‘Well, what was the message <i>you</i> got?’: the discursive power of Naomi Osaka and her peaceful protest at the 2020 U.S. Open

Calow, Emma

doi:10.1080/16138171.2021.2001171

Cited by 11 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…Few scholars have so far examined Hachimura, but there is recent scholarship on Osaka's advocacy vis-à-vis that of other athletes. For instance, Osaka's activism led not to public ostracization like in Kaepernick's case, but enhanced her image and influence in the United States (Calow, 2022). This may be attributed to Osaka's branding as "an Asian woman first," which privileges her over Williams and could explain the public's and sporting world's different reactions to their advocacy (Roberts, 2022, p. 320).…”

Section: Sport Activism and Branding On Social Mediamentioning

confidence: 99%

Following Naomi Osaka and Rui Hachimura on Social Media: Silent Activism and Sport Commodification of Multiracial Japanese Athletes

Ho,

Tanaka

2023

Social Media + Society

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This article explores the role of social media in athlete activism and sport commodification through the case studies of two elite multiracial athletes who represent Japan, professional tennis player Naomi Osaka and professional basketball player Rui Hachimura. Osaka’s mother is Japanese and her father is Haitian-American, whereas Hachimura’s mother is Japanese and his father is Beninese. Employing critical discourse analysis of Twitter and Instagram, we ask: How do they use social media to amplify their voices and advocacy for race and ethnicity? How do their athlete activism and multiracial identity appeal to fans and sponsors? We argue that social media lend them various ways for resistance through defying monoracial labeling and racialized sport stereotypes, manifesting their multiracial identity, speaking up against social justice issues, and affiliating with certain sponsors. We demonstrate how their “silent activism” is subtle, situated in everyday life, and not antithetical to the commodification of their (athlete-activist) image.

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Section: Sport Activism and Branding On Social Mediamentioning

confidence: 99%

Following Naomi Osaka and Rui Hachimura on Social Media: Silent Activism and Sport Commodification of Multiracial Japanese Athletes

Ho,

Tanaka

2023

Social Media + Society

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“…Within this scholarship, the object is not the central point of analysis, but seen as an integral part of larger political protests. For example, Calow (2021) explores the connections between politics and sport through the example of tennis superpower, Naomi Osaka's political activism at the US Open in 2020. Over the course of the open, Osaka wore seven different black face masks with the names of unarmed Black Americans killed by police officers to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.…”

Section: Objects Protest and Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although much of the research around objects and protest has focused on clothing, a smaller group of scholars has explored (indirectly) the use of other objects in relation to politics in sports (Boykoff, 2017; Calow, 2021). Within this scholarship, the object is not the central point of analysis, but seen as an integral part of larger political protests.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over the course of the open, Osaka wore seven different black face masks with the names of unarmed Black Americans killed by police officers to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. While Calow (2021) focuses predominantly on how professional athletes are shaping and shaped by the political world, the mask-an object-played a central role in Osaka's predominantly non-vocal protest. As seen, there is a broad body of research to think about how objects (primarily clothing/uniforms) are used in political protest and activism in sport.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Clothes and caps: An exploration of the thing-power of objects and activism at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Brice

2022

International Review for the Sociology of Sport

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Building upon a rich body of literature around politics and the Olympics, this article explores the role of objects in political activism and protest at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Inspired by new materialist theory, Jane Bennett's vital materialism, and her concept of thing-power (2010) , this research thinks about the ways in which objects in the Tokyo 2020 games were lively and agentic players in developing assemblages and discussions around social inequalities at the Games. To accomplish this, the project conducted a thematic analysis of international popular press published during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to explore the thing-power of two objects (unitards and a swimming cap). In so doing, this article explores the ways in which objects were integral actants and helped ignite conversations around gender, the sexualization of female athletes, and the racism and exclusionary practices of elite swimming. The article finishes with a discussion of the thing-power of objects and how a different ontological approach (i.e. one that values nonhuman matter) has implications for athlete protest, policy development, and addressing social inequalities and injustices within sport.

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“…Along with an appreciation of her athletic prowess, Osaka is today widely embraced as one of the key figures in the world of celebrity (and sports) activism, even though her advocacy has started only recently. As part of the recognition of Osaka's activism and standing as a celebrity, several scholarly contributions have already been devoted to the tennis star, particularly concerning her racial identity and advocacy on racial justice, both in the form of short commentaries (Allen & Brown, 2021;Montez de Oca, 2021) and in-depth analyses (Calow, 2021;Deflem, 2022;Razack & Joseph, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Criminal Justice Activism of Naomi Osaka: A Case Study in the Criminology of Celebrity Culture

Deflem

2022

Am J Crim Just

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This paper examines the criminal justice activism of tennis star Naomi Osaka as it evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding matters of police violence and racial justice. Calls to reform and defund the police received much attention in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd in May 2020. The Floyd killing also motivated Naomi Osaka to begin her criminal justice activism, which has generally been very well received. Adopting a constructionist perspective, I investigate how Osaka's criminal justice activism has, in the broader context of the development of celebrity culture, been subjectively motivated and inter-subjectively received by the public and in the news media. Theoretically this paper has the two-fold objective of developing a model of the conditions favorable to the successful reception of celebrity activism and, additionally, of suggesting how such criminologically relevant activism can be understood in terms of a process of celebritization of criminal justice and police reform as causes worthy of attention. This case study of Osaka's criminal justice activism reveals the important role a celebrity can play in influencing public sentiments about key aspects of policing and crime control as an important element of criminal justice culture.

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‘Well, what was the message you got?’: the discursive power of Naomi Osaka and her peaceful protest at the 2020 U.S. Open

Cited by 11 publications

References 50 publications

Following Naomi Osaka and Rui Hachimura on Social Media: Silent Activism and Sport Commodification of Multiracial Japanese Athletes

Following Naomi Osaka and Rui Hachimura on Social Media: Silent Activism and Sport Commodification of Multiracial Japanese Athletes

Clothes and caps: An exploration of the thing-power of objects and activism at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

The Criminal Justice Activism of Naomi Osaka: A Case Study in the Criminology of Celebrity Culture

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