Olivia Dunne fires back at NYT for ‘Sex Sells’ article
2 min readAxelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Olivia Dunne called out The New York Times which claimed how female college athletes are making millions due to their massive following on social media.
Here is everything you need to know.
Olivia Dunne slams The New York Times over ‘Sex Sells’ story
Olivia Dunne, an LSU gymnast has recently retaliated against The New York Times after the publication issued their article titled, ‘New Endorsements for College Athletes Resurface an Old Concern: Sex Sells.’
In the post, the outlet has described her growing followers on social media and other financial success.
However, it appears like the 20-year-old athlete is not impressed with their story.
She took to her Instagram handle on 9th November Wednesday to slam NYT by sharing an image from her recent photoshoot.
Moreover, she outlined the post with a caption that read, ‘Is this too much?,’ before tagging the official Instagram account of NYT.
More about Olivia Dunne’s The New York Times article
The New York Times highlighted the earnings of Olivia Dunne in their post.
They wrote that ‘the new flood of money — and the way many female athletes are attaining it — troubles some who have fought for equitable treatment in women’s sports and say that it rewards traditional feminine desirability over athletic excellence.’
Besides that, Dunne revealed to the publication how much she earns thanks to her NIL deals.
She said, ‘Seven figures. That is something I’m proud of. Especially since I’m a woman in college sports.’
Furthermore, Dunne has more than two million followers on her Instagram account. She frequently shares pictures of herself wearing casual outfits, swimwear as well as LSU leotards.
Additionally, she has become one of the most significant student-athletes due to her endorsement deals which come after the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) rule change last summer.
Meanwhile, Tara VanDerveer, Stanford’s women’s basketball coach explained why she believes that these deals are a ‘step back’ for female players.
She told the publication, ‘I guess sometimes we have this swinging pendulum, where we maybe take two steps forward, and then we take a step back.’
Subsequently, she continued with, ‘We’re fighting for all the opportunities to compete, to play, to have resources, to have facilities, to have coaches, and all the things that go with Olympic-caliber athletics.’
VanDerveer went on to firmly state, ‘This is a step back.’
Besides that, Dunne currently stands at the first position on the list of On3 Sports female NIL money makers. It is based on the estimation of performance, influence, and exposure of each athlete.