Are Good-Looking Sportswomen Given More Attention during and after Their Career Ends - Literature review Example

Are Good-looking Sportswomen given more attention during and after their Career ends? Module Module ID: Submission date: Abstract: The present study aims to carry out an in-depth investigation into the topic of association between the appearance of the individuals on the one side, and chances of their obtaining opportunities in professional life and corporate sector on the other. The female athletes and sportswomen have been selected for conducting this study on them. The hypothesis developed for the present research is: More attractive and good looking sportswomen, higher are the probabilities of their obtaining attention, popularity and contracts in commercial sector and other corporate fields during their career and after retirement from the sports profession Based on secondary research, the present study has been supported with the research works have already been conducted by the researchers and authors in past. The Paper: It is a reality beyond suspicion that humans have always been enthusiastic about good looks and beauty, where handsome and charming individuals, objects and articles always appear to be extremely fascinating and enthralling to them (Crenshaw 1996, p.53).Painters have drawn pageant sketches of the beautiful figures and objects, sculptors have preserved beauty through statues and sculptures, and poets have written verses and lyrics to depict the beauty existing all around them (Sporre 2003, p.7-8). Hence, it is the human nature that urges them to seek delicacy and attractiveness all around them, which has paved the way towards the creation of pieces of art and architecture, books and literature, as well as countless monuments demonstrating human taste and eagerness for exquisiteness and beauty (Ember & Ember 2003, p.445). Distinguished ancient Greek philosopher Plato (1992) has expressed his love for beauty in such a way that he allows only beautiful and intelligent individuals of society to reproduce and procreate by entering into matrimonial relationship. Similarly, eminent Romantic Era poet Keats has rightly stated in his Ode to Grecian Urn that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Since art and literature attempt to represent the norms, values, mores, traditions and conventions prevailing within the culture and society of the contemporary era, the words and verses, paintings and sculptures and views and thoughts expressed by the intellectuals, philosophers, writers and painters apparently convey the message that majority of the world population loves to admire and appreciate the attractive and good looking individuals and objects, where the unattractive and ugly ones are not given the attention they deserve (Agathe et al 2011, p. 1046). Agthe et al have carried out a quantitative research on the German students, where they had to choose the young Caucasian candidates against different positions as employees (2011, p.1044). According to the research findings, it became evident that the selectors demonstrated strong likelihood towards the attractive members belonging to their opposite gender group while choosing them to be the most suitable candidates against different positions (2011, p.1045). Consequently, the concept has been developed that the individuals having charming appearance and attractive features could make their way in different fields of life because of winning applause from the viewers on the foundations of their comely physical appearance (Newman et al, 2001). It is particularly the case with the attractive and appealing females, which turn out to be successful in obtaining profound consideration of the classmates, teachers and other individuals at educational institutions and public places as adolescents and students on the one side, and remain the centre of attraction of co-workers and viewers in their grown years and in professional life at public areas and offices respectively on the other. Newman et al (2011) further maintain that physical appearance and body charms unambiguously serve as the inescapable phenomena, which are actually the influential agents in the social world. These agents certainly have very positive impact on others during individuals’ entering into interaction with other members of society. While taking the sportswomen into account, it becomes evident that the female athletes predominantly the world-famous Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova, Indian tennis player SaniaMirza, retired Russian player Anna Kournikova, British athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill and others, not only have witnessed tremendous achievements in their career life, but also they have obtained several offers of making appearance in TV commercials and advertisements against lucrative remunerations. Here appears the question of male gaze that plays decisive role in the selection of attractive women in commercials advertising the female products, but also the services of beautiful and comely women are frequently sought in the products meant for males only (Miles, 1994). The individuals associated with the manufacturing, marketing and advertising activities as professionals are of the view that all the marketing campaigns are launched by focusing on the male gaze that plays decisive role in purchasing the items produced for women (Miles, 1994). Since the depiction of semi-nude and nude images of female bodies had always been a tradition to be emulated by the painters and sculptors during the primeval, medieval and modern eras to a great extent, archaeological records endorse the popularity of developing and creating of nude idols, pictures, drawings and statues