Is This Photo Really Sexist?
Wimbledon apologized for sharing this 38 year-old iconic image, which some critics are calling "sexist." Do you agree?
BY THE EDITORS OF MEN'S HEALTH
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTIN ELLIOTT
When you look at the photo above, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Do you think, "That looks like a scene from a softcore movie that aired on Cinemax in the 90s?" Or, "That's an artfully-done photograph, beautifully composed, that just happens to include a woman's naked ass?"
What if we told you that the photo was shared last week by the official Twitter account for Wimbledon, to promote the All England Lawn Tennis Club's "Powerful Posters" exhibition? Does that make you think differently about it? If the oldest tennis tournament in the world showcases a photo of an attractive female tennis player who isn't wearing panties, does that make the image sexist?
More than a few people have answered that with a resounding "Yes."
First, some backstory on the photo. It was taken in 1976, and released the following year under the name "Tennis Girl," selling well over 20 million copies globally. Next to the Farrah Fawcett nipple poster, it's one of the most iconic quasi-dirty photos of the 1970s.
We can't speculate on what kind of reaction Wimbledon was expecting when they tweeted the photo, but it likely wasn't the angry backlash that followed.
"The poster doesn't show the history of tennis," Anna S. tweeted. "The girl isn't a tennis player, you are just publicising sexualisation of females."
"Oh, Wimbledon," wrote another user, Catherine Gault, "are you naturally sexist or do you have to work at it?"
The "Tennis Girl" photo was eventually taken down, and officials from the All England Tennis Club posted an apology. "It is a controversial piece of poster history," they said of the image. "But we do not endorse it."
Did they do the right thing? From a PR perspective, possibly. But is it fair to call this photo sexist? Because... why exactly?
Are all photos of women being sexual outside of a bedroom inherently sexist? Or is it the context in which it was shared? Would it not be sexist if the photo wasn't tweeted by Wimbledon? Is that what makes it feel derogatory? Or are we throwing around words like "sexist" a little too easily, without really questioning what that word means?
These aren't rhetorical questions. We're actually asking.
Let us know what you think in the comments section. Is this photo sexist? And if so, why? Has "Tennis Girl" always been sexist, or has it taken 38 years to become so? Is it Wimbledon's fault? And is it now your fault for enjoying it too much? If you look at this photo and find it beautiful and/or sexy, does that make you a little sexist?
Wimbledon apologized for sharing this 38 year-old iconic image, which some critics are calling "sexist." Do you agree?
BY THE EDITORS OF MEN'S HEALTH
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTIN ELLIOTT
When you look at the photo above, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Do you think, "That looks like a scene from a softcore movie that aired on Cinemax in the 90s?" Or, "That's an artfully-done photograph, beautifully composed, that just happens to include a woman's naked ass?"
What if we told you that the photo was shared last week by the official Twitter account for Wimbledon, to promote the All England Lawn Tennis Club's "Powerful Posters" exhibition? Does that make you think differently about it? If the oldest tennis tournament in the world showcases a photo of an attractive female tennis player who isn't wearing panties, does that make the image sexist?
More than a few people have answered that with a resounding "Yes."
First, some backstory on the photo. It was taken in 1976, and released the following year under the name "Tennis Girl," selling well over 20 million copies globally. Next to the Farrah Fawcett nipple poster, it's one of the most iconic quasi-dirty photos of the 1970s.
We can't speculate on what kind of reaction Wimbledon was expecting when they tweeted the photo, but it likely wasn't the angry backlash that followed.
"The poster doesn't show the history of tennis," Anna S. tweeted. "The girl isn't a tennis player, you are just publicising sexualisation of females."
"Oh, Wimbledon," wrote another user, Catherine Gault, "are you naturally sexist or do you have to work at it?"
The "Tennis Girl" photo was eventually taken down, and officials from the All England Tennis Club posted an apology. "It is a controversial piece of poster history," they said of the image. "But we do not endorse it."
Did they do the right thing? From a PR perspective, possibly. But is it fair to call this photo sexist? Because... why exactly?
Are all photos of women being sexual outside of a bedroom inherently sexist? Or is it the context in which it was shared? Would it not be sexist if the photo wasn't tweeted by Wimbledon? Is that what makes it feel derogatory? Or are we throwing around words like "sexist" a little too easily, without really questioning what that word means?
These aren't rhetorical questions. We're actually asking.
Let us know what you think in the comments section. Is this photo sexist? And if so, why? Has "Tennis Girl" always been sexist, or has it taken 38 years to become so? Is it Wimbledon's fault? And is it now your fault for enjoying it too much? If you look at this photo and find it beautiful and/or sexy, does that make you a little sexist?
