tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/sexism-in-sports-59488/articlesSexism in sports – The Conversation2022-10-30T12:21:08Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1927122022-10-30T12:21:08Z2022-10-30T12:21:08ZHockey Canada scandal highlights toxic masculinity in sports<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491479/original/file-20221024-17346-i5fhl3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C691%2C6000%2C3242&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In the wake of sexual abuse allegations, Hockey Canada acknowledged it failed to “end the culture of toxic behavior” but grossly misunderstood and miscalculated the depth and breadth of the problem.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Over recent weeks and months, Canadians have watched a stream of headlines tracing Hockey Canada’s failure to address sexual assault allegations. <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-hockey-canada-created-a-fund-for-sexual-assault-claims-documents/">The misuse of hockey registration fees to pay for sexual assault settlements</a> has raised growing concerns about sport culture and sexual misconduct among some players. </p>
<p><a href="https://hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/hockey-canada-open-letter-to-canadians">Hockey Canada acknowledged</a> that it did not “end the culture of toxic behavior” but grossly misunderstood and miscalculated the depth and breadth of the problem. This is, in large part, because of a failure to recognize the intersection of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.27.2.115">sport culture and masculinity</a> in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CityNewsCalgary/videos/masculinity-and-sport/379446916182044/">male dominated spaces</a>. </p>
<p>A group of international academics and researchers <a href="https://www.hockeyabuseopenletter.com/">sent an open letter</a> to Canada’s Sport Minister and the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage raising longstanding concerns about <a href="https://theconversation.com/showered-in-sexism-hockey-culture-needs-a-reckoning-186002">sexual violence, misogyny, masculinity, homophobia and bullying in sport</a>, and hockey culture in particular. </p>
<h2>Sport culture and masculinity</h2>
<p>Following a federal government inquiry into Hockey Canada, sponsors withdrawing financial support and public pressure demanding change, <a href="https://theconversation.com/hockey-canadas-problems-show-that-the-government-needs-to-regulate-sport-in-canada-192052">the board of directors resigned</a>. But much work still needs to be done to <a href="https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813571478-011">remedy toxic masculinity</a> and a familiar parade of male privilege and entitlement in a sport that has not been held to account for its actions. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491480/original/file-20221024-14075-i5fhl3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A row of hockey sticks." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491480/original/file-20221024-14075-i5fhl3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491480/original/file-20221024-14075-i5fhl3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491480/original/file-20221024-14075-i5fhl3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491480/original/file-20221024-14075-i5fhl3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491480/original/file-20221024-14075-i5fhl3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491480/original/file-20221024-14075-i5fhl3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491480/original/file-20221024-14075-i5fhl3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Allegations of sexual assault have been overshadowed by an administrative abuse of power and misuse of registration fees that have pushed sexual violence to the sidelines of the conversation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mainstream media has allowed the conversation of sexual assaults and sport culture to land squarely onto hockey itself. The result: the relationship between masculinity and sport remains intact and unchanged. Meanwhile repeated assault cases and considerable <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/101269029002500303">research</a> show that the issues we are seeing within Hockey Canada are disproportionately linked to gender —<a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/1544526529?parentSessionId=LsgCr%2FgXztfgOcc%2Fl%2BoWCWXe2JnzlSwfCzHGJ3EX%2Fdg%3D">namely masculinity</a> — and sport culture.</p>
<h2>Locker room rules</h2>
<p>The organization, and perhaps the general public, has been focused on the inner workings, the hierarchy of power and who said what, knew what, and when. But men, hockey players in this case, and the board of directors have failed to account for the sexual violence. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/alleged-group-sexual-assault-junior-hockey-canada">Allegations of sexual assault against eight hockey players</a> have been overshadowed by an administrative abuse of power and misuse of registration fees that has pushed sexual violence to the sidelines of the conversation. What about the players? How can the locker room rules for being one of the boys yet again perpetuate such damaging and far-reaching actions and reactions? </p>
<p>Boys routinely <a href="https://doi.org/10.3149/thy.0601.166">navigate locker rooms</a> and highly masculinized spaces with fear and vulnerability. Men are afraid to speak up against or in violation of a boy code that requires conformity and uniformity. There is a culture of silence among men desperately wanting to fit and be accepted. </p>
