On Sept. 9, Sydney Sweeney starred in a commercial for Novig, a sports gambling app, intended to promote both the app and the world of sports. However, the advertisement ultimately drew more attention to her body than to the app itself or how it functions.
The ad never explains the app’s purpose or how to use it. Instead, it focuses on how little Sweeney was wearing, more specifically, with sports equipment strategically covering her body.
For more than 150 years, women in sports have fought tirelessly for the same respect as men. Yet, they are often reduced to their bodies instead of being seen as strong, capable and intelligent. Whether they are athletes or behind the scenes, women go above and beyond to be taken seriously.
The commercial reinforces the sexualization of women in sports, reducing them to their appearance rather than their accomplishments. In doing so, the commercial risks undermining the progress female athletes have fought to achieve in creating greater recognition and respect within the sports industry.
For years, women, particularly in sports, have fought against the stereotype that they should be valued only for their physical appearance and that sports are only for men. The issue spans from the uniforms women are required to wear to the ways female athletes are portrayed in the media.
Female athletes and those involved in sports already face widespread harassment and abuse online, with 40% of reported harassment being sexual in nature. A study conducted by AXA Health, a private healthcare and medical insurance specialist, found that 58% of female athletes who have experienced sexualized abuse have considered quitting their sport simply to make the harassment stop.
Chanice Posada, a senior psychology major and sports administration minor from Houston questioned whether the commercial depicts women in sports being celebrated for their athleticism or just for their appearance.
“Commercials and media shape what people see as desirable or valuable about women, and I think that can influence expectations,” said Posada, who is also the captain of the Howard University women’s swim team
Posada said that there is a clear difference between being proud of your body as a woman and being sexualized because of it.
“I’m proud of the strength my body has developed through swimming, but I don’t want my body or appearance to be the main thing people value about me,” she said.
Women’s athletic uniforms have historically been more form-fitting or have excessive skin exposure compared to men’s uniforms. Posada also said she has had her own experience being sexualized as a swimmer.
Women already receive unequal funding, media coverage gaps and face stereotypes. By centering the Novig ad to appeal to the male gaze, it emphasizes the sexualization of women in sports and makes it harder for female athletes to earn the credibility they deserve.
Sweeney’s depiction in this ad undermines the efforts of every woman in sports. Norah Meekins, a sophomore political science major from Livonia, Michigan, who has been dancing since she was four, said the ad was frustrating.
“My general reaction to the commercial was initially confusion, then disappointment,” she said. “I am disappointed in the fact that Sydney’s face alone in the ad was not enough for the creators.”
While Sweeney did not write the script or create the concept for the advertisement, she agreed to participate in it. That makes her decision to endorse and appear in the campaign worthy of scrutiny, given her own stated concerns about being reduced to her physical appearance.
Commercials like this reflect a much larger issue of sexism in sports. It’s harder for female athletes to get the same respect as men when they are judged by their looks instead of their abilities. Women should be respected for their strength and talent, not their bodies.
Copy edited by Jori Johnson