Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Welcome Back, Ariel Meredith
She looks fantastic.
Why did they let her take those two issues off? I'd love to see her back next year.
She's right at home.
Why did they let her take those two issues off? I'd love to see her back next year.
She's right at home.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Adaorable
Apparently, today is the birthday of gorgeous rookie Adaora.
Also apparently, we have seen Adaora before. She competed in 2005’s “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search” reality show, as Adaora Akubilo.
That’s her, top and center.
She was eliminated in Week 2, and eventually Alicia Hall would prevail.
Ariel Meredith, Bar Refaeli, and now Adaora? 2012 has been Old Home Week for SI.
Somewhere, I believe I have a stack of old VHS tapes with all the episodes from that TV show. It would be interesting to revisit her initial brush with the swimsuit issue.
Also apparently, we have seen Adaora before. She competed in 2005’s “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search” reality show, as Adaora Akubilo.
That’s her, top and center.She was eliminated in Week 2, and eventually Alicia Hall would prevail.
Ariel Meredith, Bar Refaeli, and now Adaora? 2012 has been Old Home Week for SI.Somewhere, I believe I have a stack of old VHS tapes with all the episodes from that TV show. It would be interesting to revisit her initial brush with the swimsuit issue.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
One-Piece Wednesday: Irina Shayk, 2012
"We need someone crazy and sexy enough to wander around with a cheetah on a leash."
"Call in Irina."
Looks like we can now identify the girl in this preview.
And, we have another catsuit to go with Michelle's and Brooklyn's.
"Call in Irina."Looks like we can now identify the girl in this preview.
And, we have another catsuit to go with Michelle's and Brooklyn's.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Bar and the Boys
As I hoped, there are several photos of Bar without any beefcake. And they’re gorgeous.
The athlete pictures are interesting. The swimsuit issue has featured male athletes before, but always in these fairly tame (and actually pretty sweet) pairings with their wives.
Wow, Debbie Clemens looks really buff, doesn’t she?
But these 2012 pics, of Rafael Nadal, Chris Paul, and Michael Phelps, are the most sexually charged, pinup-style images of men they’ve featured.
I wonder what the thought is behind them. Is SI dipping its toe into trying to appeal to a female demographic? Is this (coupled with the female athletes in body paint) an attempt to force more “sports” into “Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue”?
In any case, I don’t mind it, as long as they keep the cake and the ice cream separate. The swimsuit issue fantasy involves me being the only male in existence, so there should be plenty of man-free photos of the girls.
Also, I don’t want to be crass, but these are young, virile, athletic guys in their 20s, and they’re intertwining their bodies with a bikini-clad Bar Refaeli. How is every shot not just a picture of their boners?
Maybe they’re nervous. But I like to think they were coached ahead of time. “Okay, if you need a break, just signal the makeup person with this discreet hand gesture, and she’ll announce that you need some powder. You will have three minutes in the next room.”
Finally, I’m straight but I’m not blind. In the pics with Bar and Rafael Nadal, it’s almost a coin toss as to who I should be looking at.
The athlete pictures are interesting. The swimsuit issue has featured male athletes before, but always in these fairly tame (and actually pretty sweet) pairings with their wives.
But these 2012 pics, of Rafael Nadal, Chris Paul, and Michael Phelps, are the most sexually charged, pinup-style images of men they’ve featured.
I wonder what the thought is behind them. Is SI dipping its toe into trying to appeal to a female demographic? Is this (coupled with the female athletes in body paint) an attempt to force more “sports” into “Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue”?In any case, I don’t mind it, as long as they keep the cake and the ice cream separate. The swimsuit issue fantasy involves me being the only male in existence, so there should be plenty of man-free photos of the girls.
Also, I don’t want to be crass, but these are young, virile, athletic guys in their 20s, and they’re intertwining their bodies with a bikini-clad Bar Refaeli. How is every shot not just a picture of their boners?Maybe they’re nervous. But I like to think they were coached ahead of time. “Okay, if you need a break, just signal the makeup person with this discreet hand gesture, and she’ll announce that you need some powder. You will have three minutes in the next room.”