<p>Men refuse to be vulnerable, to step out from the shadows of dominant figures in locker rooms because they fear the consequences. Even when we see unethical conduct among the boys, it is a hyper-masculine sport culture that sustains and maintains rules that rely on and ensure silence and fear among boys and men. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491124/original/file-20221021-16-bggyo7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A photo of the Hockey Canada logo: A black and red maple leaf with an outline of a hockey player hockey with the word Canada below." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491124/original/file-20221021-16-bggyo7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491124/original/file-20221021-16-bggyo7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491124/original/file-20221021-16-bggyo7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491124/original/file-20221021-16-bggyo7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491124/original/file-20221021-16-bggyo7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491124/original/file-20221021-16-bggyo7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491124/original/file-20221021-16-bggyo7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Public attention and criticism has focused on Hockey Canada, but the problematic relationship between masculinity and sport remains unchanged.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The courage to change</h2>
<p>Regardless of which sport they play, men and boys need to have the courage to speak up against sexual violence, homophobia and racism. Bullying, domination and marginalizing boys because they refuse to participate in this culture cannot be tolerated. </p>
<p>What are we doing to promote a rethink, a shift in masculinity in sport culture? What have sport organizations done specifically to change the narrative on masculinity and on gender diversity more broadly? When will the <a href="https://erinsilver.ca/kids-books/proud-to-play/">daily realities</a> of diverse masculinities and fluid gender identities and calls for safer, healthier work, play, sport cultures, finally be realized? Hockey Canada needs to change its approach, its message, its direction and the very images of masculinity it valorizes and validates.</p>
<p>For athletes, attitudes, behaviours and expressions of masculinity need to change. Violence, aggression and domination do not have to be the norm by which we judge men and boys. The lessons learned to be a man, to exert domination and power over others, to prove manliness and control others are deep-seated <a href="https://doi.org/10.3149/thy.0601.166">cultural constructions</a>. The suggestion that doing otherwise makes someone less of a man, inadequate and weak, relies on flawed and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/science/apa-traditional-masculinity-harmful.html">damaging views of masculinity</a>. </p>
<p>Hockey Canada has a responsibility to purposefully change the instructions, guidelines and institutional culture that uphold and maintain damaging versions of masculinity. With purposeful change and intentional redirection, Hockey Canada can lead a culture shift within sport. “Boys being boys” and “it’s just the way it is” are not acceptable excuses for sexual assaults, misogyny, homophobia and bullying. </p>
<p>Instead, boys should be encouraged and supported with leadership that promotes inclusion and rejects sexism, violence and bullying.</p>
<p>Becoming a valued team member does not have to rely on acting like “one of the boys” while harbouring fears and insecurities that cloak weaknesses and uncertainties. Rather than promoting a culture of masculinity in sport that perpetuates fear and silence in boys trying to fit in, Hockey Canada, coaches and parents can support boys who show courage, commitment and allyship that makes for safer and healthier masculinities in sport.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192712/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Kehler has received funding from the Social Science Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gabriel Knott-Fayle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Sexual abuse allegations in Canadian hockey reveal the toxic masculinity that has permeated across sport culture.Michael Kehler, Werklund Research Professor, Masculinities Studies, University of CalgaryGabriel Knott-Fayle, Postdoctoral Scholar of Masculinities Studies in Education, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1679432021-11-29T18:41:30Z2021-11-29T18:41:30ZWomen in sport are winning the fight for equal pay – slowly<p>The Welsh national football association has <a href="https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/wales-women-promised-equal-pay-22247200">pledged to introduce equal pay</a> for their men’s and women’s teams by 2026. The news comes following a <a href="https://twitter.com/Golwg360/status/1463072278158233601?s=20">documentary featuring</a> the most capped Welsh player Jess Fishlock, who called the lack of pay parity “unacceptable”.</p>
<p>It also follows the Irish football association’s introduction of pay parity for its national teams. Through a combination of the men’s squad agreeing to reduce their international fees, and the association matching their contribution, all players will now receive €2,000 per match. Wales and Ireland join <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/sep/03/england-womens-and-mens-teams-receive-same-pay-fa-reveals">England</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/2020/09/02/brazil-announces-equal-pay-for-womens-and-mens-national-teams/?sh=1e0505db9084">Brazil</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/sports/soccer/australia-soccer-matildas-equal-pay.html">Australia</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/oct/17/norway-historic-pay-deal-for-womens-team-shows-it-can-be-done">Norway</a> and <a href="https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/62265">New Zealand</a> as national football associations who have equal pay agreements with men’s and women’s teams.</p>
<p>These recent cases are indicative of real change in how some national governing bodies view women’s sport, long considered “less than” the men’s versions and chronically underfunded. And, as these bodies are social institutions – their decisions and financial support influence how society views sport – this is good news for women’s sport more broadly. However, for many players and athletes, progress is slow and challenges remain.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1440444869269286920"}"></div></p>
