In the world of sports media, where you can say that analysis and aesthetics collide, women tend to be celebrated for their sports knowledge and reduced to objects of visual consumption as well.
A recent lawsuit filed by Taylor’s former hairstylist alleges that her entire career is essentially founded on being “arm candy” and utilizing connections rather than talent.
It’s not merely some cheap shot. It indicates a reflection of systemic misogyny that is embedded in the industry.
There is also the claim that Taylor’s hairstyles were “strategic tools” to manipulate executives, which shows the double standard faced by women of color in particular.
ESPN’s Elle Duncan, who endured criticism for her natural hair early in her career, notes: “When we straighten it, we’re ‘assimilating.’ When we embrace our texture, we’re ‘distracting.’”
Taylor’s choice to wear her locs in an updo, a style later dubbed, “The Crown” by fans, became weaponized as “proof” of calculated seduction rather than cultural pride.
The sexualization of women in sports media dates back to the ’70s when networks began hiring female sideline reporters simply to attract the attention of male viewers.
Phyllis George, the first female co-host of The NFL Today, received a lot of criticism about her appearance rather than her opinions. You could say that not a lot has changed since that time.
It’s great that women are now hosting large shows and operating podcasts, it’s something to be celebrated.
It’s disappointing that the whole objectifying aspect is still hanging on, even worse in today’s era.
A 2024 Knight Foundation study found that 58% of social media discourse about female analysts focuses on attire or physique, compared to 6% for men.
Joy Taylor is backed by her knowledge and resume, you’ll find she has 15 years of sports journalism and that she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in broadcast communications in 2009.
Sponsorships for Taylor’s Fearless podcast dropped 40% post-lawsuit, per Sports Business Journal.
But then you have guys such as Colin Cowherd who didn’t feel the burn of his 2015 suspension on the heels of the controversy about the Dominican Republic, and to be honest, that is not entirely surprising.
Yet the lawsuit reduces her achievements to bedroom politics, mirroring how ESPN’s Maria Taylor (no relation) was accused of “sleeping her way up” during her 2021 contract dispute, despite her segments consistently outperforming male colleagues in ratings.
You can’t exactly say the same for guys like Skip Bayless, though, because nobody gives him grief about marrying someone within the industry; his wife is a producer at Fox Sports.
It’s as though women’s professional relationships are treated as these sexual arrangements, and the male friendships are perceived as clever alliances.
We need to understand that sports media has nothing to do with gender, and a woman certainly deserves to dissect a touchdown pass, not based on her appearance, who she’s dating, or her physique.
The actual game is not with critics or courts, it’s with those viewers who are all about supporting true talent rather than stereotypes.
We must ensure that the next generation of women analysts is judged for their brains, not their nail polish.
