“Girls,c’mon! Leave the saving of the world to the men? I don’t think so”: College athlete branding and feminist expressions on TikTok

Abstract

This paper examines the TikTok feminist self-representation of Olivia Dunne, a prominent US collegiate gymnast who found success on social media during the first year of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s new “name, image and likeness” policies. Findings demonstrate how this celebrity athlete navigated a capitalist, patriarchal sports media culture through select moments of neoliberal and popular feminism by drawing on pop culture imagery to connect with her audience and present “palatable” representations of inclusion. Dunne's use of TikTok as a form of self-expression and interaction remains multifaceted; the conclusions from this project add depth to the understanding of how women athletes use specific platform features on social media to tell both a gendered and feminist story of their lived experiences.

Keywords

TikTok feminism branding NIL college sport

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