A Boy's Open Letter to Sports Illustrated

Even as the chorus of voices opposing the increasingly sexualized images of women in media grows louder, and even as those who have decided to break the mold have seen unprecedented success, some brands are backsliding even farther, and even children notice. One brave young boy had had enough after seeing the cover of the latest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In an open letter to Sports Illustrated the young boy writes:

“I am writing this letter because I am confused…As we walked past a magazine stand, I saw your swimsuit issue… I was shocked. I didn’t want to even see it, but it was right in front of me… I think this is harmful for children to see. I wasn’t prepared to see this and felt like it was forced in my face… I have been taught to respect women. I even wrote a speech for school that encourages boys of my generation to be gentlemen. How are we supposed to treat women with respect when we grow up seeing them degraded? I am mad but I am also confused. Isn’t your magazine about sports? …it’s an important life lesson to learn to stand up for what is right, even when nobody else does. Just because America wants these kinds of pictures, doesn’t mean you have to deliver them. You can respect women and sell magazines at the same time. And I would gladly grow up and buy Sports Illustrated, if it was really about sports.”

It is time, both men and women let their voices be heard and inform these corporations that enough is enough! To view the entire letter, and to get involved with the PTC’s efforts to combat sexualized media images, visit our 4 Every Girl facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/4everygirl.