<p>For years, a lack of pay has left many women navigating a complex balancing act of elite level sport and work or study. Many continue to do so. Sportswomen, despite making professional commitments and complying to professional expectations, are often <a href="https://books.emeraldinsight.com/page/detail/The-Professionalisation-of-Women%C3%AF%C2%BF%C2%BDs-SportThe-Professionalisation-of-Women%E2%80%99s-Sport/?k=9781800431973">treated as amateurs</a>. </p>
<p>However, many women athletes have been reluctant to question inadequate workplace conditions as there is often a “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1755458620300207?casa_token=V898JFc_t8gAAAAA:ODXYWQE4KG2E4gwDOczjQ9Q8NE9C6jz7WneFpBmUGvpSepKxvU0IlzZou9J40DFaxLNWpK5aWL-2">be grateful</a>” narrative enveloping women in professional sport environments. Yet, to acquire professional status offers legitimacy to women athletes. </p>
<h2>Pay across the pond</h2>
<p>Perhaps the highest-profile challenge for equal pay in football comes from the US women’s national team, who has had long, unrivalled success on the international stage. Yet for the past five years, their highly publicised legal battle – and the “equal play, equal pay” campaign – has drawn attention to the lack of pay parity in the sport.</p>
<p>Although the dispute started in 2016, in 2019, the team took the US Soccer Federation to court in pursuit of better pay and working conditions. At the time, <a href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2020/2/21/21146966/legal-explainer-uswnt-lawsuit-ussf-66-million-backpay">an economic expert</a> noted the women’s team could be owed US$66 million (£48.2 million). </p>
<p>US Soccer has fought against the case on multiple grounds, <a href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2020/2/21/21146966/legal-explainer-uswnt-lawsuit-ussf-66-million-backpay">made more complex</a> by the fact that both parties are using different sets of statistics to attempt to prove or disprove the team’s financial success. Both parties also disagree about the performance comparisons with the men’s team, with US Soccer controversially arguing -– although later backtracking -– that in football, men do <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2880282-ussf-says-mens-womens-teams-dont-perform-equal-work-in-wages-lawsuit">different work to women</a>.</p>
<p>The US team’s initial complaints were dismissed, as they were unable to prove a breach of the Equal Pay Act. In <a href="http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/jlas/article/view/25604/23831">our recent research</a>, we analysed the implications of the US women’s team’s collective action lawsuit against US Soccer, highlighting the need for formal, legal reform, such as Iceland’s <a href="https://mckinneylaw.iu.edu/iiclr/pdf/vol30p319.pdf">Equal Pay Certification</a>. The new legislation contains amendments to the 2008 “Gender Equality Act” which <a href="https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/jlas/article/view/25604">aims to reduce</a> gender-based pay discrimination.</p>
<p>Professional women footballers operate in a more precarious workplace, with poorer conditions, lower pay, shorter contracts and a <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-plenty-of-female-superstars-in-football-but-very-few-women-coaches-heres-why-126139">smaller number of professional opportunities</a> than men. As explained <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14660970.2021.1977280">in our analysis</a> of the USWNT dispute, this is a byproduct of decades of gendered discrimination. </p>
<p>US Soccer has since offered the same <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/us-soccer-offers-identical-contracts-usmnt-uswnt-001147312.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKnS6DxxGvK-aFqzfbkXfOX1R-xlZAnn7HQIbqVjAh-O2nvw3MRMsJvRCGFuGqZNxq1J9udjaa4O_MFBtgCTvG_ihuWsdsdCBKtQbzH99p3uZGrHNyRvAOsk3seZJnxj8XRp9xDTDceg48muZcX5ttVwFs_-UPhstqzlpQvLzs34">pay structure</a> to all its senior players, but the women’s team believe the offer does not go far enough if it means a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/asifburhan/2021/09/15/alex-morgan-believes-offer-of-equal-pay-at-reduced-level-is-not-good-enough/?sh=f917ac2542fc">reduction in player earnings</a>. The legal case is still ongoing, with the team <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/football/united-states-usaw/story/4437227/uswnt-to-fight-us-soccer-in-equal-pay-row-appeal-judges-decision-as-it-defies-reality">filing an appeal</a> this summer after a judge dismissed their lawsuit.</p>
<p>Women’s football has arguably led the way in the fight for equal pay, but there have also been notable changes in rugby in recent months. England’s women have risen to the top of the world rankings since fully professionalising at the start of 2019. This year, an under-fire Welsh Rugby Union offered women rugby players <a href="https://twitter.com/WelshRugbyUnion/status/1455882641295740932?s=20">professional contracts</a>. Although there are still issues to be overcome, for the first time in their history up to ten players will have full-time professional contracts, with a further 15 players on retainer contracts. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1455882641295740932"}"></div></p>
<p>While the increase in both professional opportunities and pay parity for women athletes is worthy of celebration, women should not have to feel grateful for the opportunity. And, like the USWNT have done so publicly, they can legitimately demand, and expect, more.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167943/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Recent developments in pay parity show a promising future for women’s sport.Beth Clarkson, Senior Lecturer in Sports Management, University of PortsmouthAlex Culvin, Senior Lecturer in Sports Business, Leeds Beckett UniversityAli Bowes, Senior Lecturer in Sociology of Sport, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1309622020-02-03T11:44:17Z2020-02-03T11:44:17ZDoctor Who: fan reaction to first black Time Lord exposes Britain’s deep divisions on race and gender<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313088/original/file-20200131-41527-10zpmx7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=13%2C0%2C3044%2C2046&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Jo Martin as a parallel Doctor Who in the latest series.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC / Ben Blackall</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>BBC audiences were recently introduced to their <a href="https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-01-30/doctor-who-first-black-doctor-representation/">first black Doctor Who</a>. In the episode which aired in the UK on January 26, Jo Martin – previously best known for roles in Holby City and Blue Story – played an ostensibly ordinary human who was, towards the end of the episode, revealed as a previously unknown (possibly past, future or parallel) incarnation of television’s most famous Time Lord.</p>
