PHOTO: Ashley Graham First Plus-Sized Model In Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Truth rating: 10 S

[Baitball Blogger]

Ashley Graham is the first-ever plus-size model to be featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The bikini-clad model, who is a size 14-16, appears in the 2015 edition, which hits newsstands next week.

Graham’s appearance is part of an ad for the plus-size bathing suit company, swimsuitsforall. She says in a statement, “I know my curves are sexy and I want everyone else to know that theirs are too. There is no reason to hide and every reason to flaunt.”

snip
Graham was recently in the news for slamming the media’s perception of size. She said wrote in an essay for The Edit, “I was told to look up to Marilyn Monroe and J.Lo, because those were the only two curvy women considered beautiful. We need role models for young girls who say, ‘Embrace your curves. Who cares that your body isn’t perfect?’ There’s too much anorexia, obesity and suicide in this generation and nobody is addressing the issue.”

“Young girls don’t have much to look at, curvy women are not on covers of magazines, they’re not talked about on social media as much as other celebrities,” Graham continued. “Jennifer Lawrence is the media’s poster girl for curves — [but] she’s tiny.” What do you think?

http://www.gossipcop.com/ashley-graham-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-issue-photo-plus-size-model-swimsuits-for-all-ad-curves-in-bikinis-campaign-video

[Vinca]

1. That's more of a normal size for a woman as tall as I suspect she must be.

If they really want "swimsuits for all," they'll put a picture on the cover of a woman who is 5'5" and a size 26. That's a "plus" size model.

[sundevil2000]

14. I have to disagree...

she is definitely a plus size MODEL

[meow2u3]

43. She's a normal-sized real woman

as opposed to those skinny models with unnaturally prominent ribs. With those models, it looks as if it's only a matter of time before they keel over from starvation.

In other words, she's of ideal weight for her height and build, something I wish I could be again.

[msanthrope]

2. I thnk she's gorgeous, but I think her top is ill-fitting. nt

[underpants]

4. I agree

The top is way too big

[msanthrope]

6. I fell right into that, didn't I? nt

[underpants]

15. Better than her falling OUT of it

Well now that I think about it

[msanthrope]

16. I eschew clothing that requires double-sided tape to keep my breasts in, generally.

YMMV.

[jberryhill]

29. Pasties only use single sided tape!

I don't know if they count as "clothing" exactly, but I don't see why not.

[immoderate]

3. Curvy, huh?

--imm

[cyberswede]

22. I don't get it. nt

[immoderate]

44. I'm musing on the use of language.

Can you say zaftig?

--imm

[cyberswede]

45. Sure - there are several synonyms for that.

I don't get why it's funny, though.

[closeupready]

5. It's still an objectification of women, so not sure why this is 'better' than a slimmer model.

[JI7]

7. it's an ad for selling bathing suits

Plus size bathing suits

[closeupready]

9. If so, then the thread title is misleading.

It's clearly attempting to draw a similarity between the slender SI swimsuit models and, on the other hand, this more robust one.

[JI7]

11. yes it is misleading

[Warren DeMontague]

26. Right, it is equally "bad"

Like, not at all.

[closeupready]

28. And I agree with you, insofar as this: that if you reject one kind of exploitation,

then you must reject all of it (and conversely, if you consider the exploitation of the physical appearance of models who conform to cultural ideals of physical beauty an exploitation which is harmless and dandy, then you must also consider the exploitation of those who do NOT conform as harmless and dandy).

[Warren DeMontague]

30. Or else you dont think people finding other people attractive on the basis of physical appearance

Is inherently "exploitative" in the slightest.

And yes, harmless and dandy, also inherently a positive and even a good thing.

But then, life is short and I don't get mad if consenting adults enjoy it a little. I know others feel real differently about that, which is weird, but I've given up trying to understand certain human peculiarities.

[closeupready]

32. Sure, whatever. This doesn't upset me.

On the other hand, when the models seem - for whatever reason - to not be consenting, it does bother me, greatly.

Modeling is her career, so she's definitely consenting, IMO.

[Warren DeMontague]

35. I think one can safely assume that everyone on the cover of the SI swimsuit issue

is consenting, and probably fairly well compensated for the gig.

[Major Nikon]

41. I'm still trying to figure out how someone can be exploited at $10,000 per day

If anything, those who are paying newsstand price to be bombarded with all those erotoxins would seem to be the ones who are being exploited.

