Keywords
objectification
agency
hostesses
sport
Formula One
Abstract
At the beginning of 2018, Liberty Media, the owner of Formula One (hereafter, F1), decided to drop so-called grid girls from the race weekends beginning with the 2018 season, which has created an opportunity to analyze the perception of hostesses’ status and their bodies in contemporary sport. The discourse on the decision and the partial concessions in its enforcement is analyzed within the theoretical framework related to second and third waves of the feminist movement and the concepts of sexual objectification and agency. The results reveal that the grid girls’ presence is perceived both as unsuitable for modern times, values and #metoo culture climate and as “normal” and a “good tradition.” Additionally, the grid girls themselves accuse feminists of having caused them to lose their jobs, arguing that, although their positions are based on physical attractiveness and a sexualized body, it has been done by them voluntarily and with pleasure. The discourse on gird girls in F1 fits into the critical discourses on female (sexualized) body images in sport, but, on the other hand, it includes persons who have usually not been taken into account because of their auxiliary role in sports events.
References
Adams, Natalie and Pamela Bettis. 2003. “Commanding the Room in Short Skirts. Cheering as the Embodiment of Ideal Girlhood.” Gender & Society 17(1): 73‒91. DOI: 10.1177/0891243202238979
Anderson, Eric. 2011. “Masculinities and Sexualities in Sport and Physical Cultures: Three Decades of Evolving Research.” Journal of Homosexuality 5: 565–578. DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2011.563652
Balkmar, Dag. 2012. On Men and Cars. An ethnographic study of gendered, risky and dangerous relations. University dissertation from Linköping: Linköping University Electronic Press.
Bettis, Pamela and Natalie Adams. 2006. “Short Skirts and Breast Juts: Cheerleading, Eroticism and Schools.” Sex Education 6(2): 121–133. DOI: 10.1080/14681810600578800
Bissell, Kimberly L. and Andrea M. Duke. 2007. “Bump, set, spike: An analysis of commentary and camera angles of women’s beach volleyball during the 2004 Summer Olympics.” Journal of Promotion Management 13: 35–53. DOI: 10.1300/J057v13n01_04
Bourdieu, Pierre. 2004. Męska dominacja [Masculine domination – Polish edition]. Warszawa: Oficyna Naukowa.
Boyatzis, Richard E. 1998. Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Braun, Virginia and Victoria Clarke. 2006. “Using thematic analysis in psychology.” Qualitative Research in Psychology 3 (2): 77-101. DOI: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Brennan, Siofra. 2018. “From a ‘60s Japanese pop star to Katie Price and Love Island’s Olivia Atwood: How the grid girl ban spells the end of a long and VERY colourful part of Formula One history.” Retrieved April 20, 2018 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5336079/Grid-girl-ban-spellsend-colourful-Formula-One.html).
Burstyn, Varda. 2004. The Rites of Men: Manhood, Politics, and the Culture of Sport. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Claringbould, Inge and Annelies Knoppers. 2012. “Paradoxical practices of gender in sport-related organizations.” Journal of Sport Management 26(5): 404-416. DOI: 10.1123/jsm.26.5.404
Connell, Raewyn W. 1987. Gender and Power. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Connell Raewyn W. and James W. Messerschmidt. 2005. “Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept.” Gender & Society 19(6): 829 – 859. DOI: 10.1177/0891243205278639
Davis, Paul. 2010. “Sexualization and sexuality in sport.” Pp. 57-63. In Philosophical perspectives on gender in sport and physical activity, edited by P. Davis and C. Weaving. London: Routledge.
Fine, Michelle. 2002. Disruptive Voices: The Possibilities for Feminist Research. Ann Arbour: University of Michigan Press.
Fink, Janet. 2015. “Female athletes, women’s sport, and the sport media commercial complex: Have we really “come a long way, baby”?”, Sport Management Review 18(3): 331-342. DOI: 10.1016/j.smr.2014.05.001
“Formuła 1: “grid girls” wrócą na tor w Monte Carlo. “Monako to nie jest Spa czy Monza”.” 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018 (https://www.polskieradio.pl/43/279/Artykul/2090304,Formula-1-grid-girlswroca-na-tor-w-Monte-Carlo-Monako-to-nie-jest-Spa-czy-Monza).