of females in modern age as well. Modern era technological techniques and resources have brought revolutionary transformations in all walks of life, including the pornography industry, where the pornographic materials are being at produced and promoted such a larger scale all over the globe that hundreds of thousands of companies and firms appear to be having association with this industry since the beginning of 20th century onward (Attwood & Smith 2014, p. 239). In addition, there was a time when very few number of the women used to allow the artists to draw their nude portraits. Somehow, the contemporary age has witnessed tremendous changes in the attitude of the females towards this phenomenon. In other terms, identical with other areas of private and professional life, art and literature have also noticed worthwhile transformations in their scope, and the females of modern technological age not only look willing to allow the artists to draw their nude pictures through painting and camera alike, but also feel pleasure in such activities of sharing their physical charms with the public at large. It is partly because of the very fact that the modern girls look proud by viewing that their youthful beauty is going to be preserved. As a result, the females appear be excited with the thought that the nude images of their youthful life could be extremely delightful for them to see on their getting old and losing the charms associated with the beautiful young years. Similarly, the appealing females having tempting loveliness in contemporary era also appear to be well-aware of the charms their bodies contain (Salvaggio1999, p.65); as a result, they long for exhibiting these physical charms with the intention of receiving the appreciations and admirations from the maximum possible viewers by sharing their nude bodies with them through pornographic art, as well as from the platforms of print, electronic and social media at large. The same is also applied on the beautiful and attractive sportswomen and female athletes. The history of television commercials provides the ample evidence in support of the inclusion and participation of sportswomen in them as models and performers during the sports career as well as after retirement. Since the spectators appear to be eager to see the beautiful faces on various media platforms, appearance of the sports stars having pageant beauty and comeliness doubles their enthusiasm of watching the programme that has included the beautiful female sports stars in the commercials sponsored by different companies. As a result, several exquisite beauties from sports and games including Brittney Palmer, Alana Blanchard, Alex Morgan, Alicia Sacramone and others have been hired by well-reputed advertising agencies to make their appearance in the commercials of the great products and commodities (wonderlist, 2015). It is a truth beyond doubt that women involved into sports, modelling and other professional activities as well are aware of the fact that they remain the target of male gaze at every public area. As a result, while looking and examining themselves in mirror, almost all women turn themselves into a commodity or an object, which is being observed by the sharp and critical male eyes from all angles (Berger 1972, p.46-50). Consequently, they prepare themselves in such a way that could make them more and more attractive in the eyes of the male viewers. It is predominantly the situation with the female athletes, which pay extra heed to their fitness all the time, not only for making tremendous accomplishments in sports and games, but also for winning applause from the male spectators watching them at games. Therefore, the sports focusing solo performance being played by attractive female athletes are watched more enthusiastically all over the globe in comparison with the ones participated by the unattractive players. Consequently, sportswomen are taken as a beauty icon and object, which is to be displayed for the gaze and entertainment of males (Mulvery 1975, pp. 13-4). Thus, Baudrillard (1998) is justified in stating that female body serves as one of the finest commodities available in the world, which surpasses all other items because of its astounding appearance, exceptional features and natural ecstasy. Similarly, almost all organs of a female body for the mail gaze, which lead to creation of multiple pieces of art, literature, film and pornography. However, it is not actually the case. References Agthe, M., Spörrle, M., &Maner, J. K. 2011. Does being attractive always help? Positive and negative effects of attractiveness on social decision making. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 8, January 1042-54. Attwood, F & Smith, C.2014. ‘Porn Studies: An introduction’, Porn Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-6. Baudrillard, J. 1998. The Finest Consumer Object: the Body. In the Consumer Society: Myth and Structures. London, Sage. Crenshaw, Theresa L. 1996. Alchemy of Love & Lust. New York: G. P. Putnams Sons. Ember, Carl R. & Ember, Melvin. 2007. Cultural Anthropology. New York: Pearson Education Limited Miles, M.R, 1994, Textual Harassment: Desire and the Female Body, in L,B Cole and M,G Winkler (eds) .1994. The Good Body: Asceticism in Contemporary Culture. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Mulvey, L 1975, ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’, in Issues in film criticism, ed. Patricia Eterns, Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1990. Salvaggio, Ruth. 1999. The Sounds of Feminist Theory. New York: State University of New York Press. Sporre, Dennis J. 2003. Perceiving the Arts: An Introduction to the Humanities. Seventh Edition, New York: Prentice Hall. Read More