Expanding what it means to play like a girl: gender, performance, and redefinition

ABSTRACT

The assertion that one plays like a girl has historically been an accusation of weakness and ineptitude. Traditionally thought of as a slur that disempowers girls, this phrase also disciplines boys’ performance in sports. A discourse that attempts to resignify the phrase you play like a girl has recently circulated in statements from, and about, the U.S. Women's Soccer Team, President Obama, and a Procter and Gamble brand's commercial campaign, to name a few. This rhetoric aims to break down stereotypes about what it means to play like a girl and to empower girls to play. Using theories of definition as argument and gender performativity, I argue that this discourse expands what it means to play like a girl.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender
• definition
• performativity
• sports
• hegemonic masculinity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alexandria Rae Chase

Alexandria R. Chase (MA, University of Northern Iowa, 2014) is a doctoral candidate at the University of Kansas.