The Playboy argument
IndyCar commentary — By More Front Wing Staff on August 22, 2010 6:25 pm(Originally posted by Steph to Planet-IRL.com.)
During the break between the Firestone Indy Lights and IZOD IndyCar Series races this afternoon, this tweet appeared on the timeline:
IzodTrophyGirl: It’s Finally Here! For grown-up eyes…
…followed by a link to the Playboy website.
I didn’t go any further than the front page, but it was clear that continuing on would net photos of the IZOD Trophy Girls in various states of undress with their well-branded IZOD fire suits.
Now, look: I’m not the sort of person you’d typically find having a problem with this. I’m not a prude. I’d call myself observant of religion, but I’m far from being a Bible-thumper. I’m a strong woman, but I’m not even really a feminist (I prefer straight-up equality). And I’m most certainly not a conservative — heck, I’m proud to live in a city that is host to a parade that sees hundreds of gay men and women strutting down our main street, mostly or completely naked, in front of upwards of a million people.
So, it doesn’t come from any place but pure logic when I endeavor to point out how very deeply flawed this marketing strategy is.
Even with that said, though, I get it. The Series would do well to position itself as sexy. And that’s fine — sexy has its place. I rolled my eyes when I first saw the IZOD Trophy Girls in pit lane, but I understood it. There’s a demographic to which that appeals, and the sport wants their money.
But this can be accomplished in a way that doesn’t create an environment whereby parents feel uncomfortable with bringing their kids to the racetrack. In fact, it needs to be accomplished this way. There are just as many families with buying power in North America as there are single people, and their disposable income is just as important to the future of the IZOD IndyCar Series.
But parents hold an extra piece to the puzzle: they hold the future of fandom for this sport in the form of their children. Their comfort level controls whether those potential young fans are exposed to IndyCar racing and keep the cycle going for future generations.
And there aren’t very many ways to raise a parent’s discomfort level faster than by forming an association between Playboy and the IZOD IndyCar Series.
It carries the appearance of being harmless enough. So long as there’s no cross-promotion at the track, the kids never need to know it happened, right? But the same thing was said when Danica appeared in the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated. The problem is that the moment a woman allows her physical appearance to be exploited for financial gain, she’s no longer a person in the eyes of the public — she’s an object. Have you ever spent 10 minutes standing outside Danica’s garage and listened to the comments from the crowd? I’ve never heard such filth in my life as I’ve heard come from some of the men who stand there and drool as they wait for her to make an appearance. There’s not a chance that I would allow my child to make a role model out of someone who not only allows herself to be but endorses being on the receiving end of that sort of treatment.
Sarah Fisher, on the other hand, has had a strong fan base for years despite never seeing the need to have her photo taken in a bikini. And an even better example is Simona: her fan base expands every weekend and lots of men find her plenty attractive, but she’s gotten to where she is purely on racing ability and has no intention of promoting herself otherwise regardless of her growing popularity. Now, those are role models I can get behind.
Plus, look at some of the great work with children and families that’s being done by the IICS these days. Just about every stop that the Series makes in an urban center seems to involve sending a contingent of drivers to the local children’s hospital. Sure, it makes for a great photo op, but there’s a reason for that: the opportunity to talk personally with race car drivers puts smiles onto the faces of sick children. That’s noble, charitable, and just plain heart-warming. It’s easy to forget that there are public relations benefits to such arrangements at all.
And Ryan Hunter-Reay has taken it a step further. Through the Racing for Cancer organization formed earlier this season in memory of his mother, Ryan has started hosting a child living with cancer at each race and dedicating a ton of his own time throughout the weekend to giving that child a behind-the-scenes look at the IZOD IndyCar Series. That kind of positive publicity can’t be bought — and yet Ryan’s intentions come across as being much more pure than that. One can’t help but believe that he does it simply out of the goodness of his heart, which makes the whole thing even better.
Never mind the Boy Scouts of America tie-in with Alex Lloyd’s car. That creates a whole host of other complications.
So, why would we take all of that highly positive and family-friendly exposure and drag it through the mud for the sake of a quick buck and a passing product placement through Playboy?
As the discussion of this played out on Twitter this afternoon, some argued that if Playboy’s money is to be cut out of the equation, then advertising by cigarette, alcohol and energy drink producers should be excluded as well. You’ll get no argument from me on the cigarette front; event advertising by tobacco companies has been banned in Canada since 2003, and the number of smokers in this country continues to go down. (Though I’ll admit that I was violently opposed to the ban at the time. The devastating impact it was going to have on auto racing funding in this country was apparent well before it passed. But I was younger then, and I’m seeing these things from a very different perspective these days.) Alcohol and energy drinks I don’t have as much of a problem with — it’s not difficult to teach a child that those things aren’t good for you but can be enjoyed in moderation when he or she is older. On the other hand, it only takes a couple of cigarettes to form an addiction and there’s no such thing as moderation in that realm, so exposure to anything that portrays smoking in a positive light should be restricted.
But it’s damn near impossible to teach a young girl that it’s okay for that rich and famous woman over there to objectify herself in a Playboy spread but that she should reject the body image messages she has to contend with in the media every day and insist on being respected for her intelligence and character. Some parents manage it, but they’re not likely to flock to events that will make that job any harder.
In short, you can’t have it both ways, folks — you’re either family-friendly or you’re not. If you want to go down the road that leads to barely clothed pit babes and Playboy spreads, that’s a valid choice, but you can’t take the child-friendly programs and the benefits they reap with you. And it would be highly inadvisable to chase the quick buck today and leave behind the potential fans of tomorrow.
And so, I appeal directly to Randy Bernard, Mike Kelly, IZOD and the rest of the IndyCar Series: please, please, please, run — don’t walk — as far from this association as possible. Find other ways to achieve your marketing objectives; it may take a bit more creativity, but it is possible.
It’s not conjecture to state that the future of open-wheel racing in America depends on it.
There are many other sponsors I would question. Like banks that need “bailouts” but want to sponsor races and teams still.
Or the US Department of Defense sponsoring the 4 car to promote a war with no end in sight, and using tax dollars to “recruit” new members. (I question what level of talent you get who never wanted to join the military until they sponsored a racer. Kinda lame to say the least, a decision that should have more merit than a choice in phone companies or toilet paper.)
It’s a slippery slope to define what is and is not family friendly.
But then again my parents were from the 60′s, they let me watch George Carlin at 8 and listen to Cheech & Chong at 12.
So our idea of “Family friendly” may differ from a family in Iowa or Texas.
Thank you! To be honest, I never new “miss izod” was ever in playboy, but knowing now that she has before, makes perfect sence why she got her job in the first place. slut it up girl, just keep it out of the promotion of the series.
I would only counter with this, are the WNBA, Olympics, WTA and pro-volleyball no longer family sports? All of these sports have had their athletes pose for Playboy.
Great editorial column Stephanie.
