Look good, feel good, feel good, play good - the common expression used by individuals expressing the notion that beauty is greater than talent. The blasts of beautiful women, shown across television screens and sports networks continue to rise. They accompany most sideline reporting jobs in college and the NFL. Although, men continue to hold most round table jobs, discussing the games tactics and reviewing previous games on talk shows.
As women sports reporters appear on TV, the common perception are that they are pretty and one’s opinion may be that they are incapable, or they probably know nothing about the sport.
Completely, disregarding a talent that they may or may not possess. But where do the standards fall amongst men and women sports reporters?
Men reporters often start with respect, as for women they have to gain it. Men are commonly deemed to know more about sports because of the masculine sexist notions still practiced in sports today. a vast majority of women’s popularity appears to stem from a line of appearance versus talent. It appears society is shaping one to believe that beauty is greater than knowledge on the sideline.
Carly Mascitti, a Temple University senior, was nominated for her second Mid-Atlantic Emmy for sports reporting. She often hears comments that men mute the TV when women sideline reporters appear on the screen. When asked her thoughts Mascitti laughed and said “it’s all about the athlete, not the reporter. We are just giving the viewer a perspective, an angle, that they can’t see themselves.”
Asking students on a college campus their first thought when seeing a woman sports reporter, responses involved their appearance, not ability. Too often comments directed towards women relate to clothing, or their outward appearance. “Pretty doesn’t keep you, talent does,” Mascitti said, “Sports reporting is a craft, it doesn’t just happen.”
Individuals outside of the reporting world often believe beauty outweighs brains. For those more educated on women sports reporting, understand the adversity these women have to overcome, in a male-dominated profession.
But after all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if one isn’t willing to listen to what women have to say, well then, their intelligence passes through in the blink of an eye.
Sexism being a common notion in sports reporting, a double standard does exist. Mascitti recalled when she was the only woman at sports events. “I am not intimidated, I study my work, because knowledge is power,” Mascitti said.
Knowledge is power. No matter what profession one goes into, it’s not always happy-go-lucky, there always is faced challenges. For women sport reporters, their job is often recognized as a job possessing great beauty, but the hours of studying and late night stories often get overloked. Commending what they do, and the thick skin they have in order to face thousands of critics who often degrade their years of practice, and hours of studying they put in to perfect their profession.
Will an outsider ever understand the education and the knowledge it takes for one to become a sports reporter or will beauty always surpass brains?
