I was a Sports Illustrated subscriber for a very long time. Since I was able to afford a subscription, I eagerly awaited each issue. It was a time when sportswriting could be exciting, fascinating, and sometimes even deeply moving.
The magazine was able to capture the most heart-stopping, extraordinary moments on film. It captured an era in America where sports were a way of defining masculinity. Not toxic, but still testosterone-fueled.
The annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue was the pinnacle of this masculine world. It was nothing compared to Playboy and Penthouse. The Swimsuit Issue, which featured beautiful women in skimpy, bikini-clad bikinis, frolicking along spectacular beaches and fueling boys’ and men’s fantasies, said both good and bad things about men. The objectification and glorification of the body of man in all its power and beauty went hand-in-hand.
In the past few years, half of its subscribers have left. In January, they laid off the entire staff. The current editor does not care about what you think of transgender women or plus-sized women squeezing themselves into bikinis.
This is the cover of the 60th anniversary edition of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
It’s women in dresses and business suits — centered around ‘CBS Mornings’ co-host Gayle King and past cover models like Christie Brinkley and Tyra Banks.
Discuss amongst yourselves. pic.twitter.com/5w2eO4l5Ce
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 14, 2024
“I want to make the world aware that Sports Illustrated is a powerful, far-reaching vehicle for change,” said MJ Day, editor-in-chief.
Listen, this issue has a lot more swimsuit pictures. There are plenty of swimsuits in this issue. But I like the idea that all these women came together to do something different. We’re living our best life. “We’re not ashamed or afraid, and no one is going to stop us,” Day said.
Day claims she does not care if SI lost half of its readers. “We didn’t care. We believed that the right readers would join us. We didn’t want the wrong readers.”
It is the best bankruptcy strategy.
CBS News:
SI Swimsuit Issue first appeared in the winter of 1964. It was used to fill the magazine pages when the hockey and basketball seasons ended. The swimsuit issue has been eagerly awaited over the years. It mainly featured models in swimwear.
Since then, this issue has expanded to include women in sports, entertainment, and news who represent different races, age groups, and body types. Leyna Bloom, the magazine’s transgender cover girl, and Halima Aden, the first woman to wear a hijab, are just a few of the women who have appeared in the issue. The swimsuit issue was originally intended to fill in the lull between sports seasons, but it quickly became a cultural phenomenon.
This year’s Swimsuit Edition features a model who is “plus-sized” named Hunter McGrady.
Hunter McGrady makes 2024 her six-time brand appearance, but this time on the cover. https://t.co/PnfyqoyAaU
— Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) May 14, 2024
Beauty is subjective. We all know this. Some men prefer thin women and others prefer larger women. The definition of beauty varies from generation to generation.
McGrady’s attractive and I get the point SI wants to make. The swimsuit edition displayed the female body in its most desirable sexual form. It’s not acceptable to some women.
The ones who don’t have any sexual appeal are usually the least attractive.