I don’t agree with all of it but I do with most. Same with the comments. I don’t agree with all their opinions, especially calling a woman a slut just for posing in Playboy but that’s a whole different topic.
For a while now IndyCar has been trying to equate IISC racing to being sexy, as seen last fall in Miami and Homestead with their huge billboards stating that IndyCar drivers were sexier. Well, I suppose this is kind of an @extension of that, in a weird promotional way.
They’re saying “our Izod Trophy Girl is sexier than yours”. (NASCAR sprint trophy girl)
No boobs were shown in public. They were behind a paywall.
The concept of “family friendly” constantly shifts over time in my opinion, so it’s hard to hash out what is truly clean and what isn’t.
You also have to take in account that each Mom and Dad aren’t the same as the other. One Mom and Dad can ban everything up the wazoo, while the other Mom and Dad is a little less stringent. So maybe “family friendly” is actually an interpretation more than concept. JMO.
Anyway, I’m going to have to agree with Steph even though you could argue that Playboy is rather tame compared to some of its peers and Joel makes a good point about other well-known athletes posing…This is just a trophy girl we’re talking about here.
The thing is though, you don’t want a horde of angry parents on your case regardless — especially in the age of instant information. All it takes is one kid clicking a naughty link (mistake or not), the parent finds out, and we have issues. Parent takes issues to Facebook or Twitter or YouTube, a firestorm builds, and IndyCar has to clean up a public relations mess.
Sometimes, keeping things PG is just easier. Even if not everybody likes it.
ps. why is it ok for a girl to objectify herself as a trophy girl – but not pose in playboy?
I loved the idea of that billboard campaign in Miami – and it’s quite possible to run a complete marketing campaign on that “Sexier Drivers” theme without anyone showing any skin at all. It’s all down to what Steph mentioned before – using skin and Playboy as vehicles to sell “sexy” is the cheap and easy way out. And I don’t mean cheap as in inexpensive, but rather low-brow.
It’s sad to teach children – male AND female – that this is what it takes to be admired. Look at all the stuff on Facebook and MySpace – there’s a lot of nearly-explicit avatars out there. It’s rampant. Some young lady might think she needs to fill her web page with photos of her in tight clothes and low cut tops to get ahead in the world, but what good is that if it just leads people to treat her like she’s merely a pair of breasts? When she’s older and wiser and comes to respect herself more, she may regret making that her brand. She may then embrace the notice there are many other things about her that are more valuable and important to lead with. Would be much better that we teach our next generations that from the start and not make them have to learn it the hard way.
for the record, i never called anyone a slut.
i said “slut it up girl” as in do what you want,
“class it up girl” just didn’t seem to fit with someone
promoting themselfs nude… just sayin.
FOr those that don’t know, the IZOD trophy girl has posed completely nude in the past. This Playboy shoot is tame in comparison. But you know what? She’s a professional and when she’s at the track, she’s fully clothed and does her top as well as anyone in any other series.
I disagree that a sport or series can’t have their cake and eat in that they can’t be family-friendly and take their promotion of “sexy” to this length. If your at-the-track product is the same as it’s ever been (family-friendly), you can go down numerous other avenues to reach numerous different demographics. This shoot didn’t happen at the track. They’re not passing out Playboys in the grandstands. This is one of several marketing ploys the series is undertaking AWAY from the track. And do you know who this Playboy spread is going to reach? The 18-35 male demographic that this sport desperately needs.
If parents don’t like the idea of the IZOD girl posing in Playboy, there’s a simple solution: don’t buy the Playboy and don’t go to the website. If they do those two things, they’re fine once they reach the racetrack because it hasn’t crossed into the on-track product.
Playboy is a legitimate company that produces professional work and is read by millions. Athletes read it, celebrities read it and people who look up to athletes and celebrities read it. Playboy is also sourced for news when people make statements in them.
I’d rather see a professional photo spread in Playboy featuring the IZOD IndyCar Series than these obscure, horrifically amateur sugar-cane ethanol commercials they are airing every race.
I’m a little confused–did she pose for nude photographs in Playboy, or was it an Izod marketing (non-nude) campaign in Playboy? Or did she pose at one time for Playboy? All of the above?
But either way, it doesn’t bother me too much. What does bother me though is the dude who can’t contribute to the discussion without including personal attacks, baseless accusations and name calling. He bothers me.
(Editor’s note: It bothers me, too. I won’t stand for it here. -PD)
Did you ever write about Penske taking vast quantities of cash from Philip Morris? The same Philip Morris who has been using more and more elaborate ways to developing new markets in emerging economies by marketing to younger and younger demographics and distributing free cigarettes.
This is pretty daft. Unless these women are appearing dressed like this at the track or Playboy is actively activating its involvement in the paddock, who cares?
This smacks of needing something to be upset by.
Not a single picture, on the front end of the site, features a single recognizable IndyCar Series logo.
The part I’m still confused about is the double standard by which parents are incredibly incapable of teaching their young self respect but yet totally capable of teaching them moderation in drinking alcohol, don’t smoking, don’t use the harmful supplements sponsoring the drivers (Quick Trim) and more. Like someone above said, its not like there was anything inappropriate at the track, no ones handing out leaflets and frankly I don’t imagine the large majority of families at the track even know about this shoot.
Sorry Steph, you know I love ya but I have to disagree on this one. In fact, I completely agree with Christopher Morben. It’s like he took the words right out of my mouth.
I love it when that happens, because it means they have to do all the work and I don’t have to! 🙂
First of all, I am speaking as a 22-year-old female IndyCar fan. I am a very liberal person, but I would have a problem if the Izod IndyCar series went down the Playboy path. One of the reasons that I am not a fan of Danica is because of the way in which she markets herself. Simona, on the other hand, uses her racing abilities alone to market herself, rather than using her looks. Perhaps marketing people would argue that the fan base for the Izod IndyCar series is predominately male. However, are they forgetting that a lot of these men have girlfriends and wives, who would perhaps rather not attend a sporting event in which women are objectified? When the Izod Trophy Girl first showed up, I thought it was a stupid gimmick. In my opinion, the Izod IndyCar series should set itself apart from NASCAR and F1 by NOT objectifying women by having grid girls or trophy girls.
I have a lot more respect for women who are feminists, even closet feminists than I do for men who just don’t get it. Women are underpaid, objectified, disrespected and fearful of rape and assault as part of their daily lives and the jerks who just don’t get it still fell there is nothing wrong with accusing a woman who ignores his un-invited advances of being lesbian.
Wow. I have two words for you:
Linda
Vaughan
Did they spell the series’ name right? Because if so, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Playboy has sponsored a car in GrandAM before, and I’m pretty sure things worked out OK. There was even a Playboy radio channel on XM or Sirius, and it didn’t hurt their success.
There was also a Playboy sponsored car in CART in the 80s. I believe Kevin Cogan drove it, so it’s not like this is a first for the series…..
I think as a whole, this is an issue or personal taste which is why it will never find a consensus; and as such shouldn’t be regulated.