<p>A few weeks earlier the latest version of the show’s recurring super-villain, The Master, had for the first time been portrayed by a person of colour, a role played with manic zeal by Sacha Dhawan in a performance dubbed by The Guardian as the “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jan/05/doctor-who-recap-series-38-episode-two-spyfall-part-two">Hot Camp Master</a>”.</p>
<p>Both events provoked strong responses on social media, from enthusiastic plaudits through to rants from fans ranging from the sincerely “woke” to the reactionary and even racist. The latter response might be considered out of character for the followers of a show whose liberal hero has for more than half a century renounced violence and struggled for peace, social justice and environmental sustainability.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1221759493303865344"}"></div></p>
<p>This is a series whose <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/unearthlychild/detail.shtml">very first episode</a> had a female producer, <a href="https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Verity_Lambert">Verity Lambert</a>, and a British Asian director, <a href="https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Waris_Hussein">Waris Hussein</a> – phenomena virtually unheard of back in 1963. (The latter was also played by Dhawan in the BBC’s 2013 docudrama <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01kqt9x">An Adventure in Space and Time</a>.) </p>
<p>It’s a programme which, in 1972, argued passionately (albeit symbolically) in favour of membership of the European Economic Community (or in its own terms <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/curseofpeladon/detail.shtml">the Galactic Federation</a>), and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/greendeath/detail.shtml">a year later</a> railed against the impacts of industrial pollution. </p>
<p>In recent years, it has foregrounded <a href="https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/01/27/doctor-who-captain-jack-harkness-john-barrowman-series-12-fugitive-judoon/">LGBT+ protagonists</a>, issued dire warnings against <a href="https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-01-13/doctor-who-jodi-whittaker-climate-change-speech-praise/">climate change</a> and even made <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24848815">reference</a> to the fabrication of evidence to support the invasion of Iraq.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313089/original/file-20200131-41527-ncf86k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313089/original/file-20200131-41527-ncf86k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313089/original/file-20200131-41527-ncf86k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313089/original/file-20200131-41527-ncf86k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313089/original/file-20200131-41527-ncf86k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313089/original/file-20200131-41527-ncf86k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313089/original/file-20200131-41527-ncf86k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sacha Dhawan as the latest incarnation of Dr Who’s most famous adversary, the (‘Hot Camp’) Master.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC / Ben Blackall</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Yet since 2017, when Jodie Whittaker was cast as the first female Doctor Who, arguments have raged between those strange misogynists depicted by the Huffington Post’s Graeme Demianyk as “<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/doctor-who-menbabies-jodie-whittaker-first-female_uk_596b9412e4b017418628374d?">man babies</a>” and, in contrast, the likes of The Guardian’s Zoe Williams, who heralded Whittaker’s Doctor as representing “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jul/17/female-doctor-revolutionary-feminist-ideal-we-need-doctor-who">the revolutionary feminist we need right now</a>”.</p>
<h2>Outrage in cyberspace</h2>
<p>If, like mine, your social media bubble overwhelmingly favoured the Remain campaign and still can’t get its head around the fact that the majority of people didn’t, then your friends and followers may well have applauded Martin’s appearance. But you might then be surprised if you were to venture into some Doctor Who <a href="https://gallifreybase.com/gb/">fan forums</a>. You’d see quite a backlash against what some perceive as the politically correct direction their favourite show has taken. “This show and all it used to offer has been destroyed by politically correct writing and casting,” opined <a href="https://gallifreybase.com/gb/threads/the-disdain-thread-for-things-in-fugitive-of-the-judoon.276561/">one fan</a>. Another responded: “It’s not ‘woke’, unless your idea of woke is ‘it has a black woman in it’. It’s the blandest form of mainstream liberalism but some internet talking heads treat it as if it was 50 minutes of Jodie Whittaker reciting the Communist Manifesto.”</p>
<p>The outrage of the anti-PC brigade has simultaneously fuelled – and been fuelled by – coverage in the mainstream media. Echoing a populist press narrative that the series has become, in the words of the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6324799/Doctor-sparks-fan-backlash-Time-Lord-branded-TVs-politically-correct-show.html">Daily Mail</a>, “a tiresome ordeal of political correctness” since Whittaker assumed the role, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/10828870/doctor-who-pc-jodie-whittaker-bbc/">The Sun</a> reported this week that viewers baulked at the programme’s “unbearable political correctness” as “another female Doctor” was revealed. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1061239846495272966"}"></div></p>