Finally, I’m straight but I’m not blind. In the pics with Bar and Rafael Nadal, it’s almost a coin toss as to who I should be looking at.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
One-Piece Wednesday: Jessica Gomes, 2012
Barely glanced at the pics yet. I've noticed that there are fewer photos per model this year, but the photos are huge and supersaturated with color.
Also, I've noticed that Jessica Gomes is in fine form.
Also, I've noticed that Jessica Gomes is in fine form.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
One-Hit Wonder: Shana Zadrick (1992)
Well, there's not much going on in Swimsuitland, so I thought I'd celebrate the 43rd birthday of Shana Zadrick.
She was born in Colorado, but she has the look of one of the luxurious Czech chicks from the 80s and 90s.
Or even a young Cindy Crawford.
She definitely had the potential to stick around, but when 1993 rolled around Shana had disappeared from the swimsuit issue's pages.
If anything new happens on the scene (no Brooklyn?!) I'll keep you updated.
She was born in Colorado, but she has the look of one of the luxurious Czech chicks from the 80s and 90s.
Or even a young Cindy Crawford.
She definitely had the potential to stick around, but when 1993 rolled around Shana had disappeared from the swimsuit issue's pages.If anything new happens on the scene (no Brooklyn?!) I'll keep you updated.
Monday, February 13, 2012
It Was Inevitable
Kate Upton is your 2012 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover girl.
Wow. About a year and a half ago, I wondered if the trend was going to be toward larger bikini bottoms. This seems to be a resounding "no."
Frankly, I think those bottoms are a little too skimpy. They might have crossed over from "sexy" to "look what we can get away with." I don't know. Maybe I need time to digest. (And maybe swimsuit issue covers aren't the place to look for subtlety.)
Kate is not the first girl to jump from rookie one year to cover the next. She joins a small club of models who made the cover in their sophomore years.
Carol Alt
Debut: 1981. Cover: 1982. 
Paulina Porizkova
Debut: 1983. Cover: 1984. 
Elle Macpherson
Debut: 1985. Cover: 1986. 
Vendela
Debut: 1992. Cover: 1993. 
Tyra Banks*
Debut: 1993. Cover: 1996. 
*Tyra skipped a couple years after rookiehood, then came roaring back with two consecutive covers.
Carolyn Murphy
Debut: 2004. Cover: 2005. 
(And yes, there's a handful of models who have made the cover their first time out.)
In other news, Hot Clicks has revealed that Bar Refaeli will be posing with athletes this year.
(That face is Hot Clicks author Jimmy Traina, by the by.)
I have nothing against hunky, shirtless guys per se, but I do hope there are plenty of dude-free photos of Bar this year. It would be a shame to have any obstacles in the way of her.
According to the cover, there are 18 models this year. That's one more than last year. Here's a nice preview of Alyssa Miller.
Her hair is significantly lighter.
What else? If you need a little appetizer, Kate has a new photoshoot, video, and interview at Esquire.com.
Good grief. That girl is so sexy it isn't even funny.
Wow. About a year and a half ago, I wondered if the trend was going to be toward larger bikini bottoms. This seems to be a resounding "no."Frankly, I think those bottoms are a little too skimpy. They might have crossed over from "sexy" to "look what we can get away with." I don't know. Maybe I need time to digest. (And maybe swimsuit issue covers aren't the place to look for subtlety.)
Kate is not the first girl to jump from rookie one year to cover the next. She joins a small club of models who made the cover in their sophomore years.
Debut: 1981. Cover: 1982.
Debut: 1983. Cover: 1984.
Debut: 1985. Cover: 1986.
Debut: 1992. Cover: 1993.
Debut: 1993. Cover: 1996.
*Tyra skipped a couple years after rookiehood, then came roaring back with two consecutive covers.Debut: 2004. Cover: 2005.