Regardless of my personal opinion about Playboy, I see things more on the whole abroad cover, likely because I work in marketing. As such, I see exactly why IZOD has done the photoshoot; its easily over near a million eyeballs, none of which are required to look at it. Just like I’m not required to take a single sip of alcohol from Patron, Fuzzy’s, Miller, nor am I required to buy gas from anything owned by PDVSA or Sunoco.
So long as its nothing illegal or demeaning (as so far as we know Carmen agreed to do this photo shoot of her own free will) then there should be no issue so long as fans are allowed to chose to avoid it.
In the overall, this is a non-nude shoot that is only on Playboy, not shown at the racetracks; its no different than Tony Kanaan’s “Body” shoot he did in nothing but boxer-briefs for ESPN. No one forced Carmen to do this shoot, no one forced Danica to do her’s; and so long as Sarah and Simona are around to present another choice for female role models I don’t see this kind of photo shoot as a large issue.
sorry i opened my mouth.
sorry i used a word in a statement that offended.
i’m sure i could have picked a “cleaner” word to describe a person that takes of their clothes for money… ? really ?
i would be in that 18 – 35 male demo, not working for this one.
i did say it’s fine, as long as it’s kept away from the series, but i do understand it’s far easier to dismiss that statement and pick it apart.
the part that gets me, when someone’s “opinion” becomes right, and anotherone’s wrong. an opinion is just that. respect from me, but no worries on getting any back. all good.
Paul and redd: I’m actually a bit disappointed that the offending comment was deleted. (For context, the commenter accused me of being jealous of the Trophy Girls, said that I have no idea what I’m talking about, and suggested that I stick to writing about racing.) I was looking forward to telling him that the fact that I’ve spent my entire life fighting to be respected for attributes other than my appearance is precisely what makes me so passionate on this subject and that he sounds like he’s just worried that someone’s going to take his titty magazines away.
Anyway, the prevailing counterargument seems to be that plenty of women subject themselves to objectification and that someone in IZOD gear doing it is therefore not a problem. I want to repeat this: I really am not a prude, honestly. There are forms of adult media that can be very sexy, and sex is a natural part of the human experience. I just don’t believe it’s right to take the most unrealistically beautiful women to be found, coat them in make-up, have them pose for pictures, air-brush them to make them even more unrealistically beautiful, then splay them across magazine pages. I can’t support any implicit endorsement by IZOD or the Series of perpetuating this cycle — as a society, we’re supposed to be advancing beyond such superficial treatment of women. So, in short, as everyone’s mother used to say, just because other women are jumping off a bridge doesn’t mean we should, too.
A couple of people said that since there’s nothing at the track about this, it isn’t a big deal. The fact that there isn’t any cross-promotion at the track is about the only reason I’m not breaking down the door of the IICS head offices at 16th and Georgetown right now and am satisfied with simply writing in opposition of it. But as I said in the original post, the attitudes created by this sort of thing don’t stay between the pages of magazines — if they did, I’d have no problem with any of it whatsoever. The connection between the Trophy Girls and Playboy endorses bringing those attitudes to the track, which is where the deeper problem lies.
But as a final point, I submit that the very fact that there are clearly such deeply divided stances on this issue is precisely why IZOD and the IICS shouldn’t be using this type of marketing at all.
Did you look at the photos, Steph? Seems a key step to having an opinion on them. I looked and what they have online shows far less skin than Danica’s swimsuit shoots. So I was glad to read you were against those as well. One of the reasons I’m a big Sarah Fisher fan is she doesn’t dot his stuff, and therefore I think she’s a better role model for my daughters in this area. BUT, end of the day, a woman is in charge of her body (pretty sure we agree there) and how much of it she shows for professional (cash) gain is her call. (We probably agree there as well.) Every woman in sports has to make the call about how much skin is too much. Most women in sports use some kind of “glamor” images in their marketing. How much is too much is the big debate, obviously. I found the Cameron the IZOD girl’s online photos pretty tame compared to some female athletes’ shots I’ve seen.
Remember … she also said she had a surprise for us, but said the announcement was delayed until Chicagoland. Any guesses? I have two guesses, but I’ll see if I’m right w/o posting.
It would be interesting to ask whether she was hired by the Indy Racing League or by IZOD on behalf of the league. In other words, is she an IRL model or an IZOD model? If she’s an IRL model, then there should be some concern regarding the league “brand”. If she’s an IZOD model, then – to be honest – that concern can be mitigated by the league, and I don’t think IZOD really should be concerned. I can see Cameron becoming a “Face of IZOD”, similar in nature to how Anna Nicole Smith & Claudia Schiffer were to Guess? Some could even say people saw Guess? jeans, asked who the model was, and then searched further. If IZOD were to do this with Cameron, the same could happen. A casual fan could say “Who’s that?!? Ahh, her name is Cameron. She’s the IZOD Girl for the IndyCar Series. I might have to check that out.” Yeah, they may be mostly checking her out, but they might also check out the league and the racing as well.
There is little doubt Mrs. Sulte (yes, sorry guys – Cameron is married as of Feb 2010 – you can still see her Crate&Barrel online registry) is very attractive. As a straight, unfortunately-for-the-moment-single guy, I would probably be considered a eunoch if I didn’t say such. She has been modelling since at least 2004 (her 1st/only appearance in Playboy itself to date – hence my guess from 1st paragraph – she has done a few of the supplementary publications). The first thing I said to myself when seeing Cameron at St. Pete was “Ahh … we now have our own Sprint Cup girl.” I didn’t know what to initially think, but then seeing her in photo ops with drivers, celebrities, and other IZOD models, I became OK with it.
According to PEI (Playboy Enterprises, Inc. – parent company): The U.S. edition has a rate base of 1.5 million, approximately one in ten men in the U.S. age 18 to 34 reads the magazine. The company has 26 licensed foreign editions, all of which are profitable and serve as regional brand drivers. An estimated 9 million adults read Playboy’s international editions each month, bringing the magazine’s global readership to more than 18 million readers. Playboy.com is one of the world’s most popular men’s websites, with more than five million unique global visitors and nearly 45 million page views monthly.
I don’t know about you, but those are numbers that cannot be ignored. Playboy is a marketing machine, and IZOD is right there with them. Let’s say only 5% of those viewers continue their intrigue into Cameron after seeing PG-13 pictures of her in her IZOD Firesuit, they’re going to see her relationship with the IICS, which could equate to new viewers for the league. That’s still a megaton of publicity – good or bad. Any publicity is better than no publicity, especially in today’s environment.
So – where does the league go from here? Is this really bad publicity? Bad direction? Both? Neither? I think this is were the debate truly lies. The league needs to draw eyeballs and attention in order to grow its fanbase. The fanbase has been stagnant for several years, though there seems to be optimism for growth. A big demographic that needs to be tapped further is that male 18-35 range, which has fallen to extreme sports & MMA. Autoracing in general is getting hit badly, so everyone’s trying to hit the magic button to draw that key demographic back.
