In which a presidential candidate dresses up and some leggy ladies dress down
When former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack said he was running for president, we knew it was just a matter of time before "the picture" surfaced. (Right now most folks aren't aware that someone besides Obama and Clinton are running.) But it could be tonight! Jay Leno may be the first to give national exposure to Tom V.'s dress-up proclivities. In his defense, isn't he cute? And, more important, people, it's for literacy! The Pooh is my favorite. But I also really liked the alligator from Peter Pan. And the Friar Tuck wasn't bad . . .
And speaking of revealing pictures . . . When the Florida Gators won the NCAA national basketball championship last year, Sports Illustrated offered this subscription deal that included a book, a shirt and a special mini Gators basketball. Suckers . . . I mean, loving wives . . . like me went for it and our husbands still haven't received the back-ordered mini-basketball. But we get the magazine. Every week. And yesterday, just in time for VD, the swimsuit edition arrived.
I'm into edgy YA . . . I think it's pretty clear that I Am Not A Prude. And yet . . .
My 10 year-old son wanted to look at it. My first response was, "sure." And then I looked at it. Remember: I am so not a prude. But . . . jeez! I guess it's been a long time since I've seen an SI swimsuit issue. I remember pretty women in sexy poses that showed . . . um . . . swimsuits. I mean, everyone knew the point wasn't really swimsuits, but at least they included other articles and stuff, too. Toward the front of the current issue is a beautiful woman flat on her back wearing nothing but a strategically placed iPod.(Apparently, in a 2-fer; it's also "the music issue," which allows the magazine to place abnormally tall and skinny nearly naked women in pictures with bands and rock stars.) Many of the swimsuit pictures, which fill the mag to the exclusion of almost any other copy, show lots of birthday suit and very little swimsuit . . . just some string and bits of cloth.
And, you know, if adult women want to pose this way and adult men (or their sucker wives) want to pay for it, then, fine. Knock yourself out, so to speak. But what kind of message does this send to my son? I've always been open with him about sexual issues. And I let him look at it. And I told him how lots of those bodies had been touched up with computers. And I even defined the term "sex object." And it was interesting, because after looking at some of the pictures, he started playing ball with his dog. (And, um, that sounds like a really gross euphemism, but it's not.)
And where is that promised mini Gator championship basketball, SI!?
And speaking of revealing pictures . . . When the Florida Gators won the NCAA national basketball championship last year, Sports Illustrated offered this subscription deal that included a book, a shirt and a special mini Gators basketball. Suckers . . . I mean, loving wives . . . like me went for it and our husbands still haven't received the back-ordered mini-basketball. But we get the magazine. Every week. And yesterday, just in time for VD, the swimsuit edition arrived.
I'm into edgy YA . . . I think it's pretty clear that I Am Not A Prude. And yet . . .
My 10 year-old son wanted to look at it. My first response was, "sure." And then I looked at it. Remember: I am so not a prude. But . . . jeez! I guess it's been a long time since I've seen an SI swimsuit issue. I remember pretty women in sexy poses that showed . . . um . . . swimsuits. I mean, everyone knew the point wasn't really swimsuits, but at least they included other articles and stuff, too. Toward the front of the current issue is a beautiful woman flat on her back wearing nothing but a strategically placed iPod.(Apparently, in a 2-fer; it's also "the music issue," which allows the magazine to place abnormally tall and skinny nearly naked women in pictures with bands and rock stars.) Many of the swimsuit pictures, which fill the mag to the exclusion of almost any other copy, show lots of birthday suit and very little swimsuit . . . just some string and bits of cloth.
And, you know, if adult women want to pose this way and adult men (or their sucker wives) want to pay for it, then, fine. Knock yourself out, so to speak. But what kind of message does this send to my son? I've always been open with him about sexual issues. And I let him look at it. And I told him how lots of those bodies had been touched up with computers. And I even defined the term "sex object." And it was interesting, because after looking at some of the pictures, he started playing ball with his dog. (And, um, that sounds like a really gross euphemism, but it's not.)
And where is that promised mini Gator championship basketball, SI!?