The return of Rick Reilly at SI

[MisterCreosote]

Why is it classless for Durant to sign with the Warriors?

Because some people wish athletes still acted like indentured servants.

 

[The Big Ragu]

What's tasteless about it, and where Anderson has a point, is that Kate Upton did nothing wrong and didn't deserve it.

What does Durant's classless move to a new team have to do with a woman's private parts ?

This is what we call objectification in the feminism biz.

When guys ask me if stuff like this is okay...

I always say.... imagine the woman in the tweet is your daughter, wife or sister.

You cool with that ?

He made a dumb joke. And yeah, I found it tasteless. But making Kate Upton into a feminist cause ignores the elephant in the room (no SJ-style double meaning intended), doesn't it? She has made her name and living cashing in on her appearance. Reilly is a jackass, and it was a terrible attempt at a joke, but Kate Upton's breasts probably crossed over from "private parts" to just parts years ago when she was photographed for SI wearing only body paint.

I'll answer your question with a question. If I am not cool with Rick Reilly commenting about her breasts, should I still be cool with all of the modeling Kate Upton has done in which her breasts were the asset she was selling?

To be clear, I am not cool with men harassing women or being sexist toward women. But it is largely a matter of context, isn't it? This wasn't a female office worker having to deal with unwanted, shirtty remarks from male colleagues or running into a glass ceiling because of an old boys club. Or a female reporter having to deal with meathead athletes acting sexist. It's a woman who made her name based on her appearance. ... being subject to a stupid comment about her appearance. You said you call it "objectification in the feminism biz." OK. But what did you call it in the feminism biz when Kate Upton chose to appear in an ad wearing a leopard-print g-string and tiny bra? I am not equating the two. But I am saying that Rick Reilly's stupidity didn't come out of left field. The only reason any of us know who Kate Upton is, is because she rode her appearance to fame.

 

[poindexter]

Why was Durant signing with Golden State classless?

 

[HanSenSE]

Why was Durant signing with Golden State classless?

It isn't, unless you're a) a Thunder fanboi or b) a Warrior hater, but I'm not gonna speak for Reilly here.

But, using this logic, isn't moving from a major magazine to a major cable network, then back to the magazine, classless?

 

[Lugnuts]

Durant's move is my opinion. I'm not a Thunder fanboi, I'm a Hawks fanboi. I suppose I'm bitter about Horford, and that rubbed off on poor Durant.

Nonetheless.

What do her body parts have to do with Durant ?

Rags, from your post, it sounds like you're saying she's asking for it. ** cringe **

The way she's chosen to model makes her body look beautiful. It's artistic.

Reilly has asked everybody to take her beauty and picture something ugly. Like a deformity.

I would ask you all to let any empathy you might have shape your opinion.

For example. I have what I think is my best feature, which I think is pretty and like to "play up" when the situation calls for it. If somebody tried to make it ugly on Twitter, I'd find that to be cruel and a real bummer for me.

I'm sure she "needs thick skin" and can laugh her way to the bank etc etc.

But those factors don't make what Reilly said ok.

 

[poindexter]

Good god that guy is a tool.

For example. I have what I think is my best feature, which I think is pretty and like to "play up" when the situation calls for it. If somebody tried to make it ugly on Twitter, I'd find that to be cruel and a real bummer for me.
Pics or GTFO.

 

[Lugnuts]

Well if I did, and then somebody made fun of me, Rags would say I deserve it !

 

[The Big Ragu]

Rags, from your post, it sounds like you're saying she's asking for it. ** cringe **

Asking for what? She's not a rape victim.

I didn't think my post was ambiguous. I thought your post was trying to make Kate Upton a cause celebre for women who get objectified by men, and I pointed out what seemed obvious to me. This was not Jane Winebox having to put up with unwanted suggestive comments from the next cubicle all day long. Kate Upton is a very public woman who has become famous capitalizing on her appearance. Her appearance is precisely the reason for her modeling fame. Reilly's tweet was superfluous and dumb. But it's not like a comment about Kate Upton's breasts comes out of left field. She has appeared in SI with only body paint and poses wearing lingerie that accent those breasts. Of course she is a woman who gets objectified. It's what has made her famous. Rick Reilly making a lame crack about her breasts is a far cry from 99.9 percent of women who complain about being objectified or sexually harassed.

 

[TyWebb]

If we are going to discuss breasts, we need to get CD Boogie in here. He's the expert.

 

[Riptide]

Owen Gleiberman probably regrets his words today ...

Rose McGowan Pens Response to Critic of Renee Zellweger's Face: "Vile, Damaging, Stupid and Cruel" (Guest Column)

 

[The Big Ragu]

Well if I did, and then somebody made fun of me, Rags would say I deserve it !

I was responding to your first post when you followed up with that gem.

That is such a bullshirt post. You know what Rags would ACTUALLY say? When you didn't respond to me, but instead put your words in my mouth and tried to present me as a stupid caricature or cartoon, you created a straw man. Straw men are just plain lame. Unfortunately, they make the internet go round.

 

[Lugnuts]

Rags, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put words in your mouth.

I'm not sure I follow your argument.

I'm not trying to make his tweet seem disproportionally important.

I just think it's tasteless and cruel on its own, without any mitigating factors about her career choices.

Its not a '10' on a 1-10 scale, but it's annoying because he's Rick freaking Reilly.