Female athletes as sex objects

[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?

 

[Allifunn]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

:roll: 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]

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