Às margens de uma revista esportiva: a seleção brasileira de futebol feminina nas páginas da Placar (1991 – 2015)

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the content of the texts, published in the magazine Placar about the Brazilian women's soccer team in World Cup years (1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015) and Olympic Games (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012), two of the main competitions of this modality. To reach the results, the theoretical-methodological contributions of the Content Analysis were used, which directed the examination of journalistic texts. There were 58 publications mentioning the Brazilian female soccer team, arranged in 34 of the 130 editions that were accessed. Considering the number of editions and texts published during the 12 years analyzed, the low frequency of publications about the female soccer team in the magazine Placar was verified, when compared to other modalities, specially, the masculine soccer. Moreover, in the analysis of the content of the texts it was also verified that the magazine alluded about categories such as gender, class, race and ethnicity when dealing with the players of the women‟s team. From 2004, the contents emphasize the representation of the Brazilian women's soccer team by exposing Marta and Cristiane, who are exalted by the magazine, because of the performance of these athletes in the team and their individual achievements. Through this study, it is possible to conclude that Placar reflects the fight of the female players soccer when reporting trajectories and difficulties of athletes that effectively represented the Brazilian female team on competitions. However, the magazine reinforces the prejudice, in order to compare those athletes to others female players soccer (models), which represent the normative hegemonic standards of gender, class and race. The terms used by the magazine to refer to the players of the team are essentialist and demonstrate the strategies of spectacularization of the bodies which were offered by the field of journalism and sports, as well as used by the athletes in attempt to gain legitimacy. It is understood that the low frequency of appearance of women's team in the magazine resulted in the invisibility of women's football among the public.