Pretty Faces only - NSFW

[bounceswoosh]

I think we attach too much emphasis on sporting figures, male or female, as role models. It's a heavy cross for them to bear, on top of the stress of sporting competition.

Agreed. Not only heavy, but destined to disappoint. I mean, it's great if a famous person is also extremely conscientious, moral, smart, etc - but given that they became famous for completely different reasons, it's a bit much to ask.

 

[pinto]

...I think we attach too much emphasis on sporting figures, male or female, as role models. It's a heavy cross for them to bear, on top of the stress of sporting competition.

I agree. But it certainly does happen.

What interests me about all these questions is what should be vs what actually is. We shouldn't make them role models, we should see them as athletes, and so on. But what is really happening? And if we don't like it, can we change it? Or do we just accept it?

I know some people think that calling the film "Pretty Faces" flies directly against what the film is ostensibly trying to do. Is it a mixed message? I guess that is the crux of the whole thing, do people see this as a mixed message, or is it possible to combine both in a healthy manner without relegating women to status as eye candy.

 

[Pequenita]

I think maybe this discussion has strayed from the OP's question, which is (to remind us all), "Can women's sports thrive without the sexualization of its participants?"

She isn't asking about brands and products etc. She's asking about women's sports.

No one is saying that these athletes should lose their ability to choose whether or not to do it, that's a straw man. The question is, Is it a wise choice? Is it ultimately good for women's sports, or does it perpetuate our status as sex thing first, athlete second? And is it, in the end, futile to even think that women athletes will ever be respected more for their abilities than for their looks?

I think the converse is that once upon a time in the not too distant past, women who participated in sports at a very high level had their femininity attacked. So, a sub-question could be, is hypersexualization a response of sorts to previously being told some version of that (ie, women who do sports are not feminine)?

Some of the athletes named in this thread consider themselves models in addition to athletes. So, to the extent that's happening, it gets even blurrier as to whether she is in some way an ambassador for a sport or is in fact a pretty face with a part-time job.

Pretty Faces...it's not the first ski movie title to have multiple meanings. Looking at the big mountains in the trailer, I thought "whoa, look at that face!" I'm not kidding.

 

[RachelV]

I know some people think that calling the film "Pretty Faces" flies directly against what the film is ostensibly trying to do. Is it a mixed message? I guess that is the crux of the whole thing, do people see this as a mixed message, or is it possible to combine both in a healthy manner without relegating women to status as eye candy.

I was on the fence about the name, but I think the trailer contextualizes the "mountain faces" part pretty well. I like the title more having seen the trailer for sure.

My boyfriend watched the trailer (having had no previous knowledge of the film at all), and his reaction was something like: "I don't get it. I mean, it's a women's ski movie, and it's supposed to be about more than pretty faces, etc etc, but every woman in that trailer was super hot."

So... I have no point here, really, but his reaction bummed me out.

 

[pinto]

I was on the fence about the name, but I think the trailer contextualizes the "mountain faces" part pretty well. I like the title more having seen the trailer for sure.

My boyfriend watched the trailer (having had no previous knowledge of the film at all), and his reaction was something like: "I don't get it. I mean, it's a women's ski movie, and it's supposed to be about more than pretty faces, etc etc, but every woman in that trailer was super hot."

So... I have no point here, really, but his reaction bummed me out.

That's kind of what I meant about mixed messages. Guys have a hard enough time with just ONE SIMPLE MESSAGE, ya know??

 

[Kimmyt]

My boyfriend watched the trailer (having had no previous knowledge of the film at all), and his reaction was something like: "I don't get it. I mean, it's a women's ski movie, and it's supposed to be about more than pretty faces, etc etc, but every woman in that trailer was super hot."

So... I have no point here, really, but his reaction bummed me out.

I have a feeling, if you showed a guy ten girls, and 7 were super hot and the other 3 were average to below average, they would still say that every girl that they were shown was super hot.

Also, skier chicks are hot, in general. That's why he's dating you.

