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She's not my ideal: Mixed messages about CrossFit women
Social media is replacing traditional print media (Bell & Dittmar, 2011). Social media offers immediate news, allows space for people to interact, enables individuals to be generators and recipients of content, and provides a circle of connectedness (Myers & Crowther, 2009). Organizations like CrossFit, Inc. use their platforms to communicate and interact with the CrossFit community (Powers & Greenwell, 2016). Washington and Economides (2016) found that CrossFit, Inc. and their major sponsor’s media outlets often discuss women’s abilities alongside their appearance and attractiveness. Further, their posts construct an idea of the ideal female CrossFit athlete: women who were white, thin, and muscular, with near perfect hair and make-up (Washington & Economides, 2016). As part of a larger study with women from rural areas in southeastern United States, we examined the participants' views on these advertisements about women who CrossFit. In this presentation, we will present the findings that discuss the research participants’ ideal CrossFit female which contradicts messages from major CrossFit sponsors.
