The 2013 ESPN body issue actually did an excellent job diversifying the photographed athletes. Not only did ESPN equally represent both genders, but they also adequately captured almost every race including athletes of all ages, shapes, and sizes. For example, they took pictures of a 77-year-old male golfer and a 50-year-old female golfer. They even photographed a pregnant Kerri Walsh.
ESPN is traditionally associated with many sexist tendencies. The network airs drastically more male sporting events than female sporting events. Also, announcers are typically male while sideline reporters are attractive females, exploited for their looks. Considering the sexist tendencies of the ESPN network, it's quite surprising how diverse the body issue is.
No matter the gender, race, age, sport, or body type the ESPN body issue depicts the athletes in similar fashions. All the athletes had multiple pictures in the magazine. Each had an action shot and also a leisure shot that attempted to make them seem alluring. The one exception to the action shots was Kerri Walsh, which I think can be excused considering how weird it would have been for a pregnant woman to be in an action shot of her sport.
Unfortunately the ESPN body issue is not indicative of the diversity in the rest of the sports media world. Women are constantly underrepresented in the media and when they are represented, they are typically shown in ways to exploit their looks rather than their abilities in sports. If other media outlets follow the body issue's template for diversity, maybe women will finally receive the credit they deserve as exceptional athletes.
Jake Packman
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