Well, I just picked up this month's issue of Triathlete Magazine. Before I purchased it though, I sat there at the news rack contemplating my purchase. I didn't know if I could bring myself to buy this month's issue. I love, LOVE, the magazine. In fact, I love reading anything and everything I can about triathlons (thus the reason why I read so many of your wonderful blogs). But! This month's cover caused me to pause. If you haven't seen it, the cover is of a very attractive female triathlete, Maxine Brahns, in a swimsuit. While it's not an overly skimpy swimsuit, it puts me in the position of looking like a real perv when I go to purchase the magazine. At the very least they could do would be to include a bike in the picture! I decided against posting the cover on my blog, but if you must see it, here's a link.
Inside Triathlon's cover is even worse. When I heard about it initially, I was looking forward to buying it as I'm a fan of this particular athlete. After seeing it, I changed my mind. I never thought that it'd be quite as revealing as it turned out. Maybe it's due to the summer month's approaching, but it seems both magazines decided to do a swimsuit/sex issue. Come on, I don't want to read about that in a triathlon magazine. If I wanted to buy a magazine about swimsuits and sex, I'd buy the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue or an issue of Maxim Magazine.
Now, I've read some comments about this in "letters to the editor" in prior issues. I feel like I've heard both sides of the story, but for me, I don't buy magazines to see women in bathing suits. As it stands with this issue, I'll read the magazine from cover to cover as usual, but it won't be one of the ones that I proudly display on my coffee table. It sends the wrong message about who I am. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't live my life scared of what other people think of me, but I know how I want to be represented.
My suggestion to 'Triathlete' is to stick to the sport. Give us cutting edge info, nutrition suggestions, training plans, and race info, but leave the swimsuit and sex discussions to the other mags.
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3 comments:
I COMPLETELY agree. And actually this months cover that you are referring to is QUITE tame compared to two months ago's cover and the pictures inside. I had to tear the cover off two months ago...that's how I felt about it.
I always want to write a letter to the editor about these types of issues, but people do OVER and OVER and they don't do anything about it. Annoying.
I suggest that we not get overly concerned about the messages sent by others (including magazines) on who we are. We know who we are and what we are made of. And that is how it should be.
I enjoy both magazines and have yet to be offended or concerned with what other people think of me because I read and enjoy each of them.
Unfortunately, the swim suit issue of Triathlete is very popular. I don't necessarily mind that they put it together but they did a HORRIBLE job of doing it. I sent an email earlier this month to them complaining of how bad a photo shoot it was.
Here's what I said:
'Ok. I have to ask this question. We as triathletes have to know how you go about this photo shoot for an issue like what was put out this month.
It seems that an email went out to everyone in your office with a little something like this:
"Does anyone have a camera? Disposable even? If so, we need to get our swimsuit edition out. We need volunteers."
I mean come on. The shots in the magazine this month are pretty bad. Especially those of the guy. He looks about as photogenic as a squirrel. He obviously has no idea how to pose for a camera and that not only says a lot about him but a lot about the people who took these shots. You honestly can't expect us to believe that you went through these shots and thought to yourselves, "damn we're good!". Let's get it right next time, eh?'
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