Female athletes as sex objects

scooterbug44 · 05-17-2007, 10:01 AM

People were recently upset that Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard (7 medals so far, heading to her 4th Olympics this summer) posed nude for Playboy. She has already posed (partially clothed) for the SI swimsuit issue, FHM, etc.

Does her decision to pose nude or partially clothed hurt female athletes who want to be known for their athleticism instead of their looks?

OR

Is having an athlete personified as beauty or physical perfection a HUGE step in the right direction for setting a good example for young girls who are constantly bombarded w/ images of impossibly thin and unhealthy models?

Allifunn · 05-17-2007, 10:23 AM

this is a great question. I must say that I am torn. I think both are good points, however I mostly feel that a person has a right to do as they wish with their own bodies and it is not our right to condemn their fundamental right to self expression. I believe in not being judgmental of other's choices or decisions unless they directly relate to me and/or affect my life.

beachmouse · 05-17-2007, 10:26 AM

I'm in the camp of better to have smart athletic women as standards of beauty than the alternative.

Better to have a daughter growing up wanting to be Anna Kournakova- smart enough to speak multiple languages, and strong enough to be one of the five best people in the world at what she does, win a couple of Grand Slam doubles titles, and to legally make enough money for herself so she never has to work again if she's smart by the time she hits her 21st birthday than to want to be someone like Kate Moss, who is, um, a good clothes hanger?

TNJed · 05-17-2007, 11:11 AM

From a male perspective, I think female athletes have a lot of self confidence and esteem gained just from their training and subsequent athletic accomplishments. Endorphines and the other intangibles gained from an active lifestyle cannot be explained, only experienced.

I think their posing has less to do with wanting sexual attention than it does with them being confident and strong in their choices. If those photos encourage young women to follow in the footsteps of the physically active or athletic set, then the inevitable self confidence and inner strength gained will automatically trump objectification because that "beauty" will have come from dedication and funn.

As beachmouse said, I'd rather have a woman who has earned that confidence as opposed to one who just looks the part.

scooterbug44 · 05-17-2007, 11:46 AM

I'm all for women who have REAL bodies as role models. Muscles and curves instead of clavicles and bobble heads! The percentage of people with eating disorders is constantly rising and the age range keeps expanding in large part due to the constant barrage of airbrushed and digitally enhanced women in magazines and on television.

The self esteem level of girls in sports is higher than that of the general population and I say any picture of a woman w/ muscle tone is a good one.

Obviously an Olympic athlete is as impossibly high of a standard as that of a supermodel, but it promotes health and fitness as an ideal.

Beemn · 05-17-2007, 12:25 PM

athletic women are the most beautiful of all. Forget the hair, the long nails, the implants, The human form of a woman in its working muscular form is tops!

6thGen · 05-17-2007, 01:12 PM

As long as it's not my daughter, I won't stop a woman from taking her clothes off in front of the camera if that's what she wants to do. Just don't tell me it is to display self-confidence or setting a good example for younger girls. If it wasn't about sex, they wouldn't show the areola. Nothing is athletic about a whatever is left of ones short and curlies.

TripleB · 05-17-2007, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beemn

athletic women are the most beautiful of all. Forget the hair, the long nails, the implants, The human form of a woman in its working muscular form is tops!

I guess you haven't seen Martina Navratilova.

TNJed · 05-17-2007, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6thGen

As long as it's not my daughter, I won't stop a woman from taking her clothes off in front of the camera if that's what she wants to do. Just don't tell me it is to display self-confidence or setting a good example for younger girls. If it wasn't about sex, they wouldn't show the areola. Nothing is athletic about a whatever is left of ones short and curlies.

I'm not telling you anything. I'm giving my opinion, as you are. I have a feeling nobody could tell you the earth is a sphere without you telling them it's flat.

TripleB · 05-17-2007, 02:49 PM

Can't all of us guys agree that we like naked women...jeez.

scooterbug44 · 05-17-2007, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6thGen

As long as it's not my daughter, I won't stop a woman from taking her clothes off in front of the camera if that's what she wants to do. Just don't tell me it is to display self-confidence or setting a good example for younger girls. If it wasn't about sex, they wouldn't show the areola. Nothing is athletic about a whatever is left of ones short and curlies.

w/ apologies to Collin Raye, "every woman used to be somebody's little girl"

smcdon2 · 05-17-2007, 03:54 PM

No opinion... I just read the articles

Smiling JOe · 05-17-2007, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smcdon2

No opinion... I just read the articles

I don't get it. Is this some kind of joke? I've never seen an article, just pictures.

I say, if you've got the body, feel free to run naked.

Smiling JOe · 05-17-2007, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scooterbug44

Does her decision to pose nude or partially clothed hurt female athletes who want to be known for their athleticism instead of their looks?

