“The Nail Polish underneath the Hockey Gloves”: nbc’s Framing of Women Hockey Players in the 2010 Winter Olympics

This study used textual analysis to explore how North American women hockey players were framed via nbc’s commentary in the 2010 Olympics. Findings suggest the women’s game was portrayed as being inferior to the men’s game, with nationality and marital status playing a role in framing, and that women were framed as legitimate athletes for having previously participated in more masculine sports. While not all of the findings are positive, some give hope that the image of women athletes is changing in the media.