were portrayed in a very controversial manner, one that emphasized the very beliefs that Title IX challenge. As you can see from the sample on the left, Sports Illustrated depicts their female models as "effeminate, dainty creatures...[emphasizing] their hourglass figures, concentrating the focus of the photo on their bodies that removes any agency the models may have had." The magazine's approach towards women's sports before the passing of Title IX was extremely disapproving as female athletes were portrayed more as subjects to "male gaze" and not given credit for being the elite athletes they were. Some advocates of Title IX would also argue that Sports Illustrated continues to portray female athletes in a way that highlights their femininity more than their athletic accomplishments, even after the passing of Title IX.



One very clear cut example of this notion can be seen on the Sports Illustrated cover that features the illustrious Anna Kournikova. Many Title IX advocates question whether Ms. Kournikova would have been given such a unique privilege if it weren't for her beauty and attractiveness. Tennis fanatics will be the first to explain that the lack of her athletic accomplishments seems to say no. Assuming that being on the front cover of Sports Illustrated is one of the primary measures of success (which is a huge assumption), this observation suggests that Sports Illustrated does not fully appreciate women for the athletic accomplishments in the same way that is does for men.





Fortunately, Sports Illustrated is not the only extremely popular source of media for professional sports. In this short television commercial, Gatorade highlights how the competitiveness in elite female athletes rivals that of elite male athletes. Arguably two of the best players in their respective sports, professional soccer and professional basketball, Mia Hamm and Michael Jordan challenge each other in own games as well as many others not so familiar to them. While it is only thirty seconds in length, this commercial is extremely powerful, for its message illustrates the very issues that Title IX addresses. Have a look!

Below is another commercial that we found. This one is by Nike and features a number of young girls saying what positive results will happen if we let them play sports. It's a commercial geared at men and actually can make male watchers feel a little guilty. To Secure These Rights talks about every person's right to equal opportunity and also to every person's right to safety and security. The young girls in this commercial point out strength that playing sports could give them if we "let them play." Some of the most poignant examples are "If you let me play, I will be more likely to leave a man that beats me" and "If you let me play, I have a better chance of not getting pregnant before I want to."The commercial makes us wonder, What right do we (men) have to not let girls play sports? Especially when not playing sports can discriminate them and compromise their safety? Please watch below.

An important thing to keep in mind is that even though women's sports have come a long way since 1972, there is still a lot of room to grow. One example is the lagging attendance at some women's professional sports leagues. Another is the lack of coverage that women's sports receives from TV and from Sportscenter in particular. Please see the pie graph below.