 

[altagirl]

I think the converse is that once upon a time in the not too distant past, women who participated in sports at a very high level had their femininity attacked. So, a sub-question could be, is hypersexualization a response of sorts to previously being told some version of that (ie, women who do sports are not feminine)?

I was thinking that too. I mean, lately it's trendy to be muscular and athletic. Strong is sexy and all of that - which is great, don't get me wrong. I DO remember being picked on (by boys) when I was a kid for having muscular arms (which came mostly from genetics) when the trendy thing was to waif-like heroin chic and anorexia was all the rage. So yeah - I do feel like some of it is push-back from those days.

 

[abc]

I was thinking that too. I mean, lately it's trendy to be muscular and athletic. Strong is sexy and all of that - which is great, don't get me wrong. I DO remember being picked on (by boys) when I was a kid for having muscular arms (which came mostly from genetics) when the trendy thing was to waif-like heroin chic and anorexia was all the rage. So yeah - I do feel like some of it is push-back from those days.

+1

 

[pinto]

I was thinking that too. I mean, lately it's trendy to be muscular and athletic. Strong is sexy and all of that - which is great, don't get me wrong. I DO remember being picked on (by boys) when I was a kid for having muscular arms (which came mostly from genetics) when the trendy thing was to waif-like heroin chic and anorexia was all the rage. So yeah - I do feel like some of it is push-back from those days.

Well ... yeah .... But I also feel like "those days" were quite a while ago.

By the way, I think the ESPN body issue is amazing. Just throwing that out there. I like how it's kinda equal, the men and women.

 

[mustski]

I actually like the double meaning behind the title. I also see a third meaning along the lines of WAY more than JUST pretty faces. You know ... the power of understatement. I would guess those "pretty faces" will show us some serious shredding!

 

[altagirl]

Well ... yeah .... But I also feel like "those days" were quite a while ago.

I mean - I know I'm older than most professional athletes these days, but I'm only 40. I think it was probably a bigger issue for me personally as a tall/big boned girl (who was often taller and bigger than boys the same age) and depends on where and how you were raised. I definitely felt pressure from about age 9 on that I needed to diet and to try to lose muscle if I ever wanted to be considered attractive. Which took sports off my radar for most of my teenage years. It wasn't until college (1991) that I went my own rebellious way and really decided to do the sports I wanted to do and embrace being athletic. And around the same time discovered the better guys like you for who you are, don't all like the same thing, etc. But I can't be the only one. Even if it's the next generation rebelling against the way their mothers were treated, I think there is some of it as a factor.

I still hear some guys rant about Serena Williams and how unattractive they find her build. Which makes me just IRATE.... I don't get the guys who can't just ignore her if she's not their type but need to go on and on about how she "looks like a man", etc.

Hell, I know maybe 5 years ago, a friend's teenage daughter told me on a ski lift that she could only ski aggressively if the boys she went to high school with weren't around. Some (clearly insecure) boy she had a crush on had told her how unattractive he found competitive, athletic women (who could out-ski him). So she dumbed down her skiing around boys. No amount adult women trying to tell her this guy is an idiot would change her mind. I like to think we're beyond that, but I'm not sure we are.

 

[snow addict]

Athletes compete because this is what they are good at. Pretty women may enjoy posing for the same reason - they are good at it and look good doing this. So is it too difficult to imagine one person being both - a pretty woman and an athlete - and do things they are good at and like doing? I tend to agree that it's neither good nor bad to their sport, more like neutral. But if there are people who will think less of an athlete and the sport she represents because she chose to pose nude or in some tight clothes, it's not the athlete who has to change. I would say that the choice they make is a logical one - neither athletic ability nor looks last forever, so it would be reasonable to capitalize on both. And no-one is ever "respected" for looks. "Looks" is a visual characteristic that do not command respect. People respect efforts, talents and achievements but not someone's height or weight or hair colour. But yeah, sure some will be "remembered" mostly for looks but this is usually because their achievements in their sport are fairly obscure... And to complicated matters worse - you can have someone with remarkable athletic talent and good looks but when this person opens their mouth.... Important lesson here - beware of creating role models....

