Title

Mediated Voyeurism and Female Sport Fans

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-21-2014

Faculty Sponsor

Laurel Traynowicz

Abstract

Female fans of professional hockey have an embattled past. While most female hockey spectators are fans of the sport, a notable segment of these female spectators, “puck bunnies”—women who focus on the players and not the sport—draw a disproportionate amount of attention. Limited academic research is available on this category of fan, and most of it focuses on the motivation of women who seek out male hockey players for their own benefit. Yet, the social behavior of these fans, especially as tempered by social media, is of academic significance. For this study, female spectators of professional hockey were observed over a two-month span during the 2013-14 season. One of their primary activities, using smartphones during games, became the focus of this study. The specific aim of this research was to infiltrate and better understand mediated forms of online, premeditated voyeurism and fan-athlete interaction. Data were collected by means of social media observation, athlete/fan interviews, field observations, and confederate infiltration. Preliminary data analysis revealed that mediated voyeurism through the channels of Twitter and Instagram offered female fans accelerated, inconspicuous access to professional hockey athletes. Additional findings pertaining to sexual advances through mediated voyeurism will be presented, and implications for future research drawn.

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