Conclusion - Jeff Kravetz

Over the course of the semester, the topics we covered in class really brought different ideas and opinions to think about.  The most important thing I learned was about each of the most controversial topics in sports today such as, homophobia, transsexuals, and the way women and men are perceived by sports fans and audiences.  I learned more by discussing and presenting my own opinions in class, which made grasping the topics easier. The most useful thing in class were the clips from YouTube that related to each topic.  Sometimes, I wasn’t sure of some topics or people that we were discussing and would have been lost if I didn’t actually see it.  For example, I didn’t know about the Williams sisters and the controversy at Indian Wells.  The videos of it actually happening and their father’s response made the topic more interesting.  The most interesting topic to me was the image of males and females in sport, such as in bodybuilding magazines and the way women are portrayed in magazines.  I enjoyed looking at the different pictures and advertisements in magazines such as Flex, because I read magazines similar and haven’t noticed those types of subjects unless you really dig deep into the content.  I also enjoyed writing blogs and posting comments every week because it helped me evaluate what I knew or what I wanted other people to know about a subject we were discussing or to try and create questions that could lead to more answers or opinions.  I think this class will help me express my opinion and see things deeper than what it really talked about.  If I see things on television or ESPN that talk about female athletes in a certain sense, I’ll know what the media is trying to portray them as or see if there is a problem with what they have to say.  The class ultimately makes me think about topics outside the box and get a deeper meaning than what is really shown.