 

[snow addict]

So back to my question. Who is the target audience for these provocative photos? Are the women being used to target a particular demographic? Is it necessary to the success of the sport?

Here are some examples I found. "Hotties of the Olympics"? Is this really necessary to promote the sport?

It doesn't promote the sport but it promotes the athlete. Why miss the opportunity of a modelling contract or just cash from a few photo shoots? Advertisers will like her - she has good looks and she is a part of the Olympic Team. Money doesn't grow on trees and I suspect there are way more athletes across the sports pushing retirement age than there are presenters/commentators jobs on all the radio/TV and Internet channels together and best are reserved for most decorated and the nature of things in sports is that not everyone will get decorated, for each winner there are tens of also rans etc...

 

[snow addict]

Her online ski movie cut her skiing with her flexing and stretching in her undies, and I confess I did find it unnecessary, as well as designed to send teenage boys to their bedrooms for 10mins armed with the aforementioned movie clip and a box of tissues!

Ha-ha! But teenage boys no matter what will go their bedrooms with a box of tissues, be it after a skiing clip or a weather forecast. At least in this case there is chance they will remember the name of the girl if they happen to be into skiing

 

[pinto]

I mean - I know I'm older than most professional athletes these days, but I'm only 40. I think it was probably a bigger issue for me personally as a tall/big boned girl (who was often taller and bigger than boys the same age) and depends on where and how you were raised. ....

I see what you are saying, and definitely understand. I guess I just meant as a whole, men these days know that being an athletic woman doesn't automatically mean you are not feminine. Then you get into what particular body type they do or do not find attractive, and yeah, it's most likely going to be the trim tennis players rather than the shot put throwers...

It cracks me up about Serena, when guys say she looks like a man. Yes, her guns are bigger than yours, but her boobs and tiny waist?? Really? A man?? Whatever.

 

[Kimmyt]

Hell, I know maybe 5 years ago, a friend's teenage daughter told me on a ski lift that she could only ski aggressively if the boys she went to high school with weren't around. Some (clearly insecure) boy she had a crush on had told her how unattractive he found competitive, athletic women (who could out-ski him). So she dumbed down her skiing around boys. No amount adult women trying to tell her this guy is an idiot would change her mind. I like to think we're beyond that, but I'm not sure we are.

Oh, man. Do you know if she ever got past this? That makes me really sad. I met my husband rock climbing and I was the one with more knowledge/strength/skills. He found that sexy. He can climb harder than me now, but I still really enjoy being able to outski him on a daily basis. It's really hard to go through life always as the inferior one in a relationship, you have to have some things you're better at or else you will beat yourself up about it, I think. Or at least if you're a competitive person like me.

 

[altagirl]

Oh, man. Do you know if she ever got past this? That makes me really sad. I met my husband rock climbing and I was the one with more knowledge/strength/skills. He found that sexy. He can climb harder than me now, but I still really enjoy being able to outski him on a daily basis. It's really hard to go through life always as the inferior one in a relationship, you have to have some things you're better at or else you will beat yourself up about it, I think. Or at least if you're a competitive person like me.

Same here. I was probably the better skier when i met my husband, and he definitely loved it.

I haven't seen her skiing in a few years now, sadly. She's married with a new baby these days.

 

[VickiK]

OK, page 1 are NSFW (not safe for work) internet surfing, so I imagine pages 2 & 3 aren't either. I'll check it out later!

 

[Pequenita]

Sorry about that, @VickiK. The photos didn't automatically upload for me, so the NSFW headline never occurred to me. I updated the thread title to prevent further in-office "oh @*#%!" moments.

 

[VickiK]

Sorry about that, @VickiK. The photos didn't automatically upload for me, so the NSFW headline never occurred to me. I updated the thread title to prevent further in-office "oh @*#%!" moments.

No worries, but thanks!