<p>Also writing in The Sun, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7705458/bbc-giving-jobs-to-women-jeremy-clarkson/">Jeremy Clarkson</a> observed that “angry fans say it’s littered with ham-fisted attempts to ram Lefty dogma down our throats”. </p>
<p>This backlash has sparked an equal and opposite reaction – one which, like the fan who described the series’ current ideological stance as “the blandest form of mainstream liberalism” – is not simply aligned with that stance, but which is concerned that its stance is not radical or robust enough. Writing in the New Statesman, assistant editor <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv-radio/2019/01/why-isn-t-jodie-whittaker-s-doctor-who-lead-character-her-own-damn-show">Jonn Elledge</a> has argued that the casting of the first female Doctor has been undermined by the fact that that she has been “given no material as meaty” as that written for the supporting male characters. </p>
<p>Despite having repeatedly argued for the importance of that casting decision in <a href="https://www.peterlang.com/abstract/title/36657">books</a> and articles, both <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-casting-of-the-next-doctor-who-will-tell-us-about-the-bbc-76162">here</a> and <a href="https://medium.com/peter-lang/not-a-moment-too-soon-98ec02fdfeb3">elsewhere</a>, I’ve since expressed concern at the series’ simultaneous <a href="https://www.peterlang.com/abstract/title/65363">weakening</a> of the character. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jan/08/doctor-who-more-offensive-than-ever-jodie-whittaker-pc">Jack Hudson</a> has recently argued in The Guardian that, beneath its guise of progressive politics, the show has in fact grown profoundly conservative in ways which may at once alienate both its progressive and its reactionary fans. </p>
<h2>Whither the liberal consensus?</h2>
<p>In December <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/lenny-henry-doctor-who-black-actors_uk_5df35b36e4b04bcba182acda">Lenny Henry</a> (in the run-up to his recent appearance in the series) was quoted as suggesting that BBC bosses would rather cast a dog than a black actor in the title role. In this context, Martin’s casting as the first black, female Doctor seems particularly significant.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313086/original/file-20200131-41554-1h0ye5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313086/original/file-20200131-41554-1h0ye5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313086/original/file-20200131-41554-1h0ye5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313086/original/file-20200131-41554-1h0ye5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313086/original/file-20200131-41554-1h0ye5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313086/original/file-20200131-41554-1h0ye5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313086/original/file-20200131-41554-1h0ye5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lenny Henry as Daniel Barton and Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC / Ben Blackall</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Yet Martin’s Doctor is not (as yet) the series’ lead. Progressive voices in fandom have sometimes suggested that, when Whittaker eventually leaves the series, her successor will most likely (and most appropriately) be a woman of colour. There may now be those who fear that Martin’s tangential Doctor (whoever and whenever in the Time Lord’s timeline she may turn out to be) has ticked both those boxes – and that the production team may next time once more fall back on casting a white, male lead.</p>
<p>These arguments will doubtless continue to rage, along with much bigger ones. The polarisation of political perspectives among the British public since the Brexit referendum of course remains a matter of ongoing national concern. The current disagreements amongst Doctor Who fans – once a group which unambiguously embodied the liberal consensus – may appeal to the mainstream media precisely because they mirror those larger societal divisions, and may prove of greater significance as indicative of those broader ideological shifts and splits.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130962/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alec Charles does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Doctor Who has always been progressive – but now it appears it’s a little too ‘ woke’ for many of its fans.Alec Charles, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of WinchesterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1174432019-06-24T15:30:25Z2019-06-24T15:30:25ZFormula 1: there can be no equality in sport while women’s bodies are used for promotions<p>The Dutch politician Roy van Aalst has spoken out against the removal of grid girls from Formula 1 motor racing, arguing that it is a way of <a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/461888-f1-grid-girls-dutch-politician/">patronising women</a>. He boasted that the right-wing nationalist political party to which he belongs, Party for Freedom (PVV), will ensure that the grid girls are reinstated at the <a href="https://grandpx.news/politician-wants-grid-girls-on-dutch-gp-grid/">Zandvoort grand prix in 2020</a>. </p>
<p>“Only a huge idiot can see a beautiful woman as a problem,” he said. “The rest of the people love it. It is part of motorsport and the PVV wants us to ensure that next year this beautiful tradition will be restored to its former glory.”</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/feb/05/f1-grid-kids-replace-grid-girls-new-season">replacement of grid girls with grid kids</a> in 2018 marked a shift in Formula 1 to a more family-friendly atmosphere. But van Aalst’s comments echo the backlash against this transition – which included some grid girls arguing that they were being denied the right to work by “feminists”. <a href="https://twitter.com/laurenjadepope/status/958751588419620864?lang=en">Grid girl Lauren-Jade Pope</a> took to Twitter to object:</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"958751588419620864"}"></div></p>
