The inspiration porn-type portrayal is passive, specializing in the athlete’s incapacity and the challenges he should overcome. These portrayals evoked pity in research contributors. Credit score: Dae Hee Kwak
Media portrayals of disabled athletes that emphasize hardships overcome quite than achievements evoke pity and reduce perceived competency, contributing to a way of “otherness” by reinforcing stereotypes, says a College of Michigan researcher.
Against this, media portrayals that emphasize achievements elicit emotions of admiration and competency and problem stereotypes, says Dae Hee Kwak, affiliate professor of sport administration on the College of Kinesiology.
These “inspiration porn” narratives are in style storytelling tropes that objectify disabled athletes as sources of inspiration for nondisabled audiences, he says.
Inspiration porn emphasizes the bodily incapacity or “tragedy” the athlete has overcome, quite than the achievements. This strategy is usually criticized within the disabled neighborhood, however little is thought about how this narrative shapes shopper attitudes when utilized in advertising and marketing communications.
To that finish, Kwak and colleague Namkyeong Jang of Pai Chai College in Korea carried out two research to know the impression on model notion and associated outcomes when the narrative emphasised a disabled athlete’s achievements quite than their challenges or disabilities. Their paper reporting on the research is revealed within the Journal of Enterprise Ethics.
Within the second research, contributors have been proven two print commercials. The inspiration porn advert exhibits the athlete sitting passively in a racing wheelchair, palms folded in his lap. The caption reads: “I Was Born with Spinal Bifida. This is the Body I Have Been Given.” Within the achievement-focused advert, the athlete is bent flat over the wheelchair, palms pumping behind him. The caption reads: “400 Meters in 46 Seconds, Just With My Hands. Two-Time Paralympic Medalist.”
The second picture focuses on the athletes’ athleticism and accomplishments evoked admiration and a sense of competency in research contributors. Credit score: Dae Hee Kwak
Within the first research, contributors felt much less pity however the same degree of admiration towards the achievement-focused portrayals. In addition they perceived these athletes as extra competent. Within the second research, contributors felt extra admiration than these within the inspiration porn situation. The elevated admiration led to extra favorable model notion and intentions to assist the parasport neighborhood.
“Not all ‘awww moments’ are the same,” Kwak stated. “Inspiration porn might still tug at the heartstrings, but it tends to evoke pity—a downward comparison emotion that can feel disempowering and even add to stigma. In contrast, achievement-based stories spark admiration, highlighting competence and agency. This emotional split between pity and admiration based on different messaging was our most interesting finding.”
The affiliation was extra pronounced within the second research that used visible cues. But advertisers nonetheless use inspiration porn as a result of it is simple and it really works, he says.
“The media understands that visually impaired images would draw more attention than disabilities not visible, and people tend to have positive feelings and attitudes toward them,” Kwak stated. “Savvy advertisers would place these athletes after which attempt to inform successful story, which is a standard rhetoric—’Look how they overcame their hardship. So inspiring.’
“Inspiration porn is convenient. Think of poverty porn, where some philanthropic organizations use crying babies with little clothes to project feelings of pity or guilt to make people give. This tactic doesn’t require effort to learn about the athlete’s real lives, but simplifies their existence as unfortunate—something that must be overcome.”
One shocking discovering, Kwak says, is that individuals who maintain a stronger stigma towards disabled people felt extra pity and fewer admiration.
“In other words, pity is closely associated with stigma, but changing narratives to evoke admiration might help break it down,” he stated.
Kwak says that inspirational messages are quite common in advertising and marketing messages, however that when disabled individuals are portrayed solely by the lens of their incapacity, we lose sight of them as people and what their tales characterize.
“The inspiration shouldn’t come from ‘overcoming’ disability—it should come from the everyday effort, dedication and resilience they show,” he stated. “This analysis urges journalists, sponsors and even athletes to maneuver past portraying incapacity as the primary story. As an alternative, give attention to athletes’ expertise, dedication and private journeys.
“Highlighting competence fosters admiration over pity, which is negatively associated with stigma and contributes to more empowering narratives for all audiences.”
Extra data:
Namkyeong Jang et al, Past Inspiration Porn: Results of Message Framing on Model Authenticity and Group Help in Advertising and marketing Disabled Athletes, Journal of Enterprise Ethics (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s10551-025-06062-1
Supplied by
College of Michigan
Quotation:
Media give attention to hardship for disabled athletes can reinforce destructive stereotypes (2025, August 22)
retrieved 23 August 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-08-media-focus-hardship-disabled-athletes.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Aside from any truthful dealing for the aim of personal research or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is offered for data functions solely.
