- Sep 22, 2013
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The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is published annually by American Sports Illustrated magazine. The cover photograph features fashion models wearing swimwear in exotic locales. All models featured on the cover of the swimsuit issue in the magazine's history have been women. According to some, the magazine is the arbiter of supermodel succession. The swimsuit issue of the magazine carries advertising that, in 2005 amounted to US$35 million in value. New issues come out around the middle of February or later. First published in 1964, it is credited with making the bikini, invented in 1946, a legitimate piece of apparel. The issue that got the most letters was the 1978 issue. The best selling issue was the 25th Anniversary Issue with Kathy Ireland on the cover in 1989 (source of information: Wikipedia).
This 'modern civilization treasure' reflects a cultural investment in sports and how sports touches on other facets of life, such as fashion, cosmetics, gender-relations, and the feminine allure. How does sports touch on a seemingly unrelated area of society such as cosmetics (you might ask)? Well, considering how athletes are recruited and trained to be 'social diplomats' of physical fitness and human physique, we can see how sports would stir discussions about presentation of the body itself (which can be rather complex).
Imagine therefore that the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit committee sponsors a 'celebrity charity event' for which all proceeds go to AIDS research. The event invites the American movie-stars Alec Baldwin (star of The Hunt for Red October, a submarine-warfare film which has even spawned a video-game), Jennifer Connelly (star of A Beautiful Mind, an academics film about a Nobel-laureate), and Henry Thomas (co-star of the two 'fantastic-realm' films E.T. and Gangs of New York). The event also invites legendary NY Yankees baseball player Derek Jeter. And this troupe of 4 engage in a cultural discussion about the 'reach of sports' and why the event is being sponsored for AIDS research.
How would such a 'society discussion' inform our evaluation of 'sports politics/culture prestige'?
Sports fans should entertain such discussions with relative equal weight as culture-critique discussions about peer-pressure related steroids-use. The youngsters of the world who idolize professional athletes crave stimulation/information in the media that is not simply deconstructive or critical.
Will the Trump Administration cater to a social demand for 'optimistic politics'?
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ALEC BALDWIN: Do you think Americans care about athletes endorsing AIDS research?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Well, the event has drawn out multiple known celebrities.
HENRY THOMAS: This is a new satellite of the pro-capitalism Trump Administration!
DEREK JETER: Even non-Yankees fans appreciate how bikini-models could spotlight AIDS research.
ALEC BALDWIN: Are we saying that bikini models are somehow 'knowledgeable' about medical research?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: No, I think what Derek means is that media-advertising needs to be 'people-friendly.'
HENRY THOMAS: Yes, maybe Americans are tired of stuffy institutions sponsoring important political causes.
DEREK JETER: It would be interesting to see if African-American athletes are asked to endorse the NAACP.
ALEC BALDWIN: Heck, you could spin this event as an 'anti-censorship education' platform.
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Some fundamentalist nations (e.g., Iran) forbid women to wear bikinis in public.
HENRY THOMAS: Perhaps mismanaged media-marketing of AIDS research creates 'stereotypes.'
DEREK JETER: Correct --- e.g., "Fashion models seem not to care about AIDS!"
ALEC BALDWIN: I'm a subscriber to the SI-Swimsuit issue; it's really the new Little Orphan Annie!
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Maybe media and culture are not incongruous.
HENRY THOMAS: That's just an Orwellian paranoia!
DEREK JETER: Well, there are rumors that the Yankees are now a 'super-power.'
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This 'modern civilization treasure' reflects a cultural investment in sports and how sports touches on other facets of life, such as fashion, cosmetics, gender-relations, and the feminine allure. How does sports touch on a seemingly unrelated area of society such as cosmetics (you might ask)? Well, considering how athletes are recruited and trained to be 'social diplomats' of physical fitness and human physique, we can see how sports would stir discussions about presentation of the body itself (which can be rather complex).
Imagine therefore that the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit committee sponsors a 'celebrity charity event' for which all proceeds go to AIDS research. The event invites the American movie-stars Alec Baldwin (star of The Hunt for Red October, a submarine-warfare film which has even spawned a video-game), Jennifer Connelly (star of A Beautiful Mind, an academics film about a Nobel-laureate), and Henry Thomas (co-star of the two 'fantastic-realm' films E.T. and Gangs of New York). The event also invites legendary NY Yankees baseball player Derek Jeter. And this troupe of 4 engage in a cultural discussion about the 'reach of sports' and why the event is being sponsored for AIDS research.
How would such a 'society discussion' inform our evaluation of 'sports politics/culture prestige'?
Sports fans should entertain such discussions with relative equal weight as culture-critique discussions about peer-pressure related steroids-use. The youngsters of the world who idolize professional athletes crave stimulation/information in the media that is not simply deconstructive or critical.
Will the Trump Administration cater to a social demand for 'optimistic politics'?
====
ALEC BALDWIN: Do you think Americans care about athletes endorsing AIDS research?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Well, the event has drawn out multiple known celebrities.
HENRY THOMAS: This is a new satellite of the pro-capitalism Trump Administration!
DEREK JETER: Even non-Yankees fans appreciate how bikini-models could spotlight AIDS research.
ALEC BALDWIN: Are we saying that bikini models are somehow 'knowledgeable' about medical research?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: No, I think what Derek means is that media-advertising needs to be 'people-friendly.'
HENRY THOMAS: Yes, maybe Americans are tired of stuffy institutions sponsoring important political causes.
DEREK JETER: It would be interesting to see if African-American athletes are asked to endorse the NAACP.
ALEC BALDWIN: Heck, you could spin this event as an 'anti-censorship education' platform.
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Some fundamentalist nations (e.g., Iran) forbid women to wear bikinis in public.
HENRY THOMAS: Perhaps mismanaged media-marketing of AIDS research creates 'stereotypes.'
DEREK JETER: Correct --- e.g., "Fashion models seem not to care about AIDS!"
ALEC BALDWIN: I'm a subscriber to the SI-Swimsuit issue; it's really the new Little Orphan Annie!
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Maybe media and culture are not incongruous.
HENRY THOMAS: That's just an Orwellian paranoia!
DEREK JETER: Well, there are rumors that the Yankees are now a 'super-power.'
====
