I feel like we as a society do not talk about the objectification of athletes enough because they're all contractually obligated to wear sponsors on literally every part of their bodies. They are human signposts who are literally barred from using certain products or wearing certain clothes because it would break their contracts.
Unlike other types of celebrities who might be contractually obligated to wear a certain brand, a designer, or something similar, they are made to wear the logos and the names so explicitly. It isn't in any way unrecognizable because someone might not recognize a designer's iconic silhouette or a brand's staple fit, but, even if you don't know a brand, the way logos are makes it obvious that that's what it is. It's meant to be as clearly recognizable to as wide an audience as possible. It's meant to build brand recognition explicitly and build familiarity and positivity subconsciously.
Now, this isn't to say that athletes are necessarily victims or something for this, they're getting paid to do it and I don't think they really think of it all that much in the grand scheme of things.
But for the athletes that do think about it, how does it affect how they view themselves?
Do they ever look at their own skin and see that spot as their sponsor's? Do they feel suffocated by knowing there are parts of their bodies that are more recognizable when a name that is not their own is plastered across it? Is it ever a comfort to know that there is someone, a something, paying to own a part of their skin or does it make them feel unsettled? Do they ever feel like an object or a product for it?
So this is something I often think about with one specific example. Lets talk about driver hats.
I remember hearing about Niki Lauda, albeit for the love of me i can‘t remember where, that he was one of the first drivers to make hats popular. It‘s a mix of two things, i guess. When you look at pictures just shortly after his crash, he is often wearing hats. I understand it, its probably more comfortable than showing off his scars and it has another advantage; a shit ton of money. Having an athlete whos face is pictured most often wear a hats with your brand? It‘s literally the best advertisment, even better than if they wear your shoes or shirts or whatever.
Now we turn to the future. Have you ever wondered why even feeder series drivers and kids in karting wear those hat so often? I have a theory.
Beside the same allegiance to sponsors, it‘s comfort. These hats potentially popularized by Lauda covering his scars still cover the faces of drivers. I don‘t know about you, but i would feel a lot more comfortable when i can hide my face somewhere.
I think, specifically, of multiple instances were drivers hide their faces beneath the hats. Because its easy to pull down and hide.
But also, its a point of comfort; we are all so used to this, even drivers in karts, when they win or whatever, they get the little hat. It‘s a sign of belonging. You succeeded in a race, you belong to a team, you have sponsors backing you. Sometimes we have to think of the truth of this sport; all of these athletes have been in a high pressure world of competing since their early teen days.
That's a good example!
A lot of the drivers use hats to hide themselves and the brands behind them being happy to have some more screen time is definitely a bonus. I do wonder if the fact that their sponsors want them to wear their logos and names, feeds into some of the drivers' urge to hide themselves, especially since so many of them tend to be on the introverted or even shy side.
A lot of the drivers (Lando as an easy example), go for a hat whenever they think their hair looks messy or they're disheveled after a race. It's a way to please their sponsors, yes, but also an easy way to self-soothe. It's the type of thing that quickly turns into a habit and then becomes their default.
It would be hard to definitively say if they're more like that because they're naturally the type to gravitate towards a hat or because they've been groomed by their sport to always reach for whatever has their sponsors' name on it.
Also, when you said that a lot of the drivers hide their faces with their hats, I can't help but be reminded of that clip of Schumacher crying when he was asked by a journalist if equaling Senna's records meant anything to him. He dropped his head, hiding his face behind his hat, and barely answered the question before he started crying. He was so close to the mic that it caught his trembling breaths and hiccups. He eventually knocks his hat off, effectively revealing him and his grief. His hat falling, also lets his brother comfort him by putting a hand in his hair.
Through this lens, it starts out as a Michael who is hiding and trying to maintain composure, of himself and metaphorically of the sport by keeping his hat on. And then, when it falls, it becomes more personal, more human in a way. His hand becomes visible so you can see the way it's twisting in his hair as he tries to calm himself down. The hat falling lets his brother put a hand in his hair and pull him a bit closer.