Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Rebel, Rebel! How Megan Rapinoe’s Celebrity Activism Forges New Paths for Athletes

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Abstract

This chapter examines the evolution of Megan Rapinoe as an influential celebrity activist, employing social media, mass media images, and sports journalism. Meanings both visually and textually are examined, identifying implications for women, women athletes, out athletes, the sports world, and society as a whole. Identification and discussion of power and hegemonic masculinity in sports are presented, as well as cultural studies and queer theories. In an intersectional, third-wave, feminist theory, and queer theory-based analysis, the authors argue that the global fame and popularity of Rapinoe are important not only as media phenomena, but in the very real impact athletes and their activism can and do have on culture and changes in gender roles, in normative behavior, and on the individuals who follow them.

I’m privileged to be a famous person and to be on this team and to be who I am, and if I just stay silent, it seems awfully selfish.

—Megan Rapinoe on MSNBC, July 9, 2019

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adkins, L. (2000). Objects of innovation: Post-occupational reflexivity and re-traditionalizations of gender. In S. Ahmed, J. Kilby, M. McNeil, & B. Skaggs (Eds.), Transformations: Thinking through feminism (pp. 259–272). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Antunovic, D., & Hardin, M. (2013). From annihilation to ambivalence: Women in sports coverage. In C. Armstrong (Ed.), Media disparity: A gender battleground (pp. 71–84). Lexington Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Associated Press. (2020, March 12). Megan Rapinoe: ‘We don’t buy’ U.S. Soccer’s apology for comments on women players. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2020-03-12/us-soccer-apology-uswnt-megan-rapinoe

  • Austin, E. W., Vord, R. V., Pinkleton, B. E., & Epstein, E. (2008). Celebrity endorsements and their potential to motivate young voters. Mass Communication & Society, 11, 420–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baumgardner, J., & Richards, A. (2000). Defining the vicissitudes of ‘feminism’. Hypatia, 12(3), 17–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Billings, A. C., Angelini, J. R., & MacArthur, P. J. (2018). Olympic television: Broadcasting the biggest show on Earth. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, R. (2003). Missing in action: Feature coverage of women’s sports in Sports Illustrated. Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 27, 184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bissell, K., & Parrott, S. (2013). Prejudice: The role of media in the development of social bias. Journalism & Communication Monographs, 15(4), 219–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boon, S. D., & Lomore, C. D. (2001). Admirer-Celebrity relationships among young adults: Explaining perceptions of celebrity influence on identity. Human Communication Research, 27, 432–465.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (1985). The social space and the genesis of groups. Theory and Society, 14, 723–744.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research sociology of education (pp. 241–258). Greenwood Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (2001). Masculine domination. Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowell, T. (2011). Feminist standpoint theory. In J. Fieser & B. Dowden (Eds.), Internet encyclopedia of philosophy. www.lep.utm.edu/fem/-stan/

  • Brown, W. J. (2015). Examining four processes of audience involvement with media personae: Transportation, parasocial interaction, identification, and worship. Communication Theory, 25, 259–283. https://doi.org/10.1111/comt.12053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butler, J. (2006). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coche, R., & Tuggle, C. A. (2017). Men or women, only five Olympic sports matter: A quantitative analysis of NBC’s prime-time coverage of the Rio Olympics. Electronic News, 12(4), 199–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connell, R. W. (1987). Gender and power. Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooky, C., Council, L. D., Mears, M. A., & Messner, M. A. (2021). One and done: The long eclipse of women’s sports, 1989-2019. Communication and Sport, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211003524

  • Cunningham, G., Fink, J., & Kenix, L. (2008). Choosing an endorser for a women’s sporting event: The interaction of attractiveness and expertise. Sex Roles, 58(5/6), 371–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniels, E. A. (2009). Sex objects, athletes, and sexy athletes: How media representations of women athletes can impact adolescent girls and college women. Journal of Adolescent Research, 24, 399–422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, L. R. (1997). The swimsuit issue and sport: Hegemonic masculinity in Sports Illustrated. State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutot, C. L. (2000). Femininity, sexuality, and sport: A case study of female inter-university varsity athletes. Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2093. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/2093

  • Eilerson, N. (2016). WNBA withdraws penalties for players’ “Black Lives Matter” protests. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/07/23/wnba-withdraws-penalties-for-players-black-lives-matter-protests/

