Social Construct

1. Social Construct • Deviance, including sexual deviance, is a social construct. • As a social construct, the media is directly responsible for influencing and redefining the meaning of sexual deviance.

2. Male Sports Stars and “Legitimate Deviance” • Media treats male athletes as “victims” of female groupies • Women are blamed for causing men’s problems • Ex. Aids – In the 90’s media in sport cast women as the virulent agents and the male sports stars as the victims

3. Media and Semantic Discourse • Valorize heterosexual men • Denigrate women • Male athletes are too big of celebrities to be overlooked for the promiscuity • Ex. Magic Johnson announces HIV+ status – media casts him as “Poor old Magic”, “Tragic Magic” despite claiming to have sex with over 2,500 women in his career even while getting married in 1991

4. Media and Semantic Discourse, contd. • Reinforces the belief that is okay for athletes to be promiscuous • First time media criticized athlete promiscuity during the outbreak of AIDS, but even then they choose to focus on the women who “prey” on the rich, successful athlete • Women causing men’s problems

5. Male Bias in the Media • Male Journalists in sport • In the past, lack of criticisms for male athletes regarding their sexual deviance • Today, media is more open then ever to criticize athletes over their sexual deviance • Tiger Woods, Matty Johns, etc…