User:Jdearborn/sandbox

Fashion's role in sports has been increasingly drastica in recent times. On and off the field, sport's stars' fashion choices have been a focus of the media. My article will focus on talking about how fashion has grown in sports and its importance in pop culture. Sport's stars have also become models for certain clothing lines and become known for their role in the fashion world. As a result, some sport's stars become less known for their accomplishments and their identity is more related to fashion and sexuality rather than their sport. Objectification and sexual objectification are common outcomes for athletes who become involved with the fashion industry and are expressive with their bodies. Athletes become known more for their bodies than for their accomplishments. Brandi Chastain is an example of a talented female athlete who was known more for her experience than her athleticism. After she took her shirt off in celebration of scoring the game winning penalty kick in the 1999 Women's World Cup, she was featured on the cover of several magazines not because of what she had accomplished but because of the way her body looked. An example of a male athlete who is objectified by society is David Becham. He has achieved several accomplishments through soccer, but he is known to many because of his good looks and his underwear campaign for Calvin Klein. Many other athletes can relate to this situation very closely. Professional athletes have the right to be proud of their bodies because they have worked tremendously hard to be in the physical condition they are in. Athletes who express their bodies through the media have different motives, and many of those motives are not to objectify their bodies. Abby Wambach is an example of a professional athlete who posed in the ESPN's Body Issue to celebrate her athleticism. For women, revealing their bodies through the media may be a source of liberation. For men, it may be something that is empowering and is done to inspire others.