“Formuła 1. “Grid kids” zastąpią “grid girls””. 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018. (http://www.sport.pl/F1/7,96296,22987584,formula-1-grid-kids-zastapia-grid-girls.html)
“Formuła 1. Grid kids zastąpią grid girls. Środowisko protestuje.” 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018 (http://www.sport.pl/F1/56,96296,22988041,formula-1-grid-kids-zastapia-grid-girls.html).
“Formuła 1 już bez grid girls. Piękne kobiety nie pojawią się podczas wyścigów.” 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018 (https://sport.onet.pl/formula-1/formula-1-juz-bez-grid-girls/p5nhz2j)
„Formuła 1 obiecuje dalej mieć ładne dziewczyny na wyścigach.” 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018 (http://www.f1.v10.pl/Formula,1,obiecuje,dalej,miec,ladne,dziewczyny,na,wyscigach,150709.html).
Gill, Rosalind. 2003. “From sexual objectification to sexual subjectification: the resexualisation of women’s bodies in the media.” Feminist Media Studies 3(1): 99-106. DOI:10.1080/1468077032000080158
Gill, Rosalind. 2008. “Empowerment/sexism: Figuring female sexual agency in contemporary advertising.” Feminism and Psychology 18(1): 35-60. DOI: 10.1177/0959353507084950
„Grid girls mają wrócić do F1 w Monako i być może w Rosji.” 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018 (http://www.f1.v10.pl/Grid,girls,maja,wrocic,do,F1,w,Monako,i,byc,moze,w,Rosji,151731.html).
„Grid girls znikną z torów Formuły 1.” 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018 (http://wrc.net.pl/grid-girls-znikna-z-torow-formuly-1)
Gutowski, Cezary. 2018. „Lauda o właścicielach Formuły 1: Czy oni oszaleli?”. Retrieved April 20, 2018 (https://www.przegladsportowy.pl/motosporty/formula-1/wlasciciele-formuly-1-nie-chca-grid-girlsw-f1/72r0hwk).
Heywood, Leslie. 2008. “Third-wave feminism, the global economy, and women’s surfing: Sport as stealth feminism in girls’ surf culture.” Pp. 63-82. In Next wave cultures: Feminism, subcultures, activism, edited
by A. Harris. Oxon: Routledge.
Heywood, Leslie and Shari L. Dworkin. 2003. Built to win: The female athlete as cultural icon. London: University of Minnesota Press.
Hovden, Jorid. 2000. “Heavyweight” men and younger women? The gendering of selection processes in Norwegian sport organizations.” NORA - Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research 8(1): 17-32. DOI: 10.1080/080387400408035
Jakubowska, Honorata. 2014. Gra ciałem. Praktyki i dyskursy różnicowania płci w sporcie. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
Jhally, Sut. 1984. “The Spectacle of Accumulation: Material and Cultural Factors in the Evolution of the Sport/Media Complex.” The Insurgent Sociologist 12(3): 41–57. DOI: 10.1177/089692058401200304
Khomutova, Anastasiya and Alex Channon. 2015. “‘Legends’ in ‘Lingerie’: Sexuality and Athleticism in the 2013 Legends Football League US Season.” Sociology of Sport Journal 32(2): 161-182. DOI:
1123/ssj.2014-0054
Kim, Eunyi, Walkosz, Barbara J. and Joel Iverson. 2006. “USA Today’s coverage of the top women golfers, 1998–2001.” The Howard Journal of Communications 17: 307–321. DOI:10.1080/10646170600966550
Krueger, Richard A. and Mary A. Casey. 2000. Focus Groups. A Practical Guide for Applied Research (3rd Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Kuczera, Łukasz. 2018a. “Formuła E popiera decyzję ws. grid girls. Witamy w XXI wieku.” Retrieved April 20, 2018 (https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/formula-1/735504/formula-e-popiera-decyzje-ws-grid-girls-witamy-w-xxi-wieku).