<p>Remarkably, the “feminists” so often mentioned in the debate were actually the Formula 1 bosses themselves. They made the decision to stop using grid girls because they no longer resonated with their brand values – with Sean Bratches, the managing director of commercial operations at Formula 1, stating that the inclusion of grid girls was “<a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-to-stop-using-grid-girls.5HPVgIzLHOcIiGaAS8eOWE.html">at odds with modern day societal norms</a>”.</p>
<h2>Employment opportunity?</h2>
<p>One of the main criticisms of the scrapping of grid girls was that women would be out of work. Such criticism drew attention to the earnings that would be lost by the women as well as the idea that the decision was denying them their “right to choose” to use their bodies for aesthetic purposes and financial gain. The role of the grid girls was to carry out promotional tasks, most of which included bearing the names of sponsors to the public and cheering on the all-male racing drivers.</p>
<p>Prominent figures, including World Champion Lewis Hamilton, have called for the return of the grid girls. Hamilton’s rationale that “<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/44233222">women are the most beautiful thing in the world</a>”, alongside Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel stating he “<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/44233222">likes women” because “they look beautiful</a>”, serve to emphasise the deep-rooted sexism still entrenched in the motor sporting world. There is still a long way to go to eliminate these outdated views, particularly in sports such as motor racing which are traditionally categorised as male.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280915/original/file-20190624-97766-izppes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280915/original/file-20190624-97766-izppes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280915/original/file-20190624-97766-izppes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=763&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280915/original/file-20190624-97766-izppes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=763&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280915/original/file-20190624-97766-izppes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=763&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280915/original/file-20190624-97766-izppes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=959&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280915/original/file-20190624-97766-izppes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=959&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280915/original/file-20190624-97766-izppes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=959&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">How The Sun reported the story.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Sun</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Testimonials from former grid girls have indicated that <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5340641/Former-grid-girls-say-Formula-One-ban.html">their earnings were around £300 per day</a>, bearing in mind the work was intermittent. Household names such as Kelly Brook, Melinda Messenger and Jodie Marsh all began their “careers” as grid girls, later crossing over to glamour modelling in lads’ mags and the like.</p>
<p>During the backlash to the decision in 2018, grid girl testimonies sought to label feminists <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5474368/f1-grid-girls-latest-stopped-snowflake-feminists-bernie-ecclestone/">as bigoted</a>, with headlines <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2018/02/06/grid-girl-hits-back-at-feminists-who-are-forcing-other-women-out-of-work-7289792/">“hitting back”</a> at “middle-class feminists who are forcing other women out of work”.</p>
<h2>No equality, no empowerment</h2>
<p>Unequal representation in Formula 1 promotional modelling was itself enough to refute arguments of unfair treatment regarding employment being lost. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14680777.2019.1574859">The lack of promotional models from BME groups</a> alongside the complete omission of men from this role highlighted a clear lack of equal opportunity (if you can call sexual objectification that). Promotional modelling also carries a rigid time limit, with “careers” in this field usually having to end by women’s mid-to-late 20s.</p>
<p>The message sent, particularly to young girls, was that motor racing is a male sport and – if you’re keen to be involved in it – you should aspire to be beautiful, sexualise yourself, and be prepared to drape yourself over cars and male racing drivers like an accessory.</p>
<p>This is a stark departure from the message being sent today, where excited grid kids – male and female – now walk on the grid with ambitions of becoming racing drivers themselves. Formula 1 must hold onto this message and not revert back to one that degrades, demoralises and dehumanises its female supporters.</p>
<p>That said, although Formula 1 has made progress, promotional modelling is still a feature across other sporting events, including walk-on girls (darts and cycling), ring girls (wrestling and boxing) and cheerleaders (football and basketball). Although darts walk-on girls were also axed in 2018, they made a recent <a href="https://dartsnews.com/walk-on-girls-return-for-german-darts-grand-prix-seen-as-a-one-off/">“one off” return at the German Darts Grand Prix</a>, supposedly due to prior sponsorship agreements.</p>
<p>There are also the “<a href="https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/football-opinion/crystal-palace-cheerleaders-21st-century/">Crystals</a>”, the all-female cheerleaders of Crystal Palace FC, who appear wearing bikinis in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6N2vwe9Swk">promotional video for the club</a>. Not so inspiring for any budding female footballers.</p>
<h2>Full speed ahead</h2>
