SI Swimsuit: They’re not “modeling” anything!

By: American Decency Staff

The 2013 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine is in a store near you ready to be picked up and viewed by men and boys everywhere.  However, don’t be fooled by the name.  Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition has nothing to do with sports and, considering the fact that numbers of the photos show completely nude women, it has very little to do with swimsuits.

What the SI Swimsuit Edition is, though, is blatant pornography.

And the young women baring their bodies are not “models.”  They’re not “modeling” anything!  They are nothing more than strippers – posing and exposing themselves for the pleasure of men. 

Yet somehow our culture has turned them into celebrities.  These so-called models made their rounds to the TV talk shows – from David Letterman to NBC’s Today Show – as the TV hosts gushed and fawned over the young women.  Even the Fox News morning show interviewed one of the “models” as erotic images from the magazine were aired simultaneously.

The magazine features dozens of photos of topless women, as well as fully nude women.  The cover photo itself is so explicit I can’t imagine why any store manager with a modicum of decency would display this magazine – and yet they do – in millions of family shopping centers across America. Stores that would never sell Playboy, sell the equally pornographic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.  For truly, this magazine is little different than a Playboy.  Yet, to some in America, the name Sports Illustrated seems to give it a semblance of “acceptability.”  Men who would not dream of buying a porn magazine, without a thought have the SI Swimsuit Edition in their home.   

Click here to send a message to the advertisers who empower this disgusting magazine.  These advertisers need to hear from you! 

Also, please forward this to your friends and family, urging them to take action as well!

Especially troubling are corporations who not only endorse this magazine with their advertising dollars, but also stoop to the same level by incorporating bikini-clad models and eroticism into their ads. 

In some cases there is little difference between the erotic advertisements and the SI photo displays.  The worst offenders of corporations using sexually explicit themes in their ads were:  Dodge Ram; Direct TV; Playtex; Target; Fiat; Lexus; Honda; Axe men’s products.

This issue of SI Swimsuit actually did spark controversy and garnered criticism by some in the media.  Not, however, for their exploitive, degrading pornographic displays, but rather for exploiting indigenous people by including them in the photos as they filmed around the world!

Take a moment and really think about what this magazine is about and the views and thought patterns it establishes within our culture.  It teaches young boys and men to objectify women – to see them as sex objects to be viewed and used for their pleasure.  And what about girls and women?  What does SI Swimsuit teach them?  It sends the message that their worth is dependent upon their sex appeal.  That to gain acceptance they must degrade themselves. 

However, no matter how accepted the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine has become, it needs to be opposed.  One of the great concerns about the SI Swimsuit issue is its easy availability by anyone of any age – which has long made it a stepping stone to increased use of pornography by boys and young men.  We have heard numerous accounts from concerned and angry moms who have discovered that their young sons have been able to purchase it or who have received it in the mail. 

As a female, I am outraged, disgusted, saddened by this magazine that degrades and objectifies young women and legitimizes porn use for young men.  And with a well-established name such as Sports Illustrated, this magazine puts a stamp of approval on this portrayal of women for no other reason than the pleasure and self-pleasuring of men.  

However, in addition to sending a message to the magazine’s advertisers (see link above), you can make an impact where you shop.   It can take just one concerned shopper who, with shaking knees but a firm resolve to stand for Truth, approaches a store manager and expresses concern about the sale of pornography in a family marketplace.  You can be that person making a difference! 

Because the cover photo on this magazine is so incredibly explicit, I strongly recommend that only ladies do the following:  Go to your local pharmacy, supermarket, or anywhere magazines are sold and check the magazine racks  – not only by the checkouts, but also the store’s magazine/book section.  If you find Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, take it to the store manager and express your concern about such a pornographic display in a family shopping center.  And then follow up next week and offer appreciation to those that pulled the magazine and again express your deep concern to any that are still selling it. 

When we step out in weakness but in faith, God often does his best work in us and through us.  Take a stand for righteousness today.

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