Love + Sex

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Life before breast implants: What naked girls used to look like

sportsillustratedcover94.jpg
In my house, my hippie mother felt that it was more natural for me to see movies with naked people making love (that's the term 8 out of 10 hippie mothers preferred) than movies where people were trying to kill each other. As it was, I was totally accustomed to seeing breasts on our early '80s cable channels, nipples of various sizes bouncing around across our 19-inch screen, and I knew that men liked to look at boobs and hips and butts and the dark thickets in a girl's "area" but it wasn't until we had a rummage sale one summer afternoon and her live-in boyfriend Larry pulled out a moldering box of vintage Playboys that I really understood. It wasn't just looking at naked boobs on the television. It was somehow more private than that. Sure, this naked girl might have been replicated in 500,000 copies, but somehow, at that moment, it was just her and the viewer. These pages, slick as beetle skins, the eyes wearing impossible amounts of mascara, looking up at the viewer, imploring somehow, begging to be looked at. That's when I really got a sense of how powerful a girl's body could be when displayed on the glossy pages of a magazine.

Erin over at Product Fiend recently talked about Sports Illustrated's cover vault, specifically the vintage Swimsuit Edition covers. I've never really seen the point of the Swimsuit Edition, even though I know that it makes people drool like crazy. I mean, there's nothing SPORTY about staring at women in swimsuits, and if you want to see the bush, there are magazines dedicated to that purpose. And at least the Victoria's Secret catalog was free. So I took another look and...wow.

If you want to have your eyes opened on the changing dimensions of the average SI Swimsuit Edition cover model, simply compare 2008's Marissa Miller to 1971's Tannia Rubiano or 1967's Lynn Tyndall. Seriously, you need to click on those links. I don't know about you but I miss seeing covers that celebrate women with amazing breasts like these. I need to be reminded that at one time, girls with big boobs had hips to match (image NSFW) and it was all good. Perspective, is what I think I'm getting here. And I have stupid Sports Illustrated to thank for it, except I'll probably never admit that anywhere else.

Related Links from Elastic Waist and SELF:

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From the Community…

Comments 51-60 of 71
  • brisingamen's Avatar
    Posted by brisingamen Tue Jul 8, 2008 4:53pm PDT

    Marisa Miller LOOKS sporty. Her body is athletic and her abs are so indredible. I don't know I just like athletic looking women. Tight healthy bodies are my taste and I think they belong on a sports magazine much more than a squishy jiggly body. I'm not saying they need to be a size 0.. many female athletes have a thicker build but they have muscle. Muscle is strength .. fat is not.

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  • Laura Lee's Avatar
    Posted by Laura Lee Tue Jul 8, 2008 6:05pm PDT

    What about the SI cover with Cheryl Tiegs and the white fishnet bathing suit? I think that's a beautiful body!

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  • beachbum0220's Avatar
    Posted by beachbum0220 Tue Jul 8, 2008 6:19pm PDT

    Marissa Miller looks so fking good. Better than the rest not a reality for most women but hot hot hot.

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  • Jelani's Avatar
    Posted by Jelani Tue Jul 8, 2008 10:47pm PDT

    Do know when they say never judge a book by its cover

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  • joezzie r's Avatar
    Posted by joezzie r Wed Jul 9, 2008 4:46pm PDT

    i would have sex with all of them and cum

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  • Belinda's Avatar
    Posted by Belinda Wed Jul 9, 2008 6:08pm PDT

    How we can twist things. I think the article was about the different body types and their eras gracing the pages of SI. Personally I am considering B.A. for myself, funny I was researching online earlier. I am fine with myself now, but since I finally have the means and the support I am seriously considering it. The funny thing is, weighing in at 170 seems a little redundant to have BA, but not really. I kickbox for fun and money, I also bellydance so I'm in good shape with a lot of stuff everywhere. I simply want more. It's not a matter of self-esteem it's a matter of personal choice, kind of like what shoes to wear with that skirt.

    If a woman chooses to have her body manipulated for things beyond her immediate control leave her alone, and don't be a pig either and say how you'd hit it but not call. Most people I know who have had B A are so picky about what shoes they wear and they only go on their feet. Nor do they worry about it as they age, we know it's not a permanent thing still doesn't stop us from getting those cute tribal tatoos at the base of our backs or our naval pierced. There will be an entire generation of tatooed, pierced, implanted blue hairs running around in about 40 years! Now that is just funny, don't care where you are from. But before we get there we can go to the spa, have it nipped, tucked, hair colored and botoxed till they put us in the nursing home, IF we choose to!

    If a woman chooses not to then leave her alone too, there is no entitlement on beauty, no bar or line or lack thereof that should cause one woman to be more beautiful to someone than anyone else.

    Women are beautiful period all of us, manipulated and not. We also reserve the right to be vain on occasion, to be superficial and shallow too. Know many men like that? Duh!

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  • Buxembenz's Avatar
    Posted by Buxembenz Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:39am PDT

    big boobs, small boobs, boob jobs. only those who are insecure with their own body & boobs seem to think that those with a boob job are fake & plastic. Takes alot more than boobs to make one fake or plastic. To each his own, live & let live in her own body. Get over it. and guys are you just as obsessed with your penis size? I think so!

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  • Summer Girl's Avatar
    Posted by Summer Girl Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:09am PDT

    Buxem, you are right on it!

    The other thing that I hate is those that think just because my boobs are HUGE that I am stupid and dumb!

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  • SGC's Avatar
    Posted by SGC Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:27pm PDT

    I am a curvy woman and I truly believe that self-acceptance begins in childhood. I know understand the power of being a woman. However, the culture I grew up in praised the slender and busty women. I have nothing against them, and I do work out to maintain my proportions. At the same time, being told you are fat because you don't fit a certain image of beauty can have life long effects. Accept who you are and do what makes you happy. As long as no one is harmed by your decision, go and float your boat. :D

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