(I keep thinking back to my Psychology 101 course. Freud said everything we do in life can be filtered down to one of two things: sex or violence. NASCAR has come out with the “Have At It Boys”, and there’s been fist-fights, name-calling, etc. They’ve chosen the violence path. With IZOD coming on board, with the glamour parties, Hollywood, and now with Cameron’s shoot with Playboy, it appears the IRL has chosen more of the sex path.)
One thing worth considering, and it’s something I’m now stuck on. Is it the league that is trying to be family-friendly, or is primarily IMS? Since the Tony George era started, you’ve seen IMS become much MUCH more family-oriented. Original Snakepit – gone. Kid activities, autograph sessions, unique opportunities for tickets and activities, free concerts, etc. – all added. IMS is no longer the rowdy month-long drunk tank from the 60′s-80′s. We *might* be seeing that family-friendly facade crack a little bit with the re-invention of the Snake Pit, Miller Lite Party Deck, and with what may be deemed questionable family-friendly Carb Day concerts (Kid Rock & STP, to name two). It’s a tough call to see where that boundary between family-friendly and non-family-friendly, especially with so much available to kid fingers, eyes, & ears (by choice or not).
I’m not sure how I would handle this situation as a parent (since I am not one at the time). I would take it upon myself to do all I can to prevent a child from accessing her R-rated pictures. What would happen if PEI were to sponsor a car, and he/she were to ask what Playboy is. I would say it was a magazine, and leave it at that. I mean, I didn’t know what “Hollywood” was until they were already out of Champ Car – I originally thought it was a California Tourism Group. With the IICS, there are waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many things to try to latch a child onto (the speed, the sounds, the drivers, the cars, the fun) – that’s where I would and will focus my parenting efforts when I begin introducing the league to my kids.
(I could probably go on for a few more paragraphs, but I won’t … I gotta start my own blog – haha)
I may be wrong here and I certainly am in no position to put words into Steph’s mouth but I do think the issue is that it has become a societal nor for women to be objectified or for them to objectify themselves, and no matter how minor or tame the sexploitation, it is wrong because it limits or negates the possibility of women who do not, to be judged on more human, universal merits.
The issue really at hand here isn’t whether one agrees with the choices made by Cameron, but whether the league views those choices a fitting for a public representative of the league. The social/moral question can be debated with little headway and has been long before any of us were around, and I’m sure will be debated long after we’re gone. What’s at play here is the image of the league. Its very common for a business to place a stipulation in their employment contracts requiring a certain level of decorum in their private lives based on how certain activities will affect the business’s image and profitability. The real question here is whether the league thinks that Mrs. Sulte’s choice to be involved with Playboy helps, hinders, or is unrelated to how the public perceives the league. I understand Steph’s point that if the league is vying for a more family-friendly image, that perhaps this is not the type of decision they want their representatives making. In the end, its about the $$$. Does the league and IZOD make money with this, is this a non-event to them where it doesn’t substantially effect their marketability, or does it damage their image to the point of effecting revenues? My guess is that the second option is probably closer to the reality of the situation. This seems to be a tempest in a tea cup. Neither the league nor IZOD has pushed this photo shoot in the media, either broadcast, print, or online. If the situation develops into a more outright and visible sponsorship/involvement by Playboy, then I think the IRL and IZOD have some tough business decisions to make.
Andy I lmao at that post!!!
Also I see this topic has REALLY got readers talking. And I didn’t even come close to the most outrageous post. Wow are people passionate on this. lol
Great work Steph, it’s this kind of dialog I love the most as a fan!
Steph, as difficult as it is to stay out of this argument (and believe me, I’ve got teeth marks all over my tongue now), I am not for people using the comments section of this post to make outrageous accusations that do not further the discussion. If readers feel that personal slams are necessary, they are certainly free to take their comments elsewhere but I don’t want them here. That said, it’s your post, and you have as much access to the ‘approve’ button as I do the ‘unapprove’ button. 😉
Cheers Spike, but this is the most nonsense I have read about the IRL all year.
When you think about it , there are really only two points to consider.
I overall agree with Wedge here – and wasn’t even sure I wanted to get involved in this conversation…however…my main objection here is to the comment about Danica posing in a swimsuit and as a result ‘endorsing’ men making lude comments about her. That to me sounds like the whole ‘look at how she was dressed she was asking for it’ thing that one of those pigs would say.
I would encourage both of my nieces to look up to Danica – she is a healthy, independent woman who goes after her dreams. There is no shame in that whether posing in a swimsuit or a firesuit.
djcraske, nice post!
people keep throwing the male 18-35 group out as a “need to get” group… but correct me if i’m wrong, i attend an average of 4 races per year. as i scan the crowd, i see 2 main things, families and 18-35 year old males. i happen to be in both groups. the thing that worries me, if izod indycar does promote this, you will get more of the males, and less of the families. the main problem with this, a family with 3 kids are going to spend WAY more cash to feed the series, while the other group are going to buy the ticket, and make a $50.00 bill last the weekend. (the only reason i say this, and in no way am i saying ALL, is because this is what i hear from the mouth of many males in that group). i know myself, if i don’t have about a grand to blow for the weekend, i don’t go. a few $100.00 bills go the first second i walk into the indycar merch tent just to make my kids happy. now why do i bring this up? i believe the families spend the most and bottom line, without all the young kids at the track with parents, their is no indycar future fanbase. a CHEAP shot at gaining eyeballs (for all the WRONG reasons) will not help the future when the future is no longer brought to the track.
it is a no brainer the izod girl got the job for one reason. she is put on a pedastool as the face of the izod indycar series. you can’t have a victory circle without her face now. how did the driver get there? they won the race. how did she get there? she took her clothes off in the past, and still promotes it. bottom line, not a good image. imo. if playboy is what she wants to do, maybe she should stick to that. but it’s easy to say with contracts these days, i’m sure she had to get some kind of permission from the series to keep doing it. dare i say, i’m sure they smiled and said sure! use your firesuit!! they hired a girl that they new would do what the series couldn’t get danica to do years ago. that is why i fear this is only the begining unless people speak up.
P. Diddy became a mogul by producing entertainment which objectifies women.
Mark Wahlberg has a less than wholesome filmography.
Dave Navarro? There’s a Boy Scout role model for you.
Go look them up…or better yet, tune into the Versus rebroadcast in 90 minutes. Maybe you could ponder why it took Firestone until the last road race of the season to hit the tire compound variable correctly.
And count the Izod commercials, since they’re keeping this boat afloat.
Just sayin’. It’s just racin’.
It’s really interesting to see the points of view of younger women here. I’m glad at least some definitely see the dangers and limitations of presenting oneself in such a way.
As someone who has spent the last 35 years being objectified due to a large bust, I’ve seen plenty of reasons not to encourage that type of attention. I dress to deemphasize that area as much as I can but hiding my this much bust is hard to do without wearing a freakin’ metal framed tent! Even so, I’ve had my share of unpleasant to horrible experiences.
