Danica Patrick. When most people hear her name they think of the super sexual Go Daddy commercials that air on television. If I had to guess, most people remember the Go Daddy name more than the athlete's. I am sure Go Daddy has no problem with this whatsoever. If they didn't know before the commercial aired, most people can infer that she is some sort of race car driver. What a lot of people don't know is that she is making history within the sport industry.
There are few sports where women compete directly with males under the same rules and during the same event. Most often there are separate leagues for each gender. People have and will continue to compare the men's and women's leagues to each other. The typical stereotype is that men always have been and always will be the superior athletic sex. Men are always considered the dominate gender. Because of this, people also generalize that men's sports are more entertaining than women's. Danica is now forcing people to reconsider these stereotypes.
On Sunday, February 17th, Danica Patrick made history when she became the first woman in history to win the poll in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. What made this feat even more impressive was she qualified first for the famous Daytona 500. The top qualifying spot for this particular race for a woman previous to Patrick was 18th. Danica beat out 44 other drivers, all male, to grab the top spot.
What does this mean for women in sports? Danica is proving that not only can women battle with men in the same competition, but they can be extremely successful while doing so. She may be carrying on the same theme of portraying women in sports in a sexual manner; however, she is also reinforcing the fact that she is more than just a pretty face. She is an athlete who deserves recognition and credit where it is due. She is forcing people to reconsider the female role in athletics.
No comments:
Post a Comment