<p>Formula 1’s move away from grid girls has indeed made it a more inclusive sport and it is time for other industries to follow its lead. Until women are given equal opportunities in sport, they will continue to be underpaid, undervalued and underrated.</p>
<p>Roy van Aalst’s assumption that only “huge idiots” can find beautiful women a problem emphasises the crude ignorance inherent in the many debates over the sexualisation of popular culture. Of course “beautiful women” are not a problem – nor are beautiful men, or beautiful people in general. But when you display only one sex as “beautiful” – although I think “sexualised’” would be a more fitting word for the grid girls – you serve to diminish half of society. </p>
<p>They are to be gazed upon and are never themselves given the authority to be the “gazers”. This is how you alienate women from aspiring to be sporting champions and instead relegate them to the sidelines, encouraging them to only ever be the cheerleaders.</p>
<p>If upholding the stance that favours gender equality makes me a “huge idiot”, then I am confidently and proudly one. I’m sure my daughter will thank me for it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/117443/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anna Tippett works for the University of Hertfordshire.</span></em></p>It’s not about beauty, it’s about empowering women in sport.Anna Tippett, Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology, University of HertfordshireLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1030822018-09-12T23:50:44Z2018-09-12T23:50:44ZWomen in sports: double standards a double fault<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/235925/original/file-20180912-144467-w17fk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=67%2C12%2C4031%2C2980&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Naomi Osaka is the first Japanese woman to claim a Grand Slam singles title. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="http://www.naomiosaka.com/en/">Naomi Osaka</a> has made history as the first Japanese woman to claim a Grand Slam singles title after defeating Serena Williams in the final of the US Open. </p>
<p>However, her defining performance was overshadowed by controversy around sexism and double standards in sports. As our current research suggests, female and male athletes are held to different standards - and this also <a href="https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/summer-days/audio/2018628550/sporting-infamy-marketing-athletes-bad-attitude">filters through to endorsement deals</a>. “Bad boy” sports stars with an anti-hero or rule-breaker image are generally welcomed by sponsors, but female athletes aren’t treated the same. </p>
<h2>The Grand Slam</h2>
<p>Osaka’s opponent, Serena Williams, was looking to win her 24th Grand Slam singles title, one year after giving birth. The feat would have equalled the record of <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/0/margaret-courts-australian-open-boycott-controversy/">controversial Australian Margaret Court</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/235926/original/file-20180912-144470-25q782.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/235926/original/file-20180912-144470-25q782.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/235926/original/file-20180912-144470-25q782.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/235926/original/file-20180912-144470-25q782.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/235926/original/file-20180912-144470-25q782.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/235926/original/file-20180912-144470-25q782.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/235926/original/file-20180912-144470-25q782.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Osaka undoubtedly dominated her opponent, but what people will remember is Williams’ outburst of frustration.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Opinions about this incident have been <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/09/209380/serena-williams-us-open-meltdown-sexism">divided across the globe</a>. <a href="https://www.billiejeanking.com">Billie Jean King</a>, a strong advocate of women’s rights in sports, tweeted: </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1038613218296569856"}"></div></p>
<p><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6151635/Australian-newspaper-Herald-Sun-eviscerated-racist-cartoon-Serena-Williams.html">Global outrage</a> followed a sketch by Mark Knight, the editorial cartoonist of the Herald Sun, which depicted Williams as a baby and Osaka as white, misrepresenting both athletes. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-herald-suns-serena-williams-cartoon-draws-on-a-long-and-damaging-history-of-racist-caricature-102982">The Herald Sun's Serena Williams cartoon draws on a long and damaging history of racist caricature</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Double standard in sports</h2>
<p>Differences between permissible on-court decorum of female and male athletes have been called into question, prompted by the severe umpire calls towards Williams’ behaviour as well as penalties against French player Alizé Cornet earlier in the tournament for briefly taking off her shirt on court after realising it was on backwards. </p>
<p>This incident came days after the <a href="http://www.fft.fr/">French Tennis Federation</a> announced a new dress code that will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/sep/09/serena-williams-again-bears-brunt-double-standards-tennis">ban Serena Williams’ catsuit</a>. Designed to help prevent blood clots that threatened her health after giving birth, the suit was deemed to be disrespectful of the game. </p>
