Body Shots

By Kyle Bardel & Bekah Bamert

Athletes in the heat of the game are never worried about their appearance or image. It most likely is the last thing on their mind, the only thing on their mind is their game. However, when off the field, court, track, what have you, their personal appearance is very important. Typically, athletes are perceived in specific ways, but why is this? Male athletes in their photo shoots tend to appear as dominant, or in control. Females are always positioned in erotic and sexy poses or stances. Very rarely are the situations switched. The way these athletes are depicted says a great deal about our culture. There are plenty of occasions where our culture is putting men on a pedestal, leaving women depicted as less significant and this is one of them. A man being more dominant then woman is a theme seen in pop culture for as long as pop culture has been around, it is our species’ backbone per se.

In the male photo shoots, dominance is the common factor in every picture. Never is the man seen in a fragile sense, or at a disadvantage. The male is constantly in control and the main focus of the image. Women on the other hand are very rarely seen in that way. While women may be in similar situations, the aspect of control and dominance is taken away by her pose or stance. When in a photo shoot with both men and women, this theory stands true. Not only in photo shoots is this concept true. We see it every day in advertising. Magazines, billboards, television, newspapers and social media all have examples of this. In an article by Dr. Nerdlove this topic was discussed thoroughly. Women are not viewed as women in these situations, in the image itself women become things or objects. Men are the important figure when viewing these images.

Not only are men viewed as more superior then women in imagery. It also happens in day to day life. Whether it is in relationships, in the work environment, or in literature men are the focal point and superior being. A popular occurrence involving relationships is that often the question raises of who wears the “pants” in the relationship. The “pants” refers to the more dominant partner. The male is definitely expected to be the more dominant partner. When relating to the work environment, women are facing issues regarding salary. Women in the work force are always lobbying for equal pay. The issue with pay is that although a man and a woman may have the same title or job, it is thought that the male still does a better job, thus earning more pay than their equal co-worker. Literature is also holds great examples of men over women. One form of literature that exemplifies this theory is comic books. Male and female superheroes have very contrasting appearances. The women superheroes are always seductive and in more revealing outfits. The superhero Black Widow’s main super power is her ability to seduce men and persuade them into either giving her information or doing what she wants. Most often in a sexual and non-dominant way. Male superheroes are often given super powers like super strength, quickness, or other supernatural abilities.

All of these examples of pop culture exhibit men being more dominant or superior than women, and there are numerous other examples. Maybe this depiction of men and women is true in most ways, but perhaps it is false. There are many different views on whether or not this representation of humans should continue to be made or not. Acts and protests against this type of portrayal have been increasing in the last few years, causing high debate on this subject. Perhaps in time this idea of men and women will fade away, and a new perception will become the norm, however with the amount of examples seen still today that is highly unlikely.