In response to The Librarian and the Teacher’s blog post, ‘Bikini clad girls, racing barriers, models and the Gold Coast Turf Club, al in the name of entertainment or fundraising or sports promotion?’, (YCPT: The FTV Blog, October 2, 2010).
Objectification and eroticization of females by the media continues on its mercenary way with the images of female bodies everywhere selling anything and everything. What better way to increase attendance at a Turf Club than by having a novelty race with young women clad in bikinis and of course defending its premise with the unquestionable charity image! I totally agree with The Librarian and the Teacher’s suggestion that even if the women are athletes, making them run in bikinis objectifies them even more so because the focus becomes the body, not the athlete’s running ability. The message being reinforced here is that women are objects rather than whole human beings (Media Awareness Network, 2010).
However it would be true to say that women who participate in these events or even support them are perpetuating this objectification. Perhaps the real problem lies in the fact that not enough women hold positions of power, be it in the racing industry or the media industry. According to the Media Awareness Network (2010), women can make a real difference if they have executive positions in media industries where they can have a definite impact on the ways women are portrayed on the screen and in print. Studies in media literacy can inspire young women to resist stereotypes and work for change particularly in understanding the role that institutions play in the production and use of media.
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