Abstract
Traditionally, television coverage of sport has been dominated by coverage of what are considered “male” sporting events. More prevalent, it seems, is women’s presence in television sport if their endeavors are less competitive, and/or the focus is on weight loss and “looking good,” as opposed to athleticism. In particular, aerobic exercise classes, which use music to guide full-body movements that work the cardiovascular system, are commonly portrayed by the media as innovative means of losing “excess fat” and shedding “unwanted pounds,” while promising a new physical appearance that will make one more sexually attractive and ultimately more desirable. While the media focus on sex and sex appeal in aerobics has toned down since the 1980s (Duffy and Rhodes, 1993), sexual rhetoric continues to be embedded in the overall aerobic media discourse.
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© 2006 Linda K. Fuller
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Camacho, M. (2006). Television and Aerobic Sport: Empowerment and Patriarchy in Denise Austin’s Daily Workouts. In: Fuller, L.K. (eds) Sport, Rhetoric, and Gender. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230600751_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230600751_13
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
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