<p>Several celebrities and athletes have argued for a redefinition of women’s tennis oriented towards strength, power and athleticism. Former top-five tennis player and Miami Open tournament director, <a href="http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2018/01/james-blake-hired-as-tournament-director-of-miami-open/71202/">James Blake</a>, alluded to contradictory gendered reactions to <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/tennis/106962781/in-her-anger-in-defeat-serena-williams-starts-an-overdue-conversation">athletes expressing their anger and frustration</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The sport definitely has a double standard when it comes to perception. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Several comments noted “boys will be boys” reactions to male tennis players such as <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/1005258/Novak-Djokovic-Cincinnati-Masters-Milos-Raonic-Marin-Cilic-Sky-Sports-Greg-Rusedski-Croft">Novak Djokovic</a> and <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2018/09/01/dominic-thiem-gives-smashed-racket-delighted-young-fan-losing/">Dominic Thiem</a> when these <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/sep/09/serena-williams-again-bears-brunt-double-standards-tennis">players misbehaved by destroying a racquet on court</a>. </p>
<h2>Marketability of male and female athletes</h2>
<p>Over the past decades, female athletes in tennis have been fighting for equal pay. Some gains have been made, but equity is far from achieved. Prize money in tennis is only equal in Grand Slam tournaments. More than 70% of male professional tennis players in the world’s top 200 have <a href="https://ewn.co.za/2018/09/09/opinion-why-serena-williams-fight-should-make-us-all-feel-uncomfortable">earned more than their female counterparts</a>. </p>
<p>Tennis is not an isolated case. According to the <a href="https://www.womeninsport.org/">Women’s Sports and Fitness Federation</a>, women’s sport only gets <a href="https://www.womeninsport.org/about-us/visibility-for-womens-sport/">7% of media coverage</a> and barely 0.4% of commercial investment goes to women-only sport. Substantial pay disparity has also been evident in the football world cup, with men receiving US$28.6m in prize money, while the women’s tournament only receives US$820,000.</p>
<p>Notable discrepancies have also also been observed in terms of sponsorship opportunities, with <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2129995-biggest-anti-heroes-in-sports#slide0">women underrepresented in endorsement deals</a>. In order to secure a sponsorship deal, athletes are expected to behave in an exemplary manner on and off the court and have to shoulder the immense pressure of being positive role models. In Williams’ case, this is particularly true as <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2129995-biggest-anti-heroes-in-sports#slide0">attacks on her have been personal</a> and her suitability as a role model was called into question. </p>
<p>Nike’s reaction to <a href="http://www.brittonmdg.com/the-britton-blog/nike-gender-double-standard">Maria Sharapova’s drug suspension</a>, in contrast to its response to Tiger Woods’ infidelity scandal or Kobe Bryant’ rape accusation, highlights equity issues among consumers and sponsors. </p>
<h2>Villain or rogue</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1362/026725799784870379">Research</a> has demonstrated that celebrity endorsements are based on credibility and attractiveness. The main premise of endorsement decisions is based on the transfer of positive associations between the endorser and the brand. However, several sources have noted differences between how male and female athletes are evaluated in terms of marketable qualities. </p>
<p>Female athletes are more often judged on <a href="http://time.com/6714/medals-arent-enough-female-olympians-still-have-to-sell-sexiness-2/">attractiveness and physical appearance</a>, while male athletes are judged primarily on performance and skill. </p>
<p>For example, at the 2015 Australian Open, after becoming the first Canadian woman to qualify for the semi-final at a major tennis tournament, <a href="http://www.voicesofyouth.org/en/posts/the-fifa-women-s-world-cup-and-double-standards-in-sport">Eugenie Bouchard</a> was asked by the on-court announcer to “give us a twirl”. </p>
<p>Similarly, the <a href="http://www.wnba.com/">Women’s National Basketball Association</a> holds makeup seminars for rookie players to ensure women secure the sponsorship deals they need to play. The evidence suggests marketability of female and male athletes does indeed revolve around different meaning transfers.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-sports-fans-need-villains-66725">Why sports fans need villains</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In an era where brands are searching for athletes that are different and unique, there’s been an increased interest in athletes with intriguing personalities. Research has in the past demonstrated the appeal of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-sports-fans-need-villains-66725">hero defeating the villain</a>, but recently controversial <a href="https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/IJSMS-02-04-2001-B005">athletes with a rogue image</a> have gained appeal to specific target markets. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/IJSMS-02-2017-0012">Our current work</a> examines the role of anti-heroes in sports and how breaking the rules can have positive effects for sponsoring companies, even making an athlete more attractive. Positive sentiments such as fearlessness and intrigue are often associated with bad boys, while the perceptions of a bad girl is not so favourable. The “lovable bad boy” has <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/stevens/ct-life-stevens-monday-serena-williams-double-standard-0910-story.html">no female equivalent</a>. </p>
<p>No matter which side of the fence you may sit on with regards to the events between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, the conversation about women in sports is long overdue, albeit, unfortunately, at the expense of the current US Open women’s singles champion.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/103082/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Sexism in sport plays out on and off the field. Differences in marketable qualities for endorsement deals as well reactions to male versus female athletes behaving badly are evidence of this.Marilyn Giroux, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Auckland University of TechnologyJessica Vredenburg, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Auckland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.