Sex & the LPGA
The title on this post is the title of this (dated by still intriguing) 2002 article from Golf for Women. Here is a snippet:
The topic of sexing up women's golf draws mixed reviews from the pros. The younger generation seems to take the subject of sex and the Playboy.com poll lightly. Rising U.S. star Laura Diaz, 27, stated boldly last year that the LPGA "should market sex. Sex sells." Charismatic rookie Natalie Gulbis, 19, a candidate for the tour's next "it" girl, says of the Playboy Web site, "I need to work out a little, and maybe they'll put me on it next year." Cristie Kerr, a top-10 player, told Golf World July/August 2002 that she would pose for Playboy with "a towel covering all the right places." Kerr points out that golf is part of the entertainment business, and sex is a given in this world. "For us not to use it wouldn't be in step with the times," she says.Though five years old, the issues in this article still resonate with current marketing questions surrounding the LPGA and women's golf. Any new thoughts, readers?
19 Comments:
I think they should stick to the game. Concentrate on winning and win it with dignity. Undeniably, sex sells, but that could tarnish the reputation of the game that we all love.
Tommy L. from Free Golf Tips.
I also Squidoo on Free Golf Lesson Online. Squidoo anyone?
While I would never choose the tactic myself I won't deny that it will boost sales. But golf itself will be no better off. I would love to see the focus shift more towards accuracy and away from power hitting. Golf should be a finesse game if you ask me, and I think it would be great to see the women challenging the men. That would boost the LPGA far more than photo shoots.
It only makes sense to do what's needed in order to sustain interest, for without interest the tour will die, or at best languish.
Some may wish to keep golf in a museum...or a twentieth century time warp. I'd say that those people don't have the best interest of golf in mind. On the contrary, they're interested in preserving an elitist, exclusionary perception of the game that has no place in today's world, where every sport and every form of entertainment, is competing for fans and air time.
Finally, let's face it. Sexiness and flirtiness and pretty girls make everything more fun. And that includes golf.
The question doesn't matter. Not many hot females are athletes, and the few ones that are play tennis, not golf. Just compare the WTA to the LPGA.
To the previous poster I will reply with a link: http://golf-babes.blogspot.com/
From browsing that blog it seems pretty obvious that the industry is trying to sell sex, if only by blitzing us with calendars. I say it is possible to sell a bit of sex to generate interest in the sport without denigrating the sport itself.
"Sexiness and flirtiness and pretty girls make everything more fun"
No doubt about that. Perhaps they should let them play topless or at least in bikinis. Intros on the first tee could be done while blaring "Mr. Boombastic" over the intercom.
When have sexy girls not used their sex appeal to make them more money? This is a standard thing for women to do because it simply makes them money and who doesn’t want money? Now there have been a few women athletes in the past that have gone over board with their sex appeal for example Anna Kournikova. She exploited herself beyond no other to basically take her name away from her tennis image to here sexy picture frames with all her boy toys. Now Natalie Gulbis is clearly the sexiest women on the LPGA Tour (she has her own television show!), but I believe has kept herself under control in terms of keeping her focus on golf as well as photography, so far at least. A great example of a sexy athlete that has kept herself under control is another tennis player, Maria Sharapova. This is a sexy women that has won a Grand Slam a couple years ago! Anna Kournikova never came close to winning a Grand Slam.
http://chrispierpont.wordpress.com/
Nancy Lopez is making a comeback, appropriately enough... Now the LPGA can really market itself.
Lopez...now that's HOT!!!
I recently interviewed Sandra Post, a former 8 time winner on the LPGA Tour. She played in the 70s and 80s when Jan Stephenson kicked up a fuss with her calendar.
Sandra talked frankly about what Gulbis and others are doing today.
She has no real objections.
You can listen here:
http://www.eagleparbirdie.com/50226711/the_sandra_post_interviews.php
Gulbis does nothing for me...
But, that Patricia girl...this girl-watcher is impressed!
Three Words:
Laura Davies pictoral!
One can't help but sense a degree of resentment here towards the fact that an attractive women can promote herself with her looks and sexuality in ways that a man simply can't. However, keep in mind two things:
A) Men are the exclusive consumers of this sexual self-promotion. If a man believes something's in poor taste... the sexy calendars or racy ads... he can choose to ignore them. And if marketing efforts are ignored by the masses they eventually go away.
B) There are many advantages that men have over women; Physical strength, particularly upper body. A longer time span to concentrate on a career, made possible by a longer period of fertility as well as culturally imposed values that still overwhelmingly dictate that the woman is the one who should be the main child rearer, family care giver and home keeper. And there are others.
The point is there are good things about being a guy and there are good things about being a girl. This is true in golf as it is almost everywhere.
Finally, regarding Anna Kournikova vs Natalie Gulbis and Maria Sharapova, I think it's clear that Anna used a sport to enhance a acting/modeling career while Natalie and Maria are using acting/ modeling assignments to enhance a sports career. In any case their three smokin' hot girls and I think they're each enjoying their chosen lifestyles.
will you pleasure me?
Sex and the LPGA
I disagree that sex is something that the LPGA should be pushing.
The LPGA is going the correct path showing women who are talented, educated, polite, athletes with integrity, who yes are attractive as women.
The LPGA stars are the role models I am showing my 12 and 15-year-old daughters.
After seeing many of the LPGA players at the Women’s US Open this summer my daughters’ whole outlook on life has changed. They have turned off the mainstream media as they see it demeaning to young women. They now have real role models they can be proud of. And getting straight A’s is now cool.
My 12-year-old now has a Pink golf bag, pink golf covers, Pink grips, need I say more.
They now see Female Hollywood stars Spears, Hilton, and Lohan as the true Idiots they are. Are they the women we want our daughters to emulate?
I do not think seeing LPGA stars in Playboy would do anything but make these women look like sellouts to the mainstream media.
Think of the last time you saw a story about any Golf star involved in a drive by shooting? How about cheating? Unsportsmanlike like conduct? How many sports can make that claim? That is why I have turned all the other sports off in my life. I am sick of the thugs out there making millions being poor role models for the young generation.
I applaud the path the LPGA has taken.
Please stay the course.
Thank you
The Grants
Amy Grant?
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