Advertising images of women athletes: 'Glamour', 'Shape', and 'Golf for Women', 1989--2002

This content analysis studied the portrayals of women athletes in advertisements from 1989, 1997, and 2002 in Glamour, Shape, and Golf for Women. The study predicted that women athletes' success in the 1996 Olympics was a turning point for sportswomen and spurred more athletic depictions in print advertising. Two facets were explored: quantity of advertisements representing women athletes and quality of representations.; The number of women athlete advertisements decreased over time in Shape and Golf for Women, negating predictions. Only Glamour's number of women athlete advertisements increased. In advertisement quality, sexist portrayals of women athletes decreased between 1989 and 2002 to almost 100% non-stereotypical portrayals in Glamour and Golf for Women, and to 80% in Shape . Another key finding was that Glamour portrayed women athletes with sex appeal less frequently than did Shape. Shape's advertisers, therefore, did not accurately reflect its editorial focus on fitness.