I thought that most female atheletes play partially clothed, so why not pose for a picture? Ever watched beach volleyball? Those girls are in shape!

...and if you think those girls are not known for their athleticism, you've got a problem.

goofer44 · 05-17-2007, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripleB

I guess you haven't seen Martina Navratilova.

Better yet, Dr. Rene Richards

TooFarTampa · 05-17-2007, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smiling JOe

I thought that most female atheletes play partially clothed, so why not pose for a picture? Ever watched beach volleyball? Those girls are in shape!

...and if you think those girls are not known for their athleticism, you've got a problem.

A HOTlink for you SJ

TooFarTampa · 05-17-2007, 06:35 PM

These ladies are awesome.

TooFarTampa · 05-17-2007, 06:41 PM

As for the original topic, there's a fine line for me. There have been very lovely and tasteful photographs of women athletes in the SI swimsuit issue. FHM and Playboy though? tacky. If her expression says "do me," well, that's where the line has been crossed. I lost a little respect for Danica Patrick when she went all racy in FHM.

Bobby J · 05-17-2007, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripleB

Can't all of us guys agree that we like naked women...jeez.

I will agree for all the guys. Yep!

Smiling JOe · 05-17-2007, 08:03 PM

TFT, thanks for the pics of the hotties... I mean athletes.

Smiling JOe · 05-17-2007, 10:45 PM

Here is a twist going in the opposite direction:

AFP News brief

Pedal power takes Islamic shape in Iran

"Iran is to start manufacturing "Islamic bicycles" for women that conceals their figure, the government newspaper Iran reported on Thursday.
"This bike has a cabin which conceals half of the cyclist's body," the newspaper said. Elaheh Sofali, an architect of the project, told Iran it would encourage women's sports in the Islamic republic.

Faezeh Hashemi, a daughter of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was instrumental in encouraging women to take to the saddle in the 1990s when she was in charge of women's participation in the Olympics.
But she was opposed by Islamic hardliners."

RiverOtter · 05-18-2007, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scooterbug44

People were recently upset that Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard (7 medals so far, heading to her 4th Olympics this summer) posed nude for Playboy. She has already posed (partially clothed) for the SI swimsuit issue, FHM, etc.

Does her decision to pose nude or partially clothed hurt female athletes who want to be known for their athleticism instead of their looks?

OR

Is having an athlete personified as beauty or physical perfection a HUGE step in the right direction for setting a good example for young girls who are constantly bombarded w/ images of impossibly thin and unhealthy models?

I don't know about any of that but this chick sure is hot and she is an athlete

Smiling JOe · 05-18-2007, 08:01 AM

I think all women's athletic uniforms should look like all of the ones pictured above. I would much rather watch them, than a bunch of sweaty guys playing 8 weeks of NBA finals.

Santiago · 05-18-2007, 08:42 AM

This thread is useless without pictures.

Miss Kitty · 05-18-2007, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverOtter

I don't know about any of that but this chick sure is hot and she is an athlete

FINALLY! A decent pic of me!

TNJed · 05-18-2007, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverOtter

I don't know about any of that but this chick sure is hot and she is an athlete

And Gabrielle Reese is married to surf legend Laird Hamiliton. Talk about a good gene pool.

Allifunn · 05-18-2007, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smcdon2

No opinion... I just read the articles

typical

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6thGen

As long as it's not my daughter, I won't stop a woman from taking her clothes off in front of the camera if that's what she wants to do. Just don't tell me it is to display self-confidence or setting a good example for younger girls. If it wasn't about sex, they wouldn't show the areola. Nothing is athletic about a whatever is left of ones short and curlies.

ummmm....I thought you were..... well....I guess not....snap

RiverOtter · 05-18-2007, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TNJed

And Gabrielle Reese is married to surf legend Laird Hamiliton. Talk about a good gene pool.

The guy is in his mid 40s, 6'4", over 200lbs and 5% body fat

He is a bad man

Smiling JOe · 05-18-2007, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverOtter

The guy is in his mid 40s, 6'4", over 200lbs and 5% body fat

He is a bad man

Hey, I'm two out of four, and I'm feeling pretty good.

Bobby J · 05-18-2007, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverOtter

The guy is in his mid 40s, 6'4", over 200lbs and 5% body fat

He is a bad man

Not to steal the thread but can you believe that is Laird surfing PipeLine on a paddleboard! That is sick!

RiverOtter · 05-19-2007, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby J

Not to steal the thread but can you believe that is Laird surfing PipeLine on a paddleboard! That is sick!

I think this would be harder

Then or course there is this

Smiling JOe · 05-19-2007, 06:32 AM

I am all for more sex objects as female athletes. TooFarTampa, got any more pics?

This next thought might better fit into the Random Thoughts thread:
Aren't all females considered sex objects, and thereby, all female athletes sex objects, because men only have one thing on their mind? I have heard numerous women say this.