Kuczera, Łukasz. 2018b. “Grid girl uderzają w feministki. Nie pytają nas o zdanie.” Retrieved April 20, 2018 (https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/formula-1/735612/grid-girls-uderzaja-w-feministki-nie-pytaja-nas-o-zdanie).
Letherby, Gayle and Gillian Reynolds, eds., 2009. Gendered Journeys, Mobile Emotions. Aldershot: Ashgate.
Lippe, Gerd von der. 2013. “Discourses on women’s dress codes in beach volleyball and boxing: In the context of the current consumer culture.” Pp. 140-158. In Gender and Sport: Changes and Challenges,
edited by G. Pfister and M. K. Sisjord. Münster: Waxmann.
McCormack, Mark. 2011. “Hierarchy Without Hegemony: Locating Boys in an Inclusive School Setting.” Sociological Perspectives 1: 83–101. DOI: 10.1525/sop.2011.54.1.83
McKay, Jim, Michael A. Messner and Donald F. Sabo, eds., 2000. Masculinities, Gender Relations and Sport. London: Sage.
McLeod, Carolyn. 2010. “Mere and partial means: The full range of the objectification of women.” Pp. 64-82. In Philosophical perspectives on gender in sport and physical activity, edited by P. Davis and C. Weaving. London: Routledge.
Mellström, Ulf. 2002. “Patriarchal Machines and Masculine Embodiement.” Science, Technology and Human Values 27(4): 460-478. DOI: 10.1177/016224302236177
Mellström, Ulf. 2004. “Machines and Masculine Subjectivity. Technology as an Integral Part of Men’s Life Experiences.” Men and Masculinities. Special Issue: Masculinities and Technologies, 6(4): 368-382.
DOI: 10.1177/1097184X03260960
Messner, Michael A., 1992. Power at Play: Sports and the Problem of Masculinity. Boston: Beacon Press.
Mitak, Przemysław. 2018. “Promotorzy GP w Rosji także naciskają na powrót grid girls.” Retrieved April 20, 2018 (http://www.motorsportgp.pl/aktualnosci-formula-1/promotorzy-gp-rosji-takze-naciskajana-powrot-grid-girls).
Moritz, Amy. 2011. “Cheerleading: not just for the sidelines anymore.” Sport in Society 14(5): 660-669. DOI: 10.1080/17430437.2011.575109
Organista, Natalia and Zuzanna Mazur. 2016. „„Piękne kobiety pięknie tańczą” czy „uprzedmiotowienie i upokorzenie”? Analiza dyskursu o cheerleadingu w kontekście mistrzostw Europy w piłce ręcznej
mężczyzn w 2016 roku.” Przegląd Socjologii Jakościowej 12(4): 118–143.
Pfister, Gertrud and Sabine Radtke. 2009. “Sport, women and leadership: Results of a project on executives in German sports organizations.” European Journal of Sport Science 9: 229–243. DOI: 10.1080/17461390902818286
Prochota, Andrzej. 2018. „Grid girls niezadowolone z decyzji F1. Kochamy naszą pracę.” Retrieved April 20, 2018 (https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/formula-1/735585/grid-girls-niezadowolone-z-decyzji-f1-kochamy-nasza-prace).
Pronger, Brian. 1990. The Arena of Masculinity: Sports, Homosexuality and the Meaning of Sex. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Rowe, David. 2004. Sport, Culture and the Media. Berkshire: Open University Press.
Rowe, Rowe. 2013. “The Sport/Media Complex.” Pp. 61-77. In A Companion to Sport, edited by D. L. Andrews and B. Carrington. Chichester: Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Saner, Emine. 2018. “‘Grid girls’: F1 follows darts by calling time on women in hotpants.” Retrieved April 20, 2018 (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/02/grid-girls-f1-follows-darts-by-callingtime-on-women-in-hotpants).