I’ve withdrawn my candidacy for two nearly-ideal jobs over the last 15 years because the manager I’d have reported to was interviewing my chest. To have so little regard for me as a person, his own reputation, the position and the company – well, that was alarming, and it’s just not good enough for me.
I’ve had guys become offended when I was not interested in having a conversation about my bust – heck, if I’m not dating you, it’s not really a topic for you to bring up. But I always start with a light, polite reply – “they’re with me all the time, so it’s not really something I’d think of as a topic of conversation.” On various occasions, I’ve been called a bitch for that, and a couple of times I’ve literally been told I should have a reduction if I didn’t like to talk about them. Seriously – I have to cut part of myself off for you to treat me with some respect? Unacceptable – I deserve better.
Just this weekend at the track, someone mentioned the photo flag I had and asked me where it allowed me to shoot. I explained all the cool areas I could go and then complained that I couldn’t take advantage this weekend because my back hurt. He gestured at my bust and said, “Well, I can see why.” I was a bit snarky when I told him I tweaked it moving furniture.
The worst thing by far happened at a company dinner for a startup I had just joined a few weeks earlier. My boss groped me when we were out of sight of others. I consulted a lawyer and took my situation to several groups of working women and they all told me to be prepared for HR to believe him over me. I went in wanting to avoid a lawsuit – I just wanted out – but I was prepared for one nonetheless. When I told them what happened, they didn’t blink. They said they valued me and didn’t want me to go, offered to have me report to someone else (who still reported to him – small company), to work from home half the time, etc. I told them I couldn’t trust being in a place where he had any impact on my career and that wasn’t possible at that company. I wanted 4 months salary and to leave immediately. I didn’t mention a lawsuit, but they still immediately agreed to my terms. They wouldn’t confirm this – which was the correct thing to do legally – but from the way it all unfolded, it seems like they had been through this before…
It’s already tough enough out there to get equal pay and opportunities. I can’t understand why people would want to subject themselves to limiting, degrading experiences so readily by following what culture throws up at them. I’m always so sad when I find the web site of a talented writer or photographer, read the bio and find a cheesecake shot. How ’bout a nice head shot? The talent speaks for itself – let it.
Like Steph, I’m no prude. In fact, I firmly believe with should be able to walk down the street naked like it’s nothing at all. But we are just NOT evolved to that point – nowhere close. We won’t be as long as we keep holding up cheesecake/beefcake imagery as the ideal, and I just hate to see people playing along like it’s nothing. Let’s offer up something else of far greater value – character, integrity, talent, humor, integrity.
Okay, that’s….the rest of my story.
I have to agree with the well-written comments of Christopher Morben and djcraske.
In addition, professional sports nowadays are no longer the family-friendly functions they once were and I don’t think the series should even pretend to be as such. Racing is “racy” and Izod’s association with Playboy accentuates that “edgy” impression that is synonymous with racing. I must admit that the marketing decision is a bit risky but not at all risque. I like it !
The IZOD girl has posed nude before & if some horny 14 year old, Indycar following male, has figured out The Google… he will easily find her unclothed images for free on a variety of websites. Just needs her name! No Twitter needed
You all can argue and list statistics about this matter until your fingers fall off, but the point that I made at the end of my last comment remains: the very fact that there are clearly such deeply divided stances on this issue is precisely why IZOD and the IICS shouldn’t be using this type of marketing at all.
This is one of those situations where the group that doesn’t have a problem with this is far less significant than the one that does. If the IICS and IZOD drop Playboy as an advertising venue, it has zero effect on the group that didn’t have any concerns — they weren’t going to stop paying attention and they still won’t.
But if they do continue to use it, the group that does have a problem with it will stop paying attention — or worse, it could create a public relations nightmare for both entities.
With exceptions that amount to statistical anomalies, there are two groups that have spoken out in favor of the stance taken in the original post: women who have also felt marginalized by physical objectification in their lives (and say what you want about Playboy — call it a “lifestyle magazine” or “tamer than its counterparts” or Susan for all I care — but its primary function is to objectify women) and parents (primarily, but not exclusively, of little girls).
If the IZOD and the IICS doesn’t see these groups as part of their target demographic and doesn’t mind excluding them, then they can keep on keeping on with exactly what they’re doing. But if it wants these people to come to the track, spend their money, and enjoy open-wheel racing, they can’t go any further down this road.
That there are people who don’t feel as strongly about it is secondary — the people who do will be lost if something isn’t done. That’s a fact that can’t be argued. Therefore, someone needs to make a decision about who the IICS wants as their customers and act accordingly.
I’m not yet prepared to weigh in on this yet, Steph, but your quote above caught my eye:
“[Playboy’s] primary function is to objectify women.”
Kurt Vonnegut, Norman Mailer, John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, Shel Silverstein, George Plimpton, Gore Vidal, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury & Hunter Thompson — all writers at Playboy at one time or another — would almost certainly disagree.
Roy,
You are so correct!
I read one of the best exposes of Lockheed Martin and its relationship with Dick Cheney in Playboy. That was in the last couple of years.
Can I also state that as an F1 fan since the mid seventies, when I was six or seven years old, I was never corrupted by the site of Rupert Keegan driving a variety of Penthouse sponsored cars, the same way that I never felt the need to start smoking just because I was exposed to Marlboro and John Player Special branding almost everywhere I looked.
Incidentally, the Durex sposorship of the Surtees team never made me a voracious consumer of prophylactics as a child either.
http://f1-facts.com/gallery/p/RKeegan
http://galeria.forocoches.com/data/500/8604surtees_1977_1_.jpg
Cheers,
Dex
Lets also not be shocked by the IZOD Playboy connections. Many here must know who the owner of Andretti Autosport married & what the current Mrs. Andretti’s old job was. (Hint: She received a section of the magazine that folds out & the title of favorite for her particular year…) Michael also fields the #37 IZOD Dallara. Gee what are the odds, eh? 🙂 🙂
Lets also recall Cameron is the TROPHY GIRL… not a driver. So sorry Steph, but bringing the Danica vs. the rest of the lady drivers (in terms of swimsuit promotion PR) is just not relevant to this story as we are not talking about a driver. Just another pretty girl working for a race series promoting her modeling career. If my favorite HBO show can cast a porn actress I think I can deal with a trophy girl who misplaced all her IZOD clothing with a photographer in the room!
The remaining issue is having any moral litmus test for sponsors interested in the Indycar series. Please, lets not go here. Any LEGAL PRODUCT should be welcomed with open arms! One can build a negative case about ANY product!
Spike presented a valid case against the National Guard. Dex mentioned Philip Morris (Marlboro). One could argue we would have never heard of the late Greg Moore, Jacques Villeneuve, & Alex Tagliani without the backing of PLAYER’S. Smoking (IMO) has gone down because governments have taxed the crap out of tobacco not because they outlawed sports promotion or sponsorships.