  • Everbach, T., & Mumah, J. (2014). “They never do this to men”: College women athletes’ responses to sexualized images of professional women athletes. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 22, 92–99. https://doi.org/10.1123/wspaj.2014-0020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frisby, C. M. (2017). Sacrificing dignity for publicity: Content analysis of female and male athletes on “Sports Illustrated” and “ESPN the Magazine” covers from 2012–2016. Scientific Research: An Academic Publisher, 5(2), 120–135. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajc.2017.52007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrison, E. K. (2010). U.S. Feminism – Grrrl style: Youth (sub)cultures and the technologies of the third wave. In N. Hewitt (Ed.), No permanent waves (pp. 379–402). Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gessen, M. (2019, July 13). Martina Navratilova on Megan Rapinoe and the trajectory of gay women in sports. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/martina-navratilova-on-megan-rapinoe-and-the-trajectory-of-gay-women-in-sports

  • Gramsci, A. (1971). Selections from a prison notebook. Lawrence & Wishart.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grix, J. (2013). Sport politics and the Olympics. Political Studies Review, 11, 15–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hardin, M., & Greer, J. D. (2009). The influence of gender-role socialization, media use, and sports participation on perceptions of gender-appropriate sports. Journal of Sport Behavior, 32, 207–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardin, M., Lynn, S., & Walsdorf, K. (2005). Challenge and conformity on “Contested terrain”: Images of women in four women’s sport/fitness magazines. Sex Roles, 53(1), 105–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hargreaves, J., & MacDonald, I. (2000). Cultural studies and the sociology of sport. In J. Coakely & E. Dunning (Eds.), Handbook of sports studies (pp. 48–60). Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, A. L. (2004). Future girl. Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Harstock, N. (1983). Money, sex and power. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hearn, J. (2012). A multi-faceted power analysis of men’s violence to known women: From hegemonic masculinity to the hegemony of men. The Sociological Review, 60(4), 589–610. https://doi.org/10.1111/sore/2012.60.issue-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heywood, L., & Drake, J. (Eds.). (1997). Third wave agenda: Being feminist, doing feminism. University of Minnesota Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heywood, L., & Dworkin, S. L. (2003). Build to win: The female athlete as cultural icon. University of Minnesota Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgs, C. T. & Weiller, K. H. (1994). Gender bias and the 1992 Summer Olympic Games: An analysis of television coverage. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 3, 234–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jewkes, R., & Morrell, D. (2012). Sexuality and the limits of agency among South African teenage women: Theorizing femininities and their connections to HIV risk practices. Social Science and Medicine, 74(11), 1729–1737. https://doi.org/10.1016/socscimed.2011.05.020

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jhally, S. (Executive Producer), & Earp, J. (Director). (2010). Not just a game: Power, politics, and American sports. Media Education Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kane, M. J., & Greendorfer, S. L. (1994). The media’s role in accommodating and resisting stereotyped images of women in sport. In P. J. Creedon (Ed.), Women, media and sport: Challenging gender values (pp. 28–44). Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • King, S. (2008). What’s queer about (queer) sport sociology now? A review essay. Sociology of Sport Journal, 25, 419–442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klasovec, S. (1995). The sexual politics of women in sport: A survey on “lesbophobia”. Canadian Woman Studies, 15(4), 63–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krane, V., Waldron, J. J., Michalenok, J., & Stiles-Shipley, J. (2001). Body image concerns in female exercisers and athletes: A feminist cultural studies perspective. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 10, 17–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lapchick, R. (2018). Sports media racial and gender report card. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport. https://43530132-36e9-4f52-811a-182c7a91933b.filesusr.com/ugd/7d86e5_9dca4bc2067241cdba67aa2f1b09fd1b.pdf

  • Lawler, S. (2000). Mothering the self: Mothers, daughters, subjects. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovell, T. (2000). Thinking feminism with and against Bourdieu. Feminist Theory, 1(1), 11–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald, C. A. (2014). Masculinity and sport revisited: A review of literature on hegemonic masculinity and men’s ice hockey in Canada. Canadian Graduate Journal of Sociology and Criminology, 3(1), 95–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mann, M., & Krane, V. (2019). Inclusion or illusion? Lesbian’s experiences in sport. In V. Krane (Ed.), Sex, gender, and sexuality in sport: Queer inquiries (pp. 69–86). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchese, D. (2019, July 29). The New York Times Magazine. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/07/29/magazine/megan-rapinoe-sports-politics.html

  • MSNBC Interview. (2019, July 24). Retrieved July 24, 2020, from http://www.msnbc.com/transcripts/rachel-maddow-show/2019-07-09

  • Mumford, R. (2004). ‘Wake up and smell the lipgloss’: Gender, generation and the (a) politics of girl power. In S. Gillis, G. Howie, & R. Mumford (Eds.), Third wave feminism: A critical exploration (pp. 142–153). Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Musto, M., Cooky, C., & Messner, M. A. (2017). “FROM FIZZLE TO SIZZLE!”: Televised sports news and the production of gender-bland sexism. Gender & Society, 31(5), 573–596.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newman, J. I., & Giardina, M. D. (2010). Neoliberalism last lap? NASCAR nation and the cultural politics of sport. American Behavioral Scientist, 53(10), 1511–1529.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nisbett, G. S., & DeWalt, C. C. (2016). Exploring the influence of celebrities in politics: A focus group study of young voters. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 24(3), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1080/15456870.2016.1184664

