Catherine ~ ESPN magazine appears to be focused on just the female gender. I propose they publish an issue devoted to Sumo wrestler champions!

designanator, at the moment, I am recovering from putting the words "Charles Barkley" and "nude" in the same sentence.

Great story. Until we start seeing lots more nude photos of all sort of male athletes, the women ought to stay clothed.

I agree. And it's an unfortunate role model role for the uncounted future soccer stars who find her worthy of following--those young girls will receive a mixed message when they learn of it or see it. She will attract a lot of attention because of this...it's certainly her decision to make, but one wonders why. I also predict that because of the nature of the topic, the title of this post will generate a lot of people searching for her on Google, making this post a viral hit--I know that wasn't your goal.

Now don't you go picking on Sir Charles. Have you seen his golf swing, Catherine? THAT should be censored ;)

I agree with you about Hope Solo. I bet Alex Morgan is receiving SI offers.

It's an odd coincidence that I wrote a rather related social commentary post from what seems to be the opposite view:

http://open.salon.com/blog/apollodawn/2011/08/12/speeding_to_neo-victorianism_on_the_sensationalist_express

I disagree with and dispute the notion that there is anything wrong, whatsoever, with posing nude.

In my opinion, as a particular kind of feminist, what objectifies women is when our bodies are made into commodities that we do not own, but our culture controls in our place.

At first glance, your post would seem to concur with my statement. However, it seems to speak poorly of women who enjoy being nude and have no problem posing nude. I enjoy being nude.

The opinion that I read here implies, to me, that there is something wrong with a woman who chooses to pose nude rather than allowing her body to be a commodity that society, not the woman, shall decide what is a "proper" form of display.

As for men posing similarly nude, more power to them if they wish to do that. When I think of equality between men and women, I think of being equally liberated, not equally oppressed! :)

I hope she gets paid at least a million.

Which is why for years I've declined the SI Swimsuit issue, ever since they gave subscribers the option.

Imagine the furor if a grade school teacher posed nude.

I'm glad you did this article, Catherine. I wonder about Playboy. If I remember correctly, Playboy once featured Katarina Witt. I am sure there were other female athletes.

Here I was sitting down all ready to pore over Samuel Johnson and your title's promise...ah well...disappointment is a part of Life.

and oh yes...your point's very well made, Catherine...and no, I have no Barkley nude pics...

r.

These days it is nice to be appreciated for anything, but I agree she should stand on her accomplishments. Having said that, the nude photos will garner a little money and some comments, but this time next year who will care?

Three members of the French women's football national team, Gaetane Thiney, Elodie Thomist, and Corine Franco, chose to pose nude for the German newspaper, Bild, in order to attract attention for the team entering the World Cup.
Five members of the German National Women's U-20 team, Annika Doppler, Ivana Rudelic, Julia Simic, Selina Wagner, and Kristina Gessat , then followed suit and posed erotically for the German edition of Playboy. I guess they think it works. Who know? But television ratings in France did increase after the publication.

See I never thought the Brandi shot was "sexy" at all. I thought it was so cool that they'd put a pic of a muscle-y woman in a sports bra (not a bikini top) on a magazine.

Male athlete bodies are used nude or nearly nude to sell things all the time, and I'm sure this issue of the magazine will be of both genders.

Just don't have a problem with it and I usually agree with you completely in regard to your sports posts!

Well Catherine.. I am shocked too. Why would she do this??
Surely she has endorsements..
:(
HUGGGGGGGGGGGGG

This is a disaster!
Every sick mind on the planet just KNOWS that nudity and SEX are synonymous. And sex is just plain awful and unmentionable and everybody should just never ever mention it agin!

Look, you sickos; it isn’t any of your damned business........ get it? It’s not your business if she poses nude and it’s not your business if she doesn’t. None. Nada. Sip. Zilch. Zero. You don’t even have the right to an opinion because you have no vested interest in this.

