In this 2020 issue of Glamour magazine, Olympic gold medalist soccer player Alex Morgan is presented on the cover in less stereotypical ways a viewer would envision an athlete. Instead, Morgan embodies two critical categories of Goffman’s Gender Displays that represent a very feminine portrait.

Goffman’s Gender Displays
  1. The family
    • In this image, the professional soccer player is clearly embracing her pregnancy and future child that she will be bringing into her family. Women are much more likely to be associated with this warm, compassionate, and family-oriented persona that Morgan is portrayed in.
  2. Licensed Withdrawal
    • Morgan is also looking away from the camera and not playing an active role. Furthermore, she is not engaging with the audience and her body is the main focus of the image. Therefore, this gives viewers an invitation to look at her body, where they in turn see the maternal perspective as well.

This cover photo represents a few stereotypical ways in which media can portray women and what traits are likely associated with a feminine viewpoint.

Shared by: Sydney Zima
Image Credit: https://www.glamour.com/story/alex-morgan-cover-story-2020