Erin Andrews
Erin Andrews is leading all women in sports broadcasting. Getting her first major league start covering Tampa Bay Lighting, she excelled partially because of her good looks, but also because of her passion for and knowledge of sports. While Andrews does not explicitly use her looks to get ahead, it’s undeniable that her appearance has helped her, getting hired by ESPN because of her popularity online (something looks undoubtedly played a role in). However, Andrews’ visibility has left her facing backlash, both professionally and personally. Male sports fans continue to only view her as an object on-screen, dismissing her knowledge of sports because of her appearance, with one viewer taking this a step further by stalking Andrews and recording her without her knowledge. Even though Andrews works alongside the top male sports broadcasters, her gender continues to put her in situations that none of her male peers will ever experience.
ProfessionalAndrews’ contract renewal made national headlines, as the superstar reporter had to decide whether to stay with ESPN or move on to another broadcasting company. There was never any question she’d land among one of the top four broadcasting companies, but rather which company would be able to acquire her. After getting her start covering the Tampa Bay Lightning, Andrews’ career took off, eventually making her way up to College GameDay, an ESPN program covering college football. This opportunity was not something Andrews’ took lightly, as she’s quoted as saying: "It's such a big deal for me to sit in the big-girl chair on College GameDay. It's a pinch-yourself moment." Yet, that doesn’t mean she’s always been respected by viewers, and she knows that. Even the simplest mistake pushes her career back, which she acknowledges after a mistake she made: "Everything I do is under a microscope. Maybe I was thinking it was Thursday night football (which she worked at ESPN). But it was pretty dumb on my part." Andrews doesn’t get a second chance, she constantly has to be at the top of her game, although her male counterparts are allowed to falter. This dynamic is perhaps the most important one that Andrews’ career demonstrates. She’s forced to be perfect in both what she says and how she looks, while her co-anchors are not held to such high standards because they’re males. As this video demonstrates, she’s treated like an object rather than a reporter, with 50 Cent following her as she runs around a racetrack trying to do her job. Men aren’t subjected to this treatment, and Andrews knows that handling this situation, and every other similar one that’s she’s forced to endure, with grace and professionalism, which she has to in order to remain at the top of her field.
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PersonalAlthough Andrews' is living her dream as a sports reporter, her job has put her in vulnerable situations and forced her to experience hardships that men will never be able to relate to. Andrews herself has owned up to the fact that she works too much, often having to put her professional life before her career, stating: "I need a life. I need to start thinking about starting a family at some point." Being a woman in this field, Andrews is forced to sacrifice having a family because she can't lose the momentum and status she's built as one of the premiere sports reporters. Yet, this isn't a problem men have to face because they are not the ones who would be forced to take maternity leave and exit the spotlight while raising a child. This unfair burden is one that Andrews has sacrificed for her career up until this point, but is far from the only sacrifice she's faced. As the video above shows, and as hundreds of media outlets reported on, Andrews was involved in a stalker incident that led to naked footage of her in her hotel room being leaked. This clearly had an effect on Andrews, as the video above demonstrates, but even continues to do so, with her saying: "I had an absolute meltdown. I got so emotional. I was screaming, and I was crying. I just realized how much I'd try to put it all away. ... Try to seem like I was tough. And try to seem like I was able to face the world and get right back into football and basketball." The footage not only affected her career but her confidence in herself. No matter how strong she tried to remain, it's impossible to continue on as if nothing's changed. Everyone she worked with had either heard about the footage or seen it, as had viewers. This situation would have never happened to her male counterparts, but because she's a woman in a male-dominated field, something so beyond her control not only had an impact on her career but only provided further reason she shouldn't be in the position to viewers who already disapproved of her. It's impossible for a woman to garner respect once that image is out there, and for Andrews, who worked so hard to get to where she is, that's an injustice far greater than what her stalker accomplished.
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Sources:
- Stacey, Barchenger, et al. "Andrews: 'I Have to Stand up for Myself'." USA Today, n.d. EBSCOhost, login.proxy.library.emory.edu/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=J0E201731322516&site=ehost-live.
- Michael, Hiestand, et al. "All Eyes Are on Andrews at Fox." USA Today, n.d. EBSCOhost, login.proxy.library.emory.edu/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/login.aspx?
- Michael, Hiestand. "Erin Moves up with the Big Boys." USA Today, n.d. EBSCOhost, login.proxy.library.emory.edu/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=J0E414861559110&site=ehost-live.
- Michael, Hiestand. "Andrews: 'A Lot of Tears' over Exit." USA Today, n.d. EBSCOhost, login.proxy.library.emory.edu/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=J0E182273472612&site=ehost-live.
- Michael, McCarthy. "Andrews Says Her Aim Is to Stay in Sports." USA Today, n.d. EBSCOhost, login.proxy.library.emory.edu/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/ltaogin.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=J0E151663949510&site=ehost-live.