There's been more criticism than usual of Sports Illustrated's 2015 swimsuit issue. The cover features Hannah Davis, who appears to be removing her bikini bottoms.
This isn't a new pose for SI models. Both Tyra Banks in 1997 and Bar Refaeli in 2009 sported this pose. So why the uproar?
Many people think Davis's bottoms were too low, including people at The Today Show, who censored the image during an interview with her on Feb 9.
Some people feel that this image is pornographic. Gratuitous use of women's bodies has long been used to sell products from shoes to burgers to cell phones. And SI is no stranger to pornography-inspired images. Kate Upton's bikini on the 2012 cover arguably revealed as much skin as Davis's. The 2014 cover invoked "girls gone wild" images with three topless models, grinning back at the camera with their hands on each other's rear ends.
So why censor SI now? Maybe a shift in community standards is underway.
The Super Bowl aired several rehumanizing ads that problematized objectification of women and girls -- such as Mindy Kaling's ad that highlighted the invisibility of women of color. And the Always ad shaking that running like a girl might mean winning the race.
So maybe people are seeing old images in a new light and they're not happy with what they're seeing.
I’m Kristen Myers, and that’s my perspective.