RESPONSE TO LINNEA SMITH'S ACTIVISM


"In these times of stress and re-evaluation of athletic programs at many different levels, we urge you to take a careful look at the role coaches and players take in shaping the patterns of sexual expression of young men throughout this country. We believe associations with magazines like Playboyand Penthouse are especially damaging because they appear to be so benign. ... As men we need to take responsibility for counteracting the negative image of male sexuality that pornography provides in our culture -along with joining with progressive women to bring immediate relief from the harm pornography causes in all women's lives." -- From a letter by James H. Koplin of Men Against Pornography to The National Association of Basketball Coaches, June 30, 1986


"...Sports heroes are a significant influence in the lives of young people. Children admire and imitate their college basketball heroes and the activities the players and coaches are associated with. When sports figures appear in Playboy magazine, the values of the magazine are given approval in the eyes of admiring fans. ... I urge you to consider your leadership role in our society, especially for young people, and choose not to participate in reinforcing Playboy's philosophy. -- From a letter by Jeanne Barkey, Executive Director of The Pornography Resource Center, to The National Association of Basketball Coaches, June 30, 1986

"I enjoyed reading the article in Carolina Blue concerning your wife and the special work she is doing. Part of my caseload is devoted to investigating child pornographers which I do not have to tell you is revolting to say the least. A few years ago I had the pleasure of arresting one of the VP's of Disney Productions who was a pedophile hiding behind his title and employment with Disney. ... When I am able to put a 'small' dent into their operation ... I am especially gratified." -- From a letter by a New York law enforcement officer to Smith's husband, May 25, 1996

"Next month marks the seventh anniversary of the national girl's and women's sports day. The event was established by the Women's Sports Foundation in memory of Flo Hyman, a stellar Olympic volleyball player who died Jan. 26, 1986. Hyman was a dignified human being and a marvelous athlete who advance the cause of women's athletics through brilliant, graceful performances. That a woman of Hyman's stature to my knowledge never made a SI cover but models wearing swimsuits annually do, should by itself force a reconsideration of the tradition." -- From New York Times reporter William C. Rhoden in an article on Linnea Smith, January 23, 1993

"Certainly I agree with everything she's saying. She's a caring person and very bright. She made a presentation to our national coaches' association in 1986 about the preseason Playboy spread. Immediately John Thompson said he wasn't going. Then Bob Knight pulled out. They didn't do it just because they like her. They did it because she was right." -- From an interview with Dean Smith by The News & Observer on his wife's activism, February 11, 1993

"In 52 weeks [from February 1993 to February 1994], 6 women were awarded [SI] cover shots. The first, of course, was in a bathing suit. The second, Monica Seles, was wearing tennis whites and a knife in her back. Nos. 3 and 4 were the widows of Indians pitchers Steve Olin and Tim Crews. They shared the cover. No. 5? The tennis player, Mary Pierce, her father beat her up. The sixth, and last, was Nancy Kerrigan. She was clubbed on the knee. They say there's a Sports Illustrated cover jinx. When an athlete appears under its banner, bad luck follows. Maybe it does if the athlete is a man. For women in sports, it works the other way around. All you have to do to get a cover is suffer." -- From an article in the New York Timeson the Sports Illustratedswimsuit issue, written