The USA has a childhood obesity problem… energy drinks are filled with way too much sugar. Caffeine &taurine spike heart rates so much France has BANNED Red Bull. Traditional drinks have high fructose corn syrup. Most snack foods rot kids teeth. Some think cell phones cause medical issues in developing brains. The folks that freak about alcohol sponsorship & high speed cars might say cell phones, texting, & automobiles are just as bad.
I don’t want the government or a racing series acting as a nanny for my kid. Andy mentioned Linda Vaughn… well three decades later we have Cameron the IZOD girl promoting clothing instead of Hurst Shifters!
This is just another parental moment… if your daughter has hit the gene pool lottery & wants to be a model, then all the aspects of her career choice should be explained long before she is fielding job offers. Posing nude in Playboy is not a bad thing… but don’t expect to be running for political office or CEO of a non entertainment corporation with that on your resume. At best expect a ton of B-movie rolls with required nude scenes & hope you marry a sugar daddy before they replace you with the next new “It Girl” who also calls herself a centerfold/ actress!!!
Sex must sell… look at how many responses a Playboy related story generated!
Stephie, I can’t agree more with each word you wrote here. And by “here” I mean the whole website, not just this article. I’m starting to fall in love with you!
I think this whole argument is stupid! I have seen the photos and there was no nudity whatsoever. I will agree that it came close, but still nothing. Besides these are the trophy girls, not Danica, Milka, or Simona. Also, the girls that are actual playmates have charities and fundraisers for children. Are you saying that because these women are proud of their bodies they can’t make a good impression on a child? If that is the case then you are close minded! You know some of the women who have been in playboy including celebrities, models and athletes have children and yet they still posed! Why? It is because they felt it would not affect the lives of their kids and they felt it was a great opportunity to be a part of it.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand where you are coming from with this. But I am a person who sees both sides of a story and can tell where the intentions lay. I simply see this as advertising to the men who follow Indycar or the men who look at Playboy and want to see the girls in person at the next event. This advertisement will bring money to the IRL, money that they need right now. But because of this one ad it doesn’t mean that the drivers or the IRL as a whole are going to be looked at badly. These pictures are no worse than what you see in the swim suit addition of SI, with painted girls and see-through clothing. The drivers are not going to receive any hate when they go to a hospital to put a smile on a child’s face because these girls were in non-nude pictures in Playboy. They are going to be treated just the same as they were before, with respect and admiration.
If you think about it, this situation is like if Ford decided to put their new F-150 in a Playboy ad with a few girls in bikinis standing next to it and potential buyers (being parents) said “Oh my God! Look at those girls in Playboy! We can’t take our kids to the Ford dealership to pick up our truck because little Johnny and Sue could see one of these girls!”
This whole situation is just ridiculous!
Roy,
I worship the group you walk on. Anyone who references Dr. Hunter. S. Thompson (my literary hero) is my kind of person!
I love his political writings!
Dex, Great images of the Penthouse cars. I had a poster of the black & gold Penthouse sponsored Arrows. I loved the paint scheme & when I was older my Dad told me that at first my Mom was not very cool with me hanging the poster in my room (when I first acquired the poster). Dad had argued that at my age Penthouse didn’t register… he was right, it took a few years before I grasped what was featured in Arrows F1′s sponsor!!!
On the tobacco front… I bought Marlboro World Championship Team patches to make my own McLaren or Patrick Racing jackets… long before Penske & Philip Moris set up Marlboro Gear stands at every race. I would cut JPS decals for my helmets because of Mario & the cool Lotus race cars that also sported John Player Special sponsorship. I modified my 1/18th scale models to have CAMEL or Marlboro decals replacing the PC blocks or non branding. I have never smoked cigarettes in my life.
I’m enlightened to read that the Surtees team regularly stopped for fresh rubber.
Roy: the fact that those extremely talented people used Playboy as a vehicle to launch their careers doesn’t change the fact that they decided on Playboy for the same reason that IZOD has now — men who want to see pictures of women in various states of undress might happen upon their content in the process. I mean, the perennial joke about Playboy is “I just buy it for the articles,” right? Sorry, but if the pictures went away, Playboy would too, so that argument is a bust. (Ha.)
And all the men who continue to argue that they weren’t affected by adult magazine sponsorships in the past or that they didn’t start smoking because Senna drove the Marlboro car are completely missing the point. I didn’t start smoking Player’s because Greg Moore came up through their development program, either, but I’m willing to accept that others may have — just because I’m not easily influenced by the messages advertisers deliver to us doesn’t mean everyone is immune. Peer pressure is an immeasurably powerful thing. Ask your neighbor’s teenage girl who’s struggling with bulimia how she feels about her self-image after seeing people like the IZOD Trophy Girls posing for Playboy and you might better understand my perspective.
iKingston said: “Besides these are the trophy girls, not Danica, Milka, or Simona. Also, the girls that are actual playmates have charities and fundraisers for children. Are you saying that because these women are proud of their bodies they can’t make a good impression on a child?”
I’m willing to admit this much: it would be a thousand times worse if it was a driver from a reach perspective, but at least in their case we can point out that driving a race car is a talent and that those women aren’t showcasing their bodies as if there’s nothing else about them that’s important. (I’m not saying that makes it okay and I still don’t want to see it, but it does make the matter a little easier to talk one’s way around.) The IZOD Trophy Girls, on the other hand, exist for no other purpose than to be attractive, as far as I can tell. I’m not sure I’ve ever even so much as seen one of them open her mouth at the racetrack (and for all I know, maybe that’s for the best). They may be intelligent, articulate, or otherwise talented, but their careers are based on nothing more than… well, being a trophy, and I don’t think that’s acceptable. I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with a woman being proud of her body — in fact, having all women (heck, all people) be proud of whatever bodies they’ve been born with in this life, regardless of whether they happen to fit what society has deemed the ideal form, is exactly what those of us who stand against this are hoping to promote, here. But by earning their living by being nothing more than hot bodies on magazine pages and at racetracks, the IZOD Trophy Girls are perpetuating the media’s message that being pretty is more important and will make you more successful than being smart or talented. And by paying someone to do that, IZOD is implicitly supporting that message. So, I guess I’ve just now come to realize that these photos are even worse than Danica’s appearance in SI. Thanks for that.
And by the way, the fact that the Playmates hold fundraisers for children’s charities is nothing but a disgusting attempt at handing society an olive branch to cover up the influences they have exactly as I’ve outlined above. It’s shameful, and I don’t know how they sleep at night.
“That there are people who don’t feel as strongly about it is secondary — the people who do will be lost if something isn’t done. That’s a fact that can’t be argued. Therefore, someone needs to make a decision about who the IICS wants as their customers and act accordingly.”
What about the people who won’t be gotten in the first place if this shoot isn’t done? I understand there’s a potential to lose a few moms here and there (and their children, and their spending power) but I think the opposing group is a very, very small one. Exposing the series to a million or so potential viewers versus losing a mom/dad or two… I’ll take option A. Female athletes pose for swimsuit issues and Playboys every year and most, if not all, make it through and their careers are the same, if not better for it. There is no public relations issue so long as the shoots are done tastefully.
