Women's Roller Derby: A Narrative Analysis

Gender classification is a predominant topic within today’s sports and is most broadly understood through the portrayals of sports media. Through overt and covert ways, sports media has continued to promote a masculine representation of sports (Millington & Wilson, 2010; Messener, Duncan, & Jensen, 1993). By understanding the way in which sports media portrays sports, one can recognize how masculinity has dominated the world of sports. With the aid of two unique studies of sports media, this paper will critique the way in which media has effected the gendered depiction of sports.

Male cheerleaders continuously get gender stigma which means a negative trait or set of traits attached to a social group, due to cheerleading being labeled as a 'feminine sport'. There are some male who become hesitant when wanting to be a cheerleader due to them being labeled as ‘Gay’. One of the female who participated in the study said “cheerleading started with men. I think the media has turned it into a sexualized female sport”. But, they believed this occur because women are helping men protect and maintain their masculine guise. However, the construction of masculinity is achieved through sexual objectification by men who cheer, because society focuses on labeling male cheerleaders homosexual, when in reality they have the advantage

As grace became less of an indicator of masculinity in the English culture, the permissible moves in figure skating routines changed to match the culture; Adams explains that “English men held their arms by their sides, their legs stiff and straight. They took their pleasure in overcoming difficulties rather than in the freedom of moving. And in all this they were perfect, moving representations of middle-class Victorian norms.”5

When thinking of the word cheerleader one typically imagines a pretty, white, blond girl with pom-poms. Why is it that it is extremely uncommon to visualizes a male identifying person in such a way? In our society cheerleading is considered a female sport and men who become cheerleaders automatically lose their masculinity and according to Pascoe are deemed “fags”. In her article ‘Dude, You’re a Fag’: Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourse she explains that “becoming a fag has as much to do with failing at the masculine tasks of competence, heterosexual prowess and strength or an anyway revealing weakness or femininity… (p.330)” In other words, a “fag” is a fluid term a male identified person is called when they are exhibiting un-masculine behavior. In this essay, I use Pascoe’s framework to demonstrate why male cheerleaders are deemed “fags” in the movie Bring It On.

A sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Sports originated in early history as males only, and was often used to see which male was more dominant. In today’s society sports have a different meaning and is played by both genders, but still holds a mentality of superiority. In this essay, I will be arguing the Social Constructs of Masculinity in Sports in the language and the actions used when performing these activities through both genders and how some actions are acceptable for one gender and not for the other. Using Laurel Richardson’s article Gender Stereotyping in the English Language, and X: A Fabulous Child’s Story by Lois Gould. The article and story will help distinguish the use of words in our society and how they are incorporated in sport and how the actions of a person that does not fit the social standard faces repercussions for their actions.

Yes women who participate in roller derby are very violent, but it is the nature of the sport. Roller derby itself is a violent sport that is mainly women dominated. Athletes are just like entertainers, being that it is their job to perform to their best ability, sometimes this requires violence. The NHL is a man dominated sport and fighting is actually encouraged by the fans. Yet the Hockey players themselves are not considered violent but rather the sport. As well as men from a young age begin playing violent sports such as football, where girls generally don’t have the option. Roller derby is no more violent than football or hockey but since from a young age boys are taught to participate in violent sports it isn’t seen as violent to others,

Heather Sykes is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and specializes in educational studies and physical education (Sykes, 2011). Sykes has been published in a variety of academic journals for her research in the critical analysis of gender, sexuality and fatness in physical education as well as sports sociology. Her book, Queer Bodies: Sexualities, Genders, & Fatness in Physical Education is a heavily research-based book about key issues in physical education. It was published in 2011 by Peter Lang Publishing, Inc. based out of New York, New York and despite being published by an American company, the bulk of Sykes’s research comes from Canadian citizens who identify as having queer bodies. Throughout the text, Sykes uncovers various problems within physical education surrounding queer bodies such as harassment, humiliation, and being an outcast. She challenges the traditional values and curriculum used in physical education courses, and provides insight to better serve queer bodies in physical education.

