Serious Athletes or Media Clowns? Female and Male Wrestlers’ Perceptions of Media Constructions

Abstract

The present study explores Norwegian female and male elite wrestlers' perceptions of media coverage of wrestling and of themselves as athletes. In-depth interviews were conducted with four female and four male elite wrestlers. Data analysis revealed that the wrestlers experienced media attention as limited and gender stereotyped, with a dominant focus on hegemonic masculinity. In addition, the wrestlers perceived that media coverage distorted their sport performance by focusing on sensational aspects and scandals rather than on actual performances and results. Some of the athletes' descriptions of representations in the sports media and commercial television illustrated that, in their perception, they were viewed more as media clowns than as serious athletes.La présente étude explore les perceptions des lutteuses et lutteurs d'élite de la Norvège en ce qui a trait à la couverture médiatique de la lutte et d'eux-mêmes, comme athlètes. Des entrevues en profondeur ont été réalisées auprès de quatre lutteurs et quatre lutteuses. Les résultats de l'analyse de données sont à l'effet que les lutteurs et lutteuses ont perçu recevoir une attention limitée de la part des média ainsi qu'une couverture médiatique stéréotypée selon le genre, avec une prédominance de la masculinité hégémonique. En plus, les athlètes ont senti que les médias déformaient leur performance sportive en se centrant sur des aspects sensationnels et sur des scandales plutôt que sur les performances et résultats réels. Quelques-unes de leurs descriptions des représentations dans les médias sportifs et à la télévision commerciale illustrent qu'ils et elles étaient vus davantage en tant que clowns médiatiques qu'en tant qu'athlètes sérieux.

“Smiles and Laughs—All Teeth Intact”: A Cultural Perspective on Mediated Women’s Handball in Norway

“…Theoretically, similar empiric evidence has elsewhere been reduced to mere negotiations of a binary gender/macro-structure (Sisjord & Kristiansen, 2008;Thorpe, 2008) and performed "apologetic" behavior (Davis-Delano et al, 2009). A cultural perspective demonstrates that this is only one side of the story.…”

“…This has led several critical sociologists to equate contact sports' binary oppositions with mere macro-reflections of a gender dichotomy. Accordingly, they have demonstrated how media depictions of male athletes reproduce stereotypical notions of men and masculinity -and how media depictions of female athletes can challenge patriarchy and stereotypical notions of women and femininity (Davis-Delano et al, 2009;Gee, 2009;MacKay & Dallaire, 2009;Messner et al, 2000;Sisjord & Kristiansen, 2008;Thorpe, 2008;Trujillo, 1995). The meso-analysis presented here refocuses the analytic momentum of these researchers, nuances their macro-reduction, and crystalizes the cultural particularities of power and performance sports.…”

“…As documented elsewhere (Vincent & Crossman, 2012) it is evident in the material that also contemporary women are symbolic bearers of national and masculine virtues. Furthermore, the Norwegian female handballers are metaphorically represented as managing not only team handball, but also other masculine contact-sports such as wrestling (Sisjord & Kristiansen, 2008). Successful female handballers are depicted as relentlessly sacrificing their bodies for the nation, the team and for victory -by all means necessary.…”

“…With massive contemporary female involvement in sports, more complicated processes of structural, cultural and interactional differentiation have replaced simple exclusion (Messner, 2002). Scholars now argue that media portrayals of sports marginalize (Crolley & Teso, 2007;Ólafsson, 2006), infantilize, ridicule and sexualize the female athlete and contribute to the maintenance of patriarchy (Messner, 2002;Eliopulos & Johnson, 2012;Sisjord & Kristiansen, 2008). Sisjord and Kristiansen (2008) who explore Norwegian female wrestlers, and Thorpe (2008) who explores female snowboarders, assert that female athletes negotiate and confront contradictory and binary discourses of femininity and valorized masculinity.…”

“…Scholars now argue that media portrayals of sports marginalize (Crolley & Teso, 2007;Ólafsson, 2006), infantilize, ridicule and sexualize the female athlete and contribute to the maintenance of patriarchy (Messner, 2002;Eliopulos & Johnson, 2012;Sisjord & Kristiansen, 2008). Sisjord and Kristiansen (2008) who explore Norwegian female wrestlers, and Thorpe (2008) who explores female snowboarders, assert that female athletes negotiate and confront contradictory and binary discourses of femininity and valorized masculinity. This research reveals a masculine/male sports world where female athletes apologize for their participation by overcompensating conventional femininity (Davis-Delano et al, 2009).…”