like part of humanizing these women is understanding that WAGs have agency and are neither the hapless passive victims of self-serving famous male athletes nor empowered feminist women who have total control over their lives and images. when it comes to the athlete-wag relationship, i have one million more critiques of the athlete even confined to conduct within that relationship than of his partner who carries far less influence and power.
but still these women play active roles in creating and upkeeping their own positions as WAGs. they quit their jobs to influence full time. they open their platforms to the public. they go to extreme lengths to perform femininity and uphold dangerous beauty standards. they enter into dubious brand partnerships. they call photographers to take “candid” photos of them and their famous partners. they overlook public and private bad behavior from their partners and stay with them for public reasons, implicitly (and knowingly) endorsing their partner’s behavior.
to be a WAG is to construct an identity of being Secondary, what Steven Ortiz calls “a ‘wife of’ identity”. they put it on themselves and go to great lengths to upkeep it. to humanize these women is to acknowledge their ability to cause harm, to society and to themselves.
