Take a good look at the picture above. Instead of trying to find your favorite team, try to find a female representative of ANY team!!! Brian's class discussion regarding March Madness and the popularity of men's basketball versus women's was a great topic to think about. I am so culturized that I did not even realize it myself. Announcer's, during a women's basketball game, resort back to the men's teams in one way or another. It is inevitable.
The article "Masculine Hegemonic Hoops: An Analysis of Media Coverage of March Madness" explored gender power relations and how media outlets analyze both male and female teams during a 26-day time period in the spring. The common themes found throughout the 500+ articles that were decoded are as follows:
1. He was always on my mind (during women's tournaments, announcers brought up individual men's players, etc).
2. She must have played with the boys to get that good (a common assumption).
3. First football, then men's basketball and then everything else.
4. Parents are newsworthy, especially athletic fathers (University of Florida example).
5. Race only matters for men (black males vs. white males).
6. Straight is great, but gay is nowhere (hiding sexuality until retirement).
My group had theme #5, race only matters for men. We discussed the fact that according to hegemonic masculinity, males are the dominant sex in the sport of basketball. Specially, black males are the more natural athletes with God-given talent versus a white male who learns the game and develops his skills on his own time. Our group believed that at times, black males are the more naturally skilled athletes. We also agreed that white males have a greater focus on the package deal: academics and athletics rather than just athletics. For many black males, athletics may be the road to academics.
Many cultures have different beliefs and attitudes towards gender roles and stereotypes. It is obvious that news stations and announcers are biased during March Madness and cannot help themselves when it comes to discussing men's teams rather than women's. The barrier between the popularity of men's and women's basketball has gotten weaker and less evident each year. Slowly, female sports are making a name for themselves and earning the credibility men's teams automatically receive. Despite the discrimination between genders during one of sports most popular events, March Madness is a global phenomenon and each year the competition gets better and more entertaining.
I myself discussed how female athletics are not as respected as male sport, my example being the march madness. Much like your magazine cover I discussed how march madness for college women's basketball is just a shadow compared to the men's march madness. They do not get the credit, the respect, nor the hype. I found your comments about how sport commentators always refer back to the mens sport while broadcasting the women's game. It is just another example how men's athletics are viewed greater to women’s athletics. Although, women are taking strides and retaining more recognition and respect from the public, it will take efforts from the public to change behaviors that dictate male athletic superiority.
ReplyDeleteThat was a great photo to include for your discussion of this topic. I wish I could have been there for the class! Thanks for sharing your observations.
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