‘Legends’ in ‘lingerie’: sexuality and athleticism in the 2013 Legends Football League US season

Anastasiya Khomutova, Alex Channon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper explores the representation of female athletes within the Legends Football League (LFL; formerly ‘Lingerie Football League’) in 2013. Specifically, the study seeks to understand the vision of women’s sport, and female athletes, which the LFL propagates. Drawing on a combined content and semiotic analysis of the commentary and visuals featured in 26 LFL matches broadcast online in 2013, our data suggests that the LFL presents apparently conflicting images of sexualized, but ‘powerful’ female athletes. We discuss these data relative to competing interpretive approaches to female sexuality in sports media, and join other sports media scholars in advocating audience reception research as a necessary next step to grasping this emergent sport’s significance.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)161-182
Number of pages22
JournalSociology of Sport Journal
Volume32
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2015

Bibliographical note

© 2015 Human Kinetics Inc, as accepted for publication

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