Smart, Barry. 2005. The Sport Star: Modern Sport and the Cultural Economy of Sporting Celebrity. London: Sage Publications.
Uteng, Tanu Priya and Tim, Cresswell, eds. 2008. Gendered Mobilities. Aldershot: Ashgate.
“Which sports still use ‘walk-on girls’?”. 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018 (http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-42907570).
License
Manuscript authors are responsible for obtaining copyright permissions for any copyrighted materials included within manuscripts. The authors must provide permission letters, when appropriate, to the Society Register Editors.
In addition, all published papers in Society Register are published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Unported License.
1.1 The Author hereby warrants that he/she is the owner of all the copyright and other intellectual property rights in the Work and that, within the scope of the present Agreement, the paper does not infringe the legal rights of another person. The owner of the copyright work also warrants that he/she is the sole and original creator thereof and that is not bound by any legal constraints in regard to the use or sale of the work.
1.2. The Publisher warrants that is the owner of the PRESSto platform for open access journals, hereinafter referred to as the PRESSto Platform.
2. The Author grants the Publisher non-exclusive and free of charge license to unlimited use worldwide over an unspecified period of time in the following areas of exploitation:
2.1. production of multiple copies of the Work produced according to the specific application of a given technology, including printing, reproduction of graphics through mechanical or electrical means (reprography) and digital technology;
2.2. marketing authorisation, loan or lease of the original or copies thereof;
2.3. public performance, public performance in the broadcast, video screening, media enhancements as well as broadcasting and rebroadcasting, made available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them;
2.4. inclusion of the Work into a collective work (i.e. with a number of contributions);
2.5. inclusion of the Work in the electronic version to be offered on an electronic platform, or any other conceivable introduction of the Work in its electronic version to the Internet;
2.6. dissemination of electronic versions of the Work in its electronic version online, in a collective work or independently;
2.7. making the Work in the electronic version available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them, in particular by making it accessible via the Internet, Intranet, Extranet;
2.8. making the Work available according to appropriate license pattern CC BY-NC 4.0 as well as another language version of this license or any later version published by Creative Commons.
3. The Author grants the Publisher permission to reproduce a single copy (print or download) and royalty-free use and disposal of rights to compilations of the Work and these compilations.
4. The Author grants the Publisher permission to send metadata files related to the Work, including to commercial and non-commercial journal-indexing databases.
5. The Author represents that, on the basis of the license granted in the present Agreement, the Publisher is entitled and obliged to:
5.1. allow third parties to obtain further licenses (sublicenses) to the Work and to other materials, including derivatives thereof or compilations made, based on or including the Work, whereas the provisions of such sub-licenses will be the same as with the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Creative Commons sub-license or another language version of this license, or any later version of this license published by Creative Commons;
5.2. make the Work available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them, without any technological constraints;
5.3. appropriately inform members of the public to whom the Work is to be made available about sublicenses in such a way as to ensure that all parties are properly informed (appropriate informing messages).
6. Because of the royalty-free provision of services of the Author (resulting from the scope of obligations stipulated in the present Agreement), the Author shall not be entitled to any author’s fee due and payable on the part of the Publisher (no fee or royalty is payable by the Publisher to the Author).
7.1. In the case of third party claims or actions for indemnity against the Publisher owing to any infractions related to any form of infringement of intellectual property rights protection, including copyright infringements, the Author is obliged to take all possible measures necessary to protect against these claims and, when as a result of legal action, the Publisher, or any third party licensed by the Publisher to use the Work, will have to abandon using the Work in its entirety or in part or, following a court ruling in a legal challenge, to pay damages to a third party, whatever the legal basis
7.2. The Author will immediately inform the Publisher about any damage claims related to intellectual property infringements, including the author’s proprietary rights pertaining to a copyrighted work, filed against the Author. of liability, the Author is obliged to redress the damage resulting from claims made by third party, including costs and expenditures incurred in the process.
7.3. To all matters not settled herein provisions of the Polish Civil Code and the Polish Copyright and Related Rights Act shall apply.