Sydney Sweeney is the spotlight of multiple controversial ads. On Sept. 9, Sweeney was featured in a one-minute ad for Novig, a sports betting site. For the majority of the ad, Sweeney was unclothed, using sports equipment to cover intimate areas. Yet, Sweeney’s role in the ad sexualized women’s sports while women are already fighting to be respected.
“No betting on wars or deaths and no politics,” Sweeney said in a shot. “Just you, your takes and sports.”
Reactions From Female Athletes
Yet, Sweeney brought politics into the ad. Female athletes became outraged. For decades, women have been fighting for society to see them as true athletes. Now, women’s sports have sexualized uniforms and playing styles.
“I have been over-sexualized my whole career, I have dealt with men only focusing on how I look and not what I am capable of,” Gracie Kramer, a former gymnast, said in an interview. “Women put in hours and years to build something that they are proud of, and when you are reduced to the way that you look, it is dehumanizing.”
As someone who plays sports, they are viewed less than men’s sports. Uniforms are tight, short and are made to accentuate sexual features to appeal to men. Women’s sports are seen as entertainment rather than a competition.
Sociopolitical Effects
Sweeney’s ad ruins any positive connotation that women athletes have built for themselves. Sweeney is not an athlete herself, yet she is seen as attractive, which is used to appeal to men.
“Now I know what this random sports betting company is that I had never heard of four days ago,” Raquel Debono, founder of the right-leaning Make America Hot Again organization, said.
Politics was always brought into the ad, affecting multiple communities. A 60-second clip with over 40 million views has impacted each viewer’s perspective on women’s sports.
