The Female Athlete has Finally Arrived. Or had She? Total Divas Edition

E! Entertainment presented a reality television series called Total Divas that debuted in the summer of 2013. The program follows the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) female talents Nikki and Brie Bella (also know as The Bella Twins), Cameron, Naomi, Natalya, Eva Marie, and Jo-Jo. Previously in the wrestling world you would only see females in the ring if they were Ring Girls, who would walk around the ring in a skimpy bikinis to entertain in between rounds of a combat sport. Total Divas is what many would consider a gender equality revolution, because it gives professional female wrestlers mainstream media exposure, which is not easy in a male dominated sport like wrestling. This brings me to my argument that Total Divas is not promoting gender equality, but instead reinforcing hegemonic masculinity in American society. Although Total Divas is giving female athletes media exposure, which displays social change, but in reality those in power are feminizing the images of these athletes in attempt to reinforce traditional stereotypical images of femininity and female sexuality. 

I have been a faithful viewer since the show aired its first episode in 2013, and I have to be honest I do not watch this show to get my WWE fix. In fact I do not even like WWE or NWO, but I watch this show every Sunday night because I love to see the drama unfold in all spheres of their lives. I mention this because this show is framed to highlight these divas’ feministic qualities. You hardly ever see these women in the ring, but instead you can see them practicing their dance routines for their introductions, go on dates with their significant other(s) or girlfriend(s), worrying about outfits, or working out in their sport bra with drama infused into every minute. For example, Diva Nikki Bella is dating the face of WWE, John Cena, and Nikki is constantly having sacrificing her career and friends so she can keep her relationship from hitting turbulence. What I am getting at is American society is excepting of the Total Divas because they follow the gender stereotype of being physically attractive, dress and act a certain feminine way, and value relationships over their careers.

In the article Women, Media, and Sport, by Mary Jo Kane and Susan L. Greendorfer, give the perfect example of Florence Griffith Joyner (FloJo) an amazing athlete who won three gold medals in track and field but the media focused more on her being a fashion model/designer who preformed in “long tresses, lavish makeup, and racy one legged running suits that emphasized sexual difference.” (p. 28) The media either downplays a woman’s athletic dominance, or completely ignores the real athlete who is more dominate because they display more masculine qualities. “In a study that also examine trivialization through feminization, Hilliard (1984) found that media coverage given to professional female tennis players focused on their physical attractiveness rather than on their athletic accomplishments. He also noted that commentary alluding to female athletes’ youthful or adolescent status also trivialized their athletic accomplishments by suggesting that “these players should not be taken seriously until they grow up.”” (Kane & Greendorfer, p. 253) One example that comes to mind is professional tennis player Anna Kourikova who never won a Grand Slam title, but she was always given media exposure and sponsorship deals. Kourikova was able to gain a lot of American male viewers and a higher yearly income, because of her physical attractiveness, not because of her skill; otherwise they would have been watching the topped ranked player from Russia who had more masculine qualities.

The table below proves my point of hegemonic masculinity because even though Kourikova was not winning tournaments she was still increasing her income each year. She continued to use her feminine sexuality to keep herself in the spotlight of the media. Think if the role was flipped, and a male athlete did not play well but continued to make more money each year. I laugh because that would never happen. A male athlete would lose their sponsors to other winning athletes and/or get traded/dropped.  

Year	Grand Slam singles titles	WTA singles titles	Total singles titles	Earnings ($)	Money list rank
1995-06	0	0	0	169,131	n/a
1997	0	0	0	292,362	28
1998	0	0	0	568,771	13
1999	0	0	0	748,424	10
2000	0	0	0	984,930	8

We can all agree these Divas all have amazing body’s and fit the physical standard of beauty, but why do men get to look however they want as long as they perform well? I’m going to go for an easy target, NBA player, Chris Bosh to help my case. Many viewers compare Bosh to the prehistoric creature of a dinosaur, and he made 17.55 million in 2013. Ultimately sports are about physical activity, which is a domain that values male physicality and muscularity. Bosh is gigantically tall and strong so he is able to preform well, so it does not really matter if he is pleasing to the eye. I am presenting that these Divas are set up for failure to not become the best in their sport. They have to keep their feminine figure in order to keep their popularity. Big pronounced muscles are not accepted because even though being stronger can help them jump, run, and move more powerfully.  

Total Divas is giving these athletes media exposure, but at the same time it is reinforcing male hierarchy in American society. Male wrestlers are considered athletes, while these Divas are seen as performers who have to fit the casting role. Instead of being labeled as an athlete these Divas are framed as a perfect feminine body, pretty face, and drama extremists.

Work Cited:

Creedon, Pamela J. Women, media and sport: challenging gender values. Sage Publications Inc., 1994.

"Anna Kournikova Career Statistics." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Mar. 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Kournikova_career_statistics>.