[Ykcutnek]

8. I'm sure some will still disapprove because they didn't have to remove

a wall of her house to get her to the photo shoot.

[Kali]

21. WTF?

[Orrex]

34. Ykcutnek suggests that some will argue that the model isn't really "plus sized"

On the grounds that she was able to exit her house without requiring demolition of an exterior wall. In other words, Ykcutnek suggests that some on DU will not accept this model as "plus sized" because she's not morbidly obsese several times over.

A real knee-slapper, right?

[a la izquierda]

38. This poster has a real way with words.

I'd prefer not to get my post hidden by linking to his comments about rape or an entire population of South America.

[cyberswede]

23. Huh?

What do you mean?

[aikoaiko]

10. Uh-oh. I remember what happened to the last SI cover thread

[IMG][/IMG]

[TheCowsCameHome]

13. She'll need more than a skimpy bathing suit to weather that storm.

I'll let it go at that.

No sense being alerted on.

[NaturalHigh]

33. The last SI cover thread...

made that picture look like a spring shower while out for a Sunday drive.

[petronius]

37. Thanks for posting that! I'd never heard of Aivazovsky before (shameful, I know), but

I really like what I'm finding...

[PassingFair]

52. That is a FANTASTIC painting!

I can smell the salt water!

[Terra Alta]

12. I consider that to be average-sized

not plus-sized. Though I'd rather see this than those size 0 models who look like walking skeletons and in no way resemble the average woman.

[Snow Leopard]

20. you haven't been

viewing SI's swimsuit issue then. Kate Upton can't be a size 0

[LifeLoveLib]

17. cuegrumpycatgood

Good for her.

Models nowadays are far too skinny.

BIG women are attractive.

[hunter]

18. When I see good looking men and women of many ages and many sizes in the SI Swimsuit Issue...

... then I'll know things have changed for the best.

But okay, any small step away from the current "supermodel" look (whatever that is now) is a step in the right direction.

My own measure of "sexual attractiveness" tends to track my own age group. My own kids' significant others are attractive but my paternal instincts kick in and take overwhelming precedence. My first thought when I see the current batch of super-models might be summarized as "eat something and quit worrying about your hair or makeup."

My own sexual identity was formed at the tail end of the dirty hippie era. Swimsuits, shaving, "nice" hair, make-up, or anorexic and overwrought levels of attention paid to curves or muscle tone or airbrushable stretch marks, I wasn't paying attention to any of that. I still don't.

The only ugly people I ever meet are ugly for the things they say or the way they act.

[LittleBlue]

19. Swimsuit mags put the focus on her boobs but

her best feature is her face.




Stunningly beautiful.

[JI7]

24. because they are trying to sell the bathing suit

[Warren DeMontague]

25. "Which hits newstands this week"

INCOMING, DU!!!!!

[NaturalHigh]

36. Oh come on now...

It's going to be a nice, polite, well-reasoned discussion this year, sort of like a book club discussing Homeric verse.

[Arugula Latte]

46. Kind of like the discussion about Spider Woman's ass ...

That went well.

[Baitball Blogger]

47. You'll never believe it but there is a sculpture of

spiderman on a wall and his butt is very explicit. Sells for more than 3 thou.

[NaturalHigh]

48. I vaguely remember something about that.

I actually learned something from that. Until that brouhaha hit, I didn't even know there was a Spider Woman. Of course I was never really into Marvel Comics, more of a DC guy.

[Arugula Latte]

49. Well, I guess you need a Spider Woman and Spider Man to make a Spider Baby

to keep the whole Spider Human thing going ... Sooo, ya know, it all makes sense.

[NaturalHigh]

50. Ugh...

The thought of little spiders gives me the creeps.

[rickford66]

27. What's amazing with the photo is that if you look closely for a while ....

you can see a guy behind her.

[NaturalHigh]

31. "There is no reason to hide and every reason to flaunt."

No kidding. Just do quick google search for Ashley Graham.

[nikto]

39. Gosh----She must be at least 3 lbs overweight

This is progress?




OK, OK.
Small steps.


Uh...
Microscopic steps.

[Skittles]

40. that's a great picture

[AwakeAtLast]

42. Ok, but the guy behind her is way too thin!

Male models are just as anorexic looking. Give me a man with some substance, please!

[NaturalHigh]

51. There's a guy in the picture?