This is a bit off the race path, but I think you’re being a bit inconsiderate toward models and their CHOSEN profession. I understand you feel strongly toward the message the fashion and modeling industry can present but you’re being a harsh on the men and women who CHOOSE to be a part of that industry. No one has a gun to Cameron’s head, forcing her to be a model and “sell her body”. She chooses to do this the same way you or anyone else has chosen to do what they want for a living. For you to hold it against them that they choose to play to their strength is a bit… well, strong.
A lot of your argument is based upon your own interpretation. You say that these women choosing to be models are “perpetuating the media’s message that being pretty is more important and will make you more successful than being smart or talented,” which I think is a very narrow perspective to have. People who are qualified to model make a living in just as abstract a way as any athlete, artist, musician, or driver. They’re born into – and are good at something – that 99% of the population is not. If modeling perpetuates the previously quoted message, being an uneducated race car driver (most of which don’t finish high school, let alone college) does just the same. I find that attitude to be a bit condescending toward the modeling profession by over-simplifying what they do and discrediting models for being good enough at something to be a professional at it.
Christopher: you’re in no position to claim that the group opposing this is small any more than I’m in a position to claim that it’s large. Your comment is more full of suppositions than any of the others here (such as branding all race car drivers as uneducated — I’d like to introduce you to Milka Duno and JR Hildebrand).
You may be willing to toss an entire demographic of women and children out the window for the sake of including those brought in by Playboy (mainly because I suspect you fall into that demographic — oh, look, a supposition!), but that’s not your decision to make any more than it is mine. That’s up to IZOD and to the Series. All I’ve done is point out the risks in doing so, which may not have been apparent without the matter having been brought into the spotlight. There are plenty of opinions out there now, so the choice is theirs. All the rest of us can do is decide on how we want to respond to their actions.
By the way, there are other ways to get the demographic that can be found reading Playboy. It just takes a little more marketing creativity and acumen to do it. The best of both worlds can be had — it just takes a bit more work. It also happens to earn a lot more respect from those who take issue with this particular path. Again, that choice lies with IZOD and the Series. I hope they make the one that can be societally responsible and get them the new viewers that they want without alienating current ones, but that’s now up to them.
No family is going to BOYCOTT Indycar racing due to the fact that one of their trophy girls has a side gig with Playboy! Grid Girls are common place in Europe & Asia. A few years back some of the GP’s featured TOPLESS Grid girls covered in body paint. No need to search the ‘net for titillation, the nudity was showcased on the grid & no one gave a good damn!!!
IZOD hires MEN & WOMEN for their TV spots, magazine adverts, & catalog shoots strictly for their looks. No speaking parts required, just pretty faces & gene pool lottery winners. The male models (w/ six pack abs) don’t look anything like the paunchy, 30 something suburbanite that actually sports an IZOD polo on a given weekend. No one wants to see regular folks selling them stuff.
Playboy, SI swimsuit edition, or Ms. Universe. Its all the same crap, yet a beauty queen contestant seems to be deemed more respectable since its draped in a nations’ flag & educational scholarships? A former Miss America contestant can run for political office… but the Playboy/ Penthouse girl are trash or are only worthy of Skin-A-Max movies on cable? Maybe a jock husband after they meet @ the PB Mansion in Los Angeles?? Please!!!
Finally to address your last point Stephanie… how do you know what is behind a Playmate’s (or any woman’s) charity efforts? IMO, you discredit much of your own viewpoint when you ASSUME what hidden motives MIGHT be behind the Playboy model’s goodwill efforts. Most of these girls seem to have “Daddy Issues”, but almost always express their love for puppies, animal rights, & their quest to have 2-3 kids w/ Mr Right. Why would you think these girls are heartless gold diggers, with no desire to do positive things just because they pose nude in a magazine? As a blogger, with hopefully a journalistic ethic… why would you throw out the assumption that Playboy underwrites charitable involvement to falsely elevate the character of its Playmates? Where is your proof this is a Playboy mission statement??
What is up with all this trophy girl/ model hate ?
What time is it ? Ooops, it must be “hate-thirty PM” and it’s time to drink the “hate-o-rade”…
Seriously, I think the series has bigger problems than alienating the potential fans of tomorrow. They need to secure adequate funding to even reach tomorrow so if a spread in Playboy helps, so be it. I’m just grateful that IZOD came to the rescue. Perhaps they can do another spread in Good Housekeeping to balance it out 😉
What’s wrong with Playboy anyway ? They are purveyors of the fine female form… objects of beauty to be admired, worshipped and adored. It’s art ! (…and don’t forget the articles, haha)
AZZO45: We’re making points in circles, now. I think some of us just need to agree to disagree. But since you’ve called me out, I’ll address the points you’ve challenged me on in your most recent comment.
First of all, to repeat a point I made earlier: you can’t presume to say that no family will boycott the Series based on its involvement with Playboy any more than I can presume to say that they will. There’s no way for either of us to back up such a claim. You don’t think it’s reasonable for them to do so; I happen to think that it is if their convictions so dictate. Again, people get to agree to disagree. That’s how free speech works.
Second, you say that no one wants to see regular folks selling them stuff. That’s a huge problem, too, but that’s a much broader argument. As it relates to racing, we’re discussing whether it’s acceptable for IZOD and the Series to align with Playboy — to take the discussion outside of that leaves the scope of this website, and the stances on that specific issue have been well documented here.
But since I did bring it up and you replied specifically: no, I don’t think the Playmates think they’re doing something awful when they support children’s charities, but that’s because I don’t really think that they think about how what they do affects young minds. There’s an entire segment of society that’s happy to ignore the objectification of women (and men) because they’re not directly affected by it, including a number of the commenters here. I can’t help but wonder if any of the Playmates would reconsider how their role affects young girls in particular if someone would sit them down and show them examples of the deeply negative impact their careers can have. I hope that many of them would be shocked to see some facts brought to their attention. But I don’t hold any illusions that the marketing folks behind Playboy have similar barriers to understanding their detrimental role in society.
And finally, just because something is currently being done and has been done since the early days of racing doesn’t make it right or acceptable. If you want to play that card, let’s teleport back 50 years. I can be denied higher education because I’m a woman, marry someone when I’m far too young, and reach my current age miserable, barefoot, and raising 17 children. Obviously, some feel that the world was a better place when things operated that way. Personally, I’d prefer to see society moving forward, and attaining true equality for all should be seen as a goal in that.
But if I can go as far as to point out that teenage girls fight eating disorders, drug and alcohol addictions, and other psychological issues on a daily basis because of the way that the media portrays body image and the role that Playboy plays in that and that isn’t enough to sway you, then you won’t be swayed. I can accept that — if we all agreed on everything, the world would be a boring place. We’ve all made our points quite emphatically, so let’s let the Series and IZOD decide what they want to do with it. There’s really not much new to be added to the discussion at this stage.
