Mumbai (Showbiz Desk) — Hollywood actress Sydney Sweeney’s new advertising campaign for American sports prediction platform Novig has sparked a debate over the representation of women in sports.
The campaign features Sydney Sweeney in revealing outfits in various poses alongside basketballs, footballs and other sports equipment. In addition to general consumers, several professional female athletes have also objected to the advertisements.
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus expressed her displeasure with the campaign, saying it was inappropriate to use women’s bodies for advertising instead of highlighting the ability, training and achievements of women who have worked hard in sports for years.
British sprinter Amy Hunt also criticized the campaign, saying that women’s sports in reality involve intense training, sweat, competition and years of struggle. Swimmer Lani Pallister and runner Bree Rizzo also shared videos of their training and competitions to present a different image of women in sports.
Olympic silver medalist water polo player Tilly Kearns and world champion boxer Skye Nicolson, among other athletes, also questioned the concept of the advertising campaign. Skye Nicolson highlighted the difference between expressing beauty and using sexual appeal as an advertising tactic.
The main focus of the criticism is not Sydney Sweeney’s bold appearance, but the question of why women’s sports are being portrayed in a sexualized manner instead of highlighting their hard work and achievements.