As to “objectifying” her - you do that more than adequately when you presume to offer your personal, sick, “opinion” of her personal business.

Two words of advice: Fuck off!

.

Frankly, this posting is far more offensive than any nude photo could be. Why women attack other women like this is usually from jealousy. And what's truly demeaning to her is acting as if she does not do it of her own free will because a woman is incapable of exercising a free will. Playboy et al exploits men, not women.

These sort of puritan attitudes reflect poorly on us as a country, where a public nipple causes a firestorm and illicit wars a yawn. There's a reason for that - and it's a very, very ugly and disturbing one. Damn sure not a moral reason!

"Nude" is cultural. Let us not forget burkhas. Europeans think Americans are prudes. The Arab world thinks we are perverts. The Chinese like our love scenes because they don't get to see them as close up in Chinese film, but you almost zero nudity in China. Lots of cleavage in advertisement, but zero nudity.

If she were an actress, she isn't pretty enough for a Playboy shoot, so her being a sports star is the draw, not the boobs. The boobs of a sports star are worth millions, while out of all the millions of boobs in Los Angeles aren't equal. They are not "naughty" but sports girl boobs are. Kaching.

Danika Patrick posed nude, also, after she won the Indy 500. I'm not saying whether these girls should or shouldn't. It truly is their choice. My question is this- why do they? Why isn't being the first woman to win the Indy 500 enough of a reward? Why isn't winning the World Cup enough? Why does society want naked pictures of successful women?

Sadly, unlike men, women athletes have few opportunities to make money from their skills. One reason you don’t see Derek Jeter posing naked is because he doesn’t have to. Hope Solo's decision is less about choice than it is about the realization that it's almost the only way for her to make money off her accomplishment.

As for those bashing Catherine's "offensive" "disaster" of a post, may I suggest Mary Stanik’s post today about an encounter with a young woman who "chose" to be a stripper:

http://open.salon.com/blog/mstanik/2011/08/12/strippers_have_to_get_to_work_too

Three facts:

1) I have a 20 year old college soccer playing son and her picture will be on the wall of every soccer player's room around the world. They already are "in love" with her.

2) She will be well paid and it's hard to argue with that.

3) Nudity and Charles Barkley truly do not belong in the same sentence.

I understand your arguements, but she willingly and knowingly agreed to posing nude. Which if you know anything about the skin game a lot women (and men) do so under duress. Also as you pointed out it was mostly a business decision.

To me, this is not a moral issue, and I think a woman's body is hers. I don't really care even if she does porn. I do believe it is all about cash and fame at any cost. Because all the money and all the sexist men in the world cannot objectify her if she says no. Great post. R

I completely agree, nude photos of a female athlete do nothing to advance the role of women in society, they do continue to objectify them. That being said, the objectifying is being done on a daily basis by many different people at many different levels of society. All the reality TV show come to mind and so much more, we send an awful message to young women about what womanhood is about.

I tend to agree, although there were many good points made in the comments. It's disappointing that she chose to go that route.

And I don't get the furor over Brandi Chastain. She was in a sports bra, similar to competitive volleyball outfits, and more covered up than Snooki. So what? Male victors take their shirts off all the time.

I'm torn, honestly.

First of all Catherine, while I understand you feelings, I'm not sure that you have any right to be disappointed. You state that "Hope Solo's athletic accomplishments should be sufficient." is that really your decision to make?

But yes, whether I like it or not (and I don't) people fetishize athletes and turn them into role models. And I'm pretty sure that little girls to feel that in order to be really thought of as successful, they need to scamper about in the altogether. But then that's probably just me reflecting the nudity taboo that's so strong in America, reflecting our absolute preoccupation with sex.

Given all that, I'd say it's her decision to make and not subject to our approval.

And I'm pretty sure that little girls to feel that in order to be really thought of as successful, they need to scamper about in the altogether.

That should have read:

And I'm pretty sure that it's not a good thing for little girls to feel that in order to be really thought of as successful, they need to scamper about in the altogether.