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nisbett, G. S., & Schartel Dunn, S. (2019). Reputation matters: Parasocial attachment, narrative engagement, and the 2018 Taylor Swift political endorsement. Atlantic Journal of Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/15456870.2019.1704758

  • Nownes, A. J. (2012). An experimental investigation of the effects of celebrity support for political parties in the United States. American Politics Research, 40, 476–500.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien Hallstein, D. L. (1999). A postmodern caring: Feminist standpoint theories, revisioned caring and communication ethics. Western Journal of Communication, 63, 32–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osei-Frimpong, K., Donkor, G., & Owusu-Frimpong, N. (2019). The impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer purchase intention: An emerging market perspective. Journal Marketing Theory & Practice, 27, 103–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.2018.1534070

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryba, T., & Wright, H. K. (2005). From mental game to cultural praxis: A cultural studies model: implications for the future of sport psychology. Quest, 57, 192–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salwen, M. B., & Wood, N. (1994). Depictions of female athletes on Sports Illustrated covers, 1957–1989. Journal of Sport Behavior, 17(2), 98–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skeggs, B. (1997). Formations of class and gender. Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, D. L. D. (2018). Using intersectionality to study and understand LGBTIQ people in sport. In V. Krane (Ed.), Sex, gender, and sexuality in sport: Queer inquiries (pp. 33–48). Routledge.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Thorpe, H. (2009). Bourdieu, feminism, and female physical culture: Gender reflexivity and the habitus-field complex. Sociology of Sport Journal, 26, 491–516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toffoletti, K., & Thorpe, H. (2018a). The athletic labour of femininity: The branding and consumption of global celebrity sportswomen on Instagram. Journal of Consumer Culture, 18(2), 298–316. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540517747068

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toffoletti, K., & Thorpe, H. (2018b). Female athletes’ self-representation on social media: A feminist analysis of neoliberal marketing strategies in “economies of visibility”. Feminism & Psychology, 28(1), 11–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353517726705

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Travers, A. (2006). Queering sport: Lesbian softball leagues and the transgender challenge. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 4, 431–446. https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690207078070

  • Tuggle, C. A. (Winter 1997). Differences in television sports reporting of men’s and women’s athletics: ESPN Sports Center and CNN Sports Tonight. Journal of Broadcast & Electronic Media, 41(1), 14–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Villalon, C., & Weiller-Abels, K. (2018). NBC’s televised media portrayal of female athletes in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games: A critical feminist view. Sport in Society, 21(8), 1137–1157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villarreal, D. (2019, June 30). 40 out LGBTQ participants in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Out Sports. https://www.outsports.com/2019/6/11/18660301/out-gay-lesbian-bi-2019-women-world-cup-soccer

  • Vrentas, J. (2019, December 16–23). 2019 sportsperson of the year: Megan Rapinoe. Sports Illustrated, 130(35/36), 40–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldron, J. J. (2019). Four perspectives for understanding LGBTQ people in sport. In V. Krane (Ed.), Sex, gender and sexuality in sport: Queer inquiries (pp. 15–32). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiller, K. H., & Higgs, C. T. (1994). The All American Girls Professional Baseball League, 1943–1954: Gender conflict in sport? Sociology of Sport Journal, 11(3), 289–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Welland, J. (2007). Exploring the limits of queer and sport Gay men playing tennis. In J. Caudwell (Ed.), Sport, sexualities, and queer theories (pp. 76–88). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Women’s Sports Foundation. (2016, September 2). Title IX and the rise of female athletes in America. https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/education/title-ix-and-the-rise-of-female-athletes-in-america/

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mayborn School of Journalism, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

    Tracy Everbach & Gwendelyn S. Nisbett

  2. Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

    Karen Weiller-Abels

Authors
  1. Tracy Everbach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gwendelyn S. Nisbett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Karen Weiller-Abels
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tracy Everbach .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT, USA

    Molly Yanity

  2. Kent State University, Hudson, OH, USA

    Danielle Sarver Coombs

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Everbach, T., Nisbett, G.S., Weiller-Abels, K. (2021). Rebel, Rebel! How Megan Rapinoe’s Celebrity Activism Forges New Paths for Athletes. In: Yanity, M., Sarver Coombs, D. (eds) 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75401-3_14

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation