The
Times repurposes junk as sociology, hence it can write about junk. Somehow the writer typed "the usual array of leggy models in skimpy bikinis in exotic locations" and "that sexy beach look" without collapsing in a sweat at the keyboard.
Quote:
In addition to the usual array of leggy models in skimpy bikinis in exotic locations, Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue this year, due on Tuesday, has a surprising new feature: a small style guide geared toward the issue’s legions of female readers.
Women read the swimsuit issue? Yes, 18 million of them, according to research conducted by the magazine.
The guide includes six pages of content from Sports Illustrated and six pages of Target ads. Titled “Secrets of Swimsuit,” the guide will include information on swimsuit trends and advice on how mere mortals, not supermodels, can achieve that sexy beach look.
Laura Portwood-Stacer, a visiting assistant professor of media, culture and communication at New York University, said magazines like the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue teach women what culture considers ideal.
“Women learn on a daily basis, unconsciously but also consciously, how to carry themselves, how to present themselves in a way that will be deemed acceptable and attractive by others,” Ms. Portwood-Stacer said. “As such a major cultural institution, it makes sense that the swimsuit edition would be a sort of bible for that kind of learning,” she said. “Women are trying to see themselves in the images; they’re comparing themselves to these ideals of feminine sexuality.”