(And yes, there's a handful of models who have made the cover their first time out.)In other news, Hot Clicks has revealed that Bar Refaeli will be posing with athletes this year.
(That face is Hot Clicks author Jimmy Traina, by the by.)I have nothing against hunky, shirtless guys per se, but I do hope there are plenty of dude-free photos of Bar this year. It would be a shame to have any obstacles in the way of her.
According to the cover, there are 18 models this year. That's one more than last year. Here's a nice preview of Alyssa Miller.
Her hair is significantly lighter.What else? If you need a little appetizer, Kate has a new photoshoot, video, and interview at Esquire.com.
Good grief. That girl is so sexy it isn't even funny.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Two Announcements
1) Women's soccer star Alex Morgan (along with two other yet-unnamed athletes) will be donning bodypaint for 2012.
2) Bar is back!
2) Bar is back!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
2012 So Far...
So, we know we've got Ariel Meredith, Anne V, Julie Henderson, Kate Upton, Chrissy Teigen, Jessica Perez, and Alyssa Miller (who does a spot-on Alyssa Miller impersonation).
And Hot Clicks has promised some swimsuit news in the morning. Meanwhile, they give us a nice little Selita Ebanks retrospective.
It's like Christmas is coming.
And Hot Clicks has promised some swimsuit news in the morning. Meanwhile, they give us a nice little Selita Ebanks retrospective.
It's like Christmas is coming.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Expectation
Brooklyn tweeted this photo today, of her poster for the movie "What to Expect When You're Expecting."
Alas, I'm not exactly the target audience for this movie. Perhaps someday she'll be in a film I want to see.This won't be it.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
One Last Bit of "Sports" to Get Out of the Way
Today we dispense with the last sporting event before the long winter wasteland—the wasteland that gave rise to the swimsuit issue in the first place.
Then barely a week later, we’ll discover the cover model, and all the models behind her.
Then barely a week later, we’ll discover the cover model, and all the models behind her.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Brazilian Bikini Line
BroBible.com has made a list of 50 great Brazilian bikini models, and as you can imagine, there’s a healthy helping of SI girls included. These are “under the radar” models, and Ana Beatriz Barros and Izabel Goulart are disqualified right from the title: “The 50 Hottest Brazilian Bikini Models Not Named Adriana, Gisele, Alessandra, Izabel, or Ana Beatriz.”
(There are, however, five Fernandas.)
It’s a gorgeous list, surveying the bikini-clad bounty of that astonishing country. Though it’s really 49 models, since (as with last year’s 100 Hottest Brunette Lingerie Models) there’s a double. Jeisa Chiminazzo appears twice, at #17 and #50.
#10 Elisandra Tomacheski
(Not technically a full-fledged SI model. She was one of the models Jessica Perez beat out to make her debut in the 2012 issue. But Elisandra is pretty dreamy, so I'll let her in.)
#11 Ana Paula Araujo
#16 Fernanda Motta
#17 Jeisa Chiminazzo
#18 Daniella Sarahyba
#22 Michelle Alves
#24 Fernanda Tavares
#25 Aline Nakashima
#27 Juliana Martins
#28 Raica Oliveira
#38 Isabeli Fontana
#41 Yasmin Brunet
#50 Jeisa Chiminazzo (oops)
You know what? I'm glad Jeisa is in here twice. I wanted her to return after her 2008 debut, but she vanished. She’ll be featured on these pages as a one-hit wonder one day.
(There are, however, five Fernandas.)
It’s a gorgeous list, surveying the bikini-clad bounty of that astonishing country. Though it’s really 49 models, since (as with last year’s 100 Hottest Brunette Lingerie Models) there’s a double. Jeisa Chiminazzo appears twice, at #17 and #50.
(Not technically a full-fledged SI model. She was one of the models Jessica Perez beat out to make her debut in the 2012 issue. But Elisandra is pretty dreamy, so I'll let her in.)
You know what? I'm glad Jeisa is in here twice. I wanted her to return after her 2008 debut, but she vanished. She’ll be featured on these pages as a one-hit wonder one day.