Seeing women in sports getting more recognition is incredibly important to me. Growing up I was constantly involved in some sort of sport. Sports are what kept me out of the house when things were starting to get unsafe and they taught me how to get my anger out in a safe environment. I was too busy in school, and with friends and with sports to get into trouble. The police would be over at the house one night and the next day I could run off any anxiety in PE or recess or at soccer practice, or dance practice or kickboxing.

The sport stimulates diverse definitions that invite distinctive forms of recognition and appealing feminities, through its cultural reference to rock ‘n’ wrestling, pin up girls, comic book heroines and 5 dominatrix (Pavlidis, 2013). The experience of the sport allows women to gain a sense of empowerment as well as the sense of healing and the ability to transform them as individuals and far importantly, test the cultural norms about females embodied capacities. The general perceptions over roller derby be apt to be perceived as a cultural realm that places forth a sexualised womanliness while simply embracing masculine antagonistic behavior (Pavlidis, 2013). Through the increasing popularity of Roller Derby, critical questions have developed over the cultural forces that structure women’s aspiration to be involved in a sport that interprets itself as alternative and liberated, through its challenge to bring about gender ideals thought of as the norm within society. This popularity further provides understanding made between the connections of the ideas of creativity and sport, which presents apprehension into how to challenge the continuous gender in women's sports (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006; Hargreaves, 1990; Wearing,

The LGBT athletic community has had the opportunity to compete in a centralized location promoting international athletic competition & promoting of acceptance for over two decades every four years. This harmony and unity for the international LGBT community ended in 2006, with the creation of two separate international sporting events promoting acceptance and inclusion. Although both events have provided insurmountable value to the LGBT community, in the spirit of acceptance and harmony it essential for both “The Gay Games” and “The World Outgames” to merge together for the betterment of the LGBT athletic community.

Queer theory argues that drag acts work towards overthrowing patriarchal norms. The theory emerged from homosexual studies attention to the social construction of categories of normative and deviant sexual behaviour. Queer theory studies anything that falls into normative and deviant categories, in particular sexual activities and identities (Klages 2005). Queer theory attempts to break down binary thinking and fight against gender stereotypes through its rejection of labels and its demonstration of the social action of gender identity (Hanson 2006). Queer theory believes that gender is merely a performance that an individual of either sex can accomplish (REF).

It all began in the December of 1st grade. My parents took me to Disneyworld and Seaworld as my Christmas present. Before we left the grand amusement park, there was one last show available. We bought the tickets and sat down. One after another, talented ice skaters filled my eyes. They looked so elegant, gracious, and perfect. It was then I came face to face with my new beloved hobby: ice skating.

On a hot summer day my friends and I wanted to do something fun because we were bored and didn't know what to do. I called all my friends to see if they wanted to do something. We gave ideas like Disneyland, beach and movies. We didn't do those because it was either too far ,too hot or they was nothing good to watch. So one of us just said ice skating. We all agreed to do that. So a few minutes later we all left and started walking. When we got there we all paid and started getting dressed because we had to wear certain clothes so we are able to skate in the rink.

Watching Evgeni Plushenko come to his victory for Russia once again in this Winter Olympics in Vancouver, I found myself realising why figure skating has always been viewed as a very feminine sport. They swing their arms dramatically with constant hand motions and exaggerate their facial expressions. Every single routine is punctuated with these moves. The sparkly and rhinestone covered costumes often look like they were designed for a children’s beauty pageant. Dick Button, a gold medalist in 1948 and ’52, describes viewing them as being “trapped in a windmill in the Metropolitan Opera House costume department.”1 No wonder our society has always viewed figure skating as a “softer” sport.2

As a little kid, I remember participating in every sport out there. Whether it was soccer, dance class, or gymnastics, nothing seemed to fit quite right. That is until I started skating. It might sound a little cliche, but I remember watching the Olympics on TV and figure skating had been on. I instantly became fascinated by it, and I remember saying,