Steph, what the hell? You’re contradicting yourself:
“Obviously, some feel that the world was a better place when things operated that way [50 years ago]. Personally, I’d prefer to see society moving forward, and attaining true equality for all should be seen as a goal in that.”
50 years ago, everyone EXCEPT FOR the individual woman was telling her what to do & how to act. Which is precisely what you’re doing here. That’s not “equality.” It’s not even close. It’s oppression.
Sorry, Roy — I’ll need you to clarify.
(EDIT: Wait, I get what you’re saying now.)
It’s a woman’s choice whether to appear in Playboy — sure. And if that woman is educated about how her choosing to do that affects others and still chooses to do it, then that’s her choice. I suppose it’s a form of societal advancement that she’s free to make that choice — fair point.
But it’s still secondary to the overall issue, which is that IZOD and the Series are endorsing that same message by paying that woman to do so. That’s two corporate entities that represent an entire sport backing the socially irresponsible choice that the woman has made. If they’re also fully informed of the impact that has and they also still choose to do it, that’s also their choice. But they can’t expect people who have been touched by the objectification of women (through witnessing the aforementioned eating disorders, alcohol and drug addictions, etc.) not to have an opinion on it.
I think that covers what you were getting at. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Steph: You are correct… people can agree to disagree. However, IZOD is a fashion company that promotes freakish MALE & FEMALE beauty to promote their fashion line ups. Same way Hugo Boss, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, Perry Ellis, Alexander Julian, (all past ICS sponsors) promote their companies.
The IZOD girl was a nude model BEFORE she was hired & she was allowed to promote this latest joint venture. She’s not a driver & 99% of fans (especially 1st time or casual fans) will have zero clue that the IZOD trophy girl has another gig where she leaves the firesuit off!!! 🙂 🙂
If they say its an issue with then becoming Indycar fans… I call mock outrage & B.S. No different than all the Bible -thumpers who threaten to cancel their son’s subscription to SI after they discovered the “smutty swim suit edition”… that SI has published & promoted for 30 years!!! For all their outrage SI’s subscription numbers remain solid & might experience a bump. Someone is sayin’ one thing & doin’ the complete opposite, eh?!
As for women’s body issues I have read several articles over the years pointing to males embracing many of those same issues. Steroids & HGH were males obsessing over unrealistic role models. Plastic surgery for men has been a booming business for the same docs that do boob jobs & puffy kissers for the women. My trainer made her boyfriend get lazar for his hairy back & a few other places… I’m not kidding 🙂 🙂
I’ll admit the problems are much more common in young girls… but the IZOD girl becoming a PB model isn’t adding to this problem. Get rid of Ms America, Hawaiian Tropic bikini contests, & Ladies Nite @ every bar in North America & perhaps these things might change… but I highly doubt it.
Then we agree to disagree, AZZO45. To continue the discussion beyond the points already made forces us to either repeat arguments or go outside the realm of what’s relevant for the scope of this site. Let’s leave it at that.
Come now, Steph. You’re not supporting the choices these Playmates have. In fact, you judged their decision & openly wondered how they can even suppress all that guilt you think they should be carrying:
“It’s shameful, and I don’t know how they sleep at night.”
I’m glad they have the freedom to make that choice, but I don’t support their actually doing so, no. But again, it’s secondary. And I don’t think there are many more different ways left for any of us to say the same thing to try to convince one another, so I think the discussion has run its course.
we all must think in our lives what direction to go.
do we work hard and earn a living, or do we give up at a young age and show skin to get what we want? playboy has been the sugar daddy to young woman that want something with less effort since day one. so i guess that would be izod’s stand, to reach a goal with less effort… not a good image. name me one former playboy model that posed nude for the sole reason to show off a “beautifull woman’s body”, not wanting the money or future jobs from the shoot. it’s the easy way out. i just thought izod and indycar would be a bit more classy then that. i agree to disagree.
Any magazine that has a scantily-clad Marge Simpson on its cover is OK in my book.
“heck, I’m proud to live in a city that is host to a parade that sees hundreds of gay men and women strutting down our main street, mostly or completely naked, in front of upwards of a million people.”
I find it extremely hipocritical that you do not have a problem with this but you do have a problem with a trophy girl posing in a magazine? I’m no homophobe but I think it is ridiculous and a sad statement on the state of our society that someone would be “proud” to have a parade of mostly or completely naked freaks parading down main street, regardless of their sexual orientation.
I think that Cameron is kid-appropriate at the track. Outside of the track, it is a parent’s job to monitor content their child(ren) digest–not the IZOD IndyCar Series.’
Now, the trophy and grid girls– definitely not kid-appropriate. But a lot of fans like them. Perhaps maybe dressing them a little bit classier, yet sexy, would be a better way to go.
(And for the record, not all conservatives are opposed to gay marriage 🙂 )
http://lubelskiots.pl/warsztat-samochodowy-i-jego-oferta
Purchasing a new or used car could be a hard process if you do not know what you really are performing. By teaching yourself about automobile shopping prior to visit the dealer, you could make points easier for yourself. The following advice might help your following shopping journey become more pleasurable.
Always take a mechanic coupled when buying a new automobile. Vehicle merchants are notorious for selling lemons and you do not want to be their next victim. Provided you can not get a mechanic to look at autos along, no less than make sure that you have him evaluate your ultimate decision before buying it.
Know your limitations. Prior to starting store shopping for your next automobile or pickup truck, choose what you can manage to pay, and follow it. Don’t forget about to add interest in your computations. You will definitely spend around 20 % as a down payment too, so be prepared.
Just before going to a car dealership, know what type of motor vehicle you would like. Study all you options prior to shopping so that you can decide what works for your financial allowance and family needs. Do your homework to find out simply how much you must be paying to get a potential automobile.
Before you sign any commitment make time to study each and every collection, for example the small print. If you have nearly anything shown you do not comprehend, do not indication until you get an solution that you fully grasp. Unsavory salesmen can make use of an agreement to insert several fees that were not talked about.
If you keep the previous guidance in mind the very next time that you go buying a auto, you will end up more likely to obtain a good deal. Buying a automobile does not have to be a headaches. Only use the guidelines using this report and you may obtain the automobile you would like in a excellent value.
New programme
http://tara.goblog.allproblog.com/?entry.bella
free men and animals porn tiny tabby porn pics porn videosfree russian teen porn sveta april trembly porn
Hello guys, my name is Eva!
I`m an academic writer and I`m going to change your lifes onсe and for all
Writing has been my passion since early childhood and now I cannot imagine my life without it.
Most of my works were sold throughout Canada, USA, Old England and even India. Also I`m working with services that help people to save their nerves.
People ask me “Hey, Eva Mccarthy, I need your professional help” and I always accept the request, `cause I know, that only I can solve all their problems!
Professional Academic Writer – Eva – tritronicsinc.com Band