SI....Who me?

Long time reader, first time pitter.

In this week’s Sports Illustrated, there is a long feature on the issues surrounding Colorado’s football program - primarily the charges of rape, sexual abuse, and generally shady goings on. Colorado was (until he was put on leave of absence) run by primo sleezebag Gary Barnett. Even Rick Riley piled on, as his end page editorial was devoted to the issue.

A few month ago, SI also ran an in-depth feature on the rape culture at the US Air Force Academy.
So why pit SI? Because the issue immediately preceding this one was their annual Swimsuit issue - the one the size of the old Sears Wish Book that will be on the newstand for 6 months. The one dedicated to the premise that if sex sells then it’s Okey-dokey to pile on and use the undressed female form to generate some dineros for the good old boys at SI.
If they want to print page after page of naked supermodels sitting or standing next to empty bikinis - God bless them. BUT then, for fairness sake, when lambasting the Colorado football program or Superbowl tittiegate, or any other time a male athlete “crosses a line” make at least a passing reference to the fact that women are objectified in male sports all the time, on every level, all over the place, EVEN IN THEIR OWN hypocritical pages. Aknowldege that big sports has a culture of selling women’s bodies for sex - and that they are not dissinterested reports of such events - they are the standard bearers.

Well, I see your point, I guess. But I think there is (obviously) a deep and fundamental difference between the display of well-paid and obviously willing models for the aesthetic enjoyment of a magazine reader and the nonconsensual and abusive actions at Colorado.

That some thick-headed men can’t recognize that difference is not really, in my opinion at least, Sports Illustrated’s problem. I can see how a magazine might say, “rape is bad” and “here’s a picture of a pretty girl who explicitly wanted to be shown to you in this way” without being hypocritical.

Pictures of attractive scantily-clad women have some bearing on raping students how…?

Call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure even the dumbest of athletes can tell the difference between a looking through a swimsuit mag and rape. One has nothing to do with the other, and I fail to see the hypocracy.