Sporting Rendition Of Sensuality?

The world is adorned by awe-inspiring structures. From the stone-henge of yesteryear to the Burj-Al Arab which, frankly speaking, has no peers, architecture has come a long way in both concept and design. From the Palm-Jumerah which is visible from the moon, to the high rise sky-scrapers which stand tall and aloof, man has proven his credentials time and again to conjure something extraordinary out of the blue, by taking the game of building blocks to a level where it seems too good to be true.

They say God created man before woman. But then you always make a rough draft before the final masterpiece.

Amongst the amazing ‘creations’ which abound in large numbers, there is one mural that stands out. Let’s face it, a woman’s body is the epitome of heavenly beauty, and the pinnacle of sublime craftsmanship. The perfect ‘dimensioning’ coupled with the beautifully carved out finer details, make it an engineering marvel unparalleled. Thus it is of little surprise that women are the face of the fashion industry. For essentially fashion is all about exuberance, a vivid portrayal of your inner thoughts, and painting them with vibrant colours for which women provide the perfect canvas.

Beauty when most unclothed is clothed best. - Phineas Fletcher, Sicelides

But an ‘innovation’ some sixty-five years ago has left the canvas barely covered. Even now the effect of it still makes people shudder.

It was the year 1946. World War II had just ended. Many pressing issues needed to be immediately attended. The time was ripe. Advocates of humanity as well as ideals like equality, liberty and fraternity were on the rise. Amidst the ‘uproar’, an ‘invention’ would lead to a widespread furore, so much so that its effect was likened to the atomic bombs being tested on certain ‘bikini’ islands far off shore.

Initially the response to the two-piece swimsuit was mellow, for women were fearful of their self-respect being sent to the gallows. The mindset was still not advanced, even if the bikini was invented amidst the romantic landscape of France. Women were a little uncomfortable, they were initially unable to shed their inhibitions, while men had never associated this with ‘women’ before.

But gradually with time, inhibitions were finally shed, sexuality and its depiction gained more acceptance. Bikinis became the new fashion statement, women’s liberation-attainment tool, while for men, they now had plenty to drool over. Seeing the upsurge in the popularity of the swimwear, Sports Illustrated editor Andre Laguerre decided to cash in on the opportunity. Sports Illustrated was a well reputed magazine, with a huge male following, owing to its coverage on well, uh, sports. But the winters always used to bring about a ‘cold’ response from the readers, their sporting ‘passions’ seemingly thawed by the vast expanse of the pure white snow.

It was then that Andre thought about an exclusive ‘swimsuit’ photo-shoot edition, which was to have a background of exotic locations, with pretty faces in the fore-front, to boost both his sales and the readers’ libido. With Babette gracing the cover of the first edition it seemed like ‘March’ had come a little too early. The first edition became a runaway success, the allure of the bikini proving too strong to resist. The bikini brought into limelight by Ursula Andress in James Bond’s Dr. No (1962) enthralled the male viewers all over again, thus completely stealing the show.

But the publication as we know it is not all about the pros. For it gave impetus to the ‘supermodel’ culture, objectified women and bred stereotypes about them, leading to the definition of the ‘desirable’ women as this tall, size-zero pin-up doll.

The wrong model?

Let us leave the beautiful women to men with no imagination. ~Marcel Proust, Albertine disparue, 1925

Besides, male fantasies have always been catered to in the representation of women in various sports. Be it the scantily clad cheer-leaders shaking their legs, leaving many men breathless, or the women who in their appealing attire provide ‘shade’ to the men ready to race, ‘eye-candies’ as they are called are always present to fixate the ever-wandering male gaze.

But considering the fact that sports have become more and more revenue-centric, this ties in with the philosophy that the more the visibility, the higher is the saleability (though in the publication’s case, it is what is hidden rather than what is shown that intrigues people more). For similar reasons, beach volleyball is considered to be amongst the favourite ‘male sports’. While owing to their flattering dresses and confident demeanour quite a few female tennis players are able to garner huge support, which translates into greater recognition to their sport, while they get lucrative endorsements.

The Russian Beauty

And thus it comes as no surprise that the edition featuring Maria Sharapova‘s photo-shoot had sales which went through the roof, for it was the best chance for her male fans to see her up-close. Other famous athletes to have got themselves clicked include Steffi Graf, the Williams sisters and Amanda Beard, but they represent only a handful in comparison to the supermodels on show.

At first sight, the association of the name Sports Illustrated seems misplaced considering the content and its depiction. But it all boils down to perception. For some the ‘bikini’ is a metaphor for fun, confidence and comfort. The under-current of having confidence in yourself (as depicted by these models who are comfortable in the depiction of their sexuality), and honing your abilities to face the tough situations (as seen in the hard work they do on their bodies to face the camera) is where the beauty of sports lies.

On the other hand, claims pertaining to the complete objectification of women, treating them as toys desired by men, do not seem misplaced. For sports stand for equality, chastity and purity and according to the purists this publication is all about false vanity, far removed from reality.

It is a well-accepted fact that the most prized assets that athletes possess are their well-drilled bodies, perfected by rigorously exposing them to harsh tribulations, so that the efforts later on lead to jubilations. For the better the tool, the better the result. The sharper the knife, the better the cut. But let’s not forget that it’s their performances that immortalize these mortals, and not the mere show of their chiselled frames, for we are talking about sports and not about sports entertainment. But then to each his own, for sports without debates is like a boat without oars. And while the readers decide which path to tread, I have an edition lying beside me, which I still have not read.