ESPN Body Issue

So if you are a man or woman n you watch ESPN at least once a day you would have heard that ESPN is coming out with their Body Issue magazine again. This is where they take athletes and photograph them naked to show how an athletic body looks naked.

My issue is not with how an athletic body looks naked. My issue is with the reasoning most athletes give for appearing in the body issue. They say things like "oh im proud of my body", "it is empowering" etc.

However, to me its just the ESPN version of Playboy. We know sex sells and this is just ESPN selling sex with Athletes.

I guess im also old fashioned and feel that its not right for a man or women to expose herself to 1 billion people with internet access. To me a woman should be naked for her spouse, regardless of how amazing her body maybe. While a man should get naked for his wife only.

It also goes back to this idea that women are always trying to shake off, the idea of men viewing them only as sex objects and pieces of meat. Trust me, I dislike it when men view women in such a manner. Yet, then you look at how these female athletes present themselves. They are basically promoting the sex object and piece of meat outlook. While it seems like "Men" these days are trying to push themselves into this corner of "oh yeah we are just sex objects too" objectify us also.

I just don't get why this idea has become so popular now. Where a female gets successful in a sport and next she has to pose naked.

Anyways, what do ya guys think?

Yeah I saw the article on a news site. It's stupid in my opinion and only seeks to glorify themselves. They can argue all they want about "it's to promote body image and how athletes take care of themselves" but it's all for pride.

It's just today's culture. If you want to "make a name for yourself" or "prove" that you are comfortable with your body you have to pose naked. It's a lie of Satan.

Yep, sex sells. And ESPN's magazine has to compete with Sports Illustrated, who has their infamous swimsuit issues, so, there you go. If it weren't for those "body" issues, I don't think anyone would have heard of ESPN Magazine...

You have to understand that these people are not Christian, and as a result, morality is changing. We are going to see more and more things like this become acceptable to the general population. Athletes are often narcissists anyway. They love being told how great they are. I think the devil uses celebrities and athletes like this to change morality subtly over time because they become the humans we look up to - our role models and idols.

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Weird. I don't watch or read ESPN, but this surprises me. It sounds like the stuff of urban legend, as well as something that could easily backfire on them.

Yeah, I really see us entering the era of Romans 1:

18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Strider1002 wrote:

Yep, sex sells. And ESPN's magazine has to compete with Sports Illustrated, who has their infamous swimsuit issues, so, there you go. If it weren't for those "body" issues, I don't think anyone would have heard of ESPN Magazine...

Cause I've heard ESPN's magazine sucks compared to Sports Illustrated. Mostly because its by ESPN so you read the same viewpoints and opinions you watch on TV.

IMO, the only thing that separates "The Body Issue"/"Swimsuit Edition" from swimsuit and underwear in clothing catalogs and such is the latter is trying to sell clothing. Thus, I don't get up caught up in making it a big deal. If I'm going get upset at SI and ESPN, I need to get upset at clothing stores for people being in their ads with minimal clothing.

*Moved to Sports and Recreation Forum*

TX_CO_Matt wrote:

Strider1002 wrote:

Yep, sex sells. And ESPN's magazine has to compete with Sports Illustrated, who has their infamous swimsuit issues, so, there you go. If it weren't for those "body" issues, I don't think anyone would have heard of ESPN Magazine...

Cause I've heard ESPN's magazine sucks compared to Sports Illustrated. Mostly because its by ESPN so you read the same viewpoints and opinions you watch on TV.

IMO, the only thing that separates "The Body Issue"/"Swimsuit Edition" from swimsuit and underwear in clothing catalogs and such is the latter is trying to sell clothing. Thus, I don't get up caught up in making it a big deal. If I'm going get upset at SI and ESPN, I need to get upset at clothing stores for people being in their ads with minimal clothing.

It does suck. We prefer Sports Illustrated any day.

I have heard of this and have even seen some pictures and they are actually pretty nice. Very tasteful, nothing is showing, so it's not really "pornography". I think you see more from the Olympic swimmers than you do these pics.

It's not like Sports Illustrated is any better in this regard. Swimsuit editions, any one?

In either case, even if it's not like straight pornography, I already know what an athletic body looks like, thank you very much.