Turn It Around

Last year, right around this time, I had a moment in my local Target. You know those moments when the filter just flies right off and you say what you are really thinking. Outloud. Yep, I did it.

And I'll do it again.

Why, you might ask?

It is is well-known fact, many of the magazines near the checkout are a bit MUCH...if you know what I mean. Much on the topics, much on the skin shown. But Sports Illustrated totally crossed over last year and for some reason, it totally set me off.

Last year's Swimsuit Edition cover featured a young gal wearing nothing but the equivalent of Mardi Gras beads covering her cha-chas. And the beads were so sparse that anybody could see photoshopping was involved to hide things that would have made SI put that darlin' in a plastic wrapper with cover.

Up until this point, when I'd see a cover that was over top, I'd just look away. But not that day. Not only did I turn every Sport Illustrated around so that the back was showing, I even asked the manager, at the register, why the magazine was in plain view. You can imagine the look I got from him. You'll be glad to know he didn't call for Security.

BUT I DIDN'T CARE! And from that point on, any time I saw that SI Swimsuit cover, I would flip it around. I am well aware that they probably didn't stay that way for long, but it made a difference to me.

Not to be outdone, Sport Illustrated released their newest swimsuit edition for 2009 and I was just stunned. The title for this year is Bikinis or Nothing....and the 23-year-old cover model, who has dreamed of being on the cover since she was 15, is featured in a tiny bikini, pulling down one side of her bottoms. She might as well be naked, y'all.

Thank you Sports Illustrated for not only displaying women as objects in the name of publicity but also for taking your magazine down to a whole new low in tempting men into viewing border-line pornographic material masked as sports media. Your photoshoppers had to work overtime to cover up this year's models. Congratulations.

This might not pluck your cord like it has mine, but I am issuing the challenge anyway. When you see this lovely magazine, would you be so brave as to turn it around? You can be discreet...no need to make a giant scene. And if you feel led, ask a few friends to do the same. Feeling really sassy? Hide the darn thing behind some other magazines. Just be careful to turn it around first. You might shock the pants off some lady looking for Family Circle.

By taking the time to turn those magazines around, I am buying a bit more time before I have to teach my 8-year-old to 'bounce his eyes' elsewhere.

But that's a whole other post.