The Vacation’s Over: Rethinking The Swimsuit Issue

[seabeyond]

While I agreed with her that the cover shot was a bit over the top (no pun intended), it wasn’t until I watched the documentary, Miss Representation, that my perspective shifted. The film documents how mainstream media sends out the message to young girls that a woman’s value and power lie in her youth, beauty, and sexuality and that this continuous objectifying of women promotes gender stereotypes that affect our society in profoundly disturbing ways. And the Swimsuit Issue’s position as a cultural icon makes it extremely potent and damaging. It may be tastefully done, but in the bigger picture, it can also leave a bad taste. When does sensual become sexual and sexual become sexist?

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Since these companies control such a vast spectrum of content, how much respect can we expect woman to be given when their print publications, television programming, movies, web sites, and music, have not only bought into the “sex sells” model, but are massively invested in it? And that doesn’t even take into account advertisers, who are desperately looking for eyeballs. Ever wonder why so much media content seems demeaning or even misogynist? Listen to rap lyrics, watch a beer commercial, check out the cleavage on the female anchors of news shows, view a prime time comedy or try to figure out how a buffoon named Snooki became a TV star.

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It’s no great secret that sex and money have always gone hand in hand, and we are talking tens of millions of dollars here. What makes the Swimsuit Issue such a rare cultural and financial phenomenon, as well as a controversial paradox, is that corporate riches are flowing into a global media enterprise under the banner of sports and fashion, when the product should also be branded as Erotica PG-13.

I’m stuck in a quandary here. Sports Illustrated is my favorite sports magazine and to me, it’s the superstar of sports journalism. And the Swimsuit Issue has simply seemed like a short timeout, signaled with a wink and a smile. Plus, I’m so inundated every day by sensationalist images of “sexy” women under the guise of advertising, news and entertainment, that it now feels like just another frivolous distraction. That is until I start thinking like a conscientious father of two teenagers and then, it’s not so frivolous. So I’m going to update my subscription to make sure it doesn’t include the Swimsuit Issue anymore; to send Time Inc. the message that this publication simply doesn’t feel appropriate and I won’t support it. While it’s always nice to go on an exotic tropical retreat, there are just too many harmful, hidden costs to SI’s little fun in the sun.

http://www.missrepresentation.org/notbuyingit/the-vacations-over-rethinking-the-swimsuit-issue/

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a father, with a daughter, having watched miss representation. meh. i teeny step forward.

[redqueen]

1. It's annoying to me how may men only 'get it' after they have a daughter.

Even worse if it doesn't even happen then! But still, are mothers and sisters and friends so easy to ignore?

Oh yeah, of course they are. I mean there are countless women swearing up and down it's flipping awesome and there's no such thing as the patriarchy FFS, let alone objectification... so party on! And just ignore those prudes. *wink, smile*

Ugh.



I love gymnastics, and this year I'm really noticing the differences between what the men and women wear. What's the reason for it? (Rhetorical question of course, I know all the rationalizations already.)

[seabeyond]

2. OMG... BREAKING NEW: beach volleyball women had to put on long sleeves

because it was fuckin cold. and they warmed up with sweat pants. of course for the game, they took those off, and froze their arse off.

so fuckin stupid.

[redqueen]

4. I'm not interested in that sport but I did see a few minutes...

it was sad seeing them in long sleeved shirts and bikini bottoms, playing against a team of women dressed in practical clothing. Embarrassing is what it was.

[CrispyQ]

3. I've wondered,

is it easier to see misogyny & sexism when you are either unattractive or overweight?

Because women are valued almost exclusively for their looks in our society, is it harder for attractive & slender women to see the misogyny? We're conditioned to see the misogyny directed toward attractive women ("That dress looks really great on you!", "You look hot!&quot as complimentary, where as, with unattractive or overweight women, comments are usually demeaning. Both are misogynistic, but one type is viewed as a compliment in our culture. Does that contribute to attractive/slender women not seeing the misogyny of those comments?

And regarding the uniforms - yes, I would much rather have one of those uni-suits! The girls are always tugging their suits back in place.

[redqueen]

5. Yes, that's a good point.

The sexist 'compliments' are not often perceived for what they are, so it's far more insidious.

It also might feed the idiocy behind the opinion that feminists who don't tolerate objectification without comment are just jealous/unattractive women.

[CrispyQ]

6. When I gained 50 pounds,

I saw our culture through entirely different eyes! It really woke me up to just how much women are valued for our looks over everything else. People would take one glance at me & I could see the look of dismissal cross their face. I've lost the weight, but now I'm 55 & get to see how our society views older women! ~lol.

It's liberating when you recognize it, because it no longer has power over you. Oh sure, it's more frustrating - like taking the red pill, but I wish more women could see that recognition of how pervasive it has all become is the first step.

On that note, Netflix has had Miss Representation on "long wait" for a very long time now. I suspect someone didn't return it or it was damaged & they are not going to replace it.

[redqueen]

7. I just contacted IFC to find out if they'll be showing it again.

Oooh I should write to the Documentary Channel, too

[seabeyond]

8. i have been thinking what you ask. and this is more from personal perspective. i know

that for me, i was conditioned along with everyone else. early 80's with the eating disorders, there was a real push about appearance being worth. in california, lol, at that. southern calif, land of the shallow. i dont think i felt the real push as a kid. and i do not think it was nearly what it is today. BUT.... i did easily recognize it in so many experience. be it walking down the street or just in the public with comments made from men. too old men. that made it real clear. it was more fun from men our age. and the guys really were not what they are today. it was more respectful. there was an effort in pc. we were not pornified at that point. crude and vulgar was not acceptable.

BUT.... i really spent my 20's on me time. reflecting. self analyzing.

i was raised as a person, not a gender.

i also had a sense of balance, always. tit for tat.

i think i always saw it. and i was plenty attractive.

there was an article in this weeks time. i peruse the magazine before putting it on the dining room table for kids to read. there was a huge article on polygamy. the first line.... it shakes people up they are beautiful.

another comment: JOE apportions his time among the three wives- each wife GETS him every third night.

it is an article totally promoting this concept. a positive article.

then you have the Op i just put the war on women

then all the pornification of our women and girls

having read the article on polygamy, i told sons, read it and know the bullshit. one of the very few times i talked to boys before handing them the magazine. i told them, it really feels like we are being pushed to the biblical times of history of women, but not only from the christian right....

with both factors attacking women, we had better wake up.

(really messing post. i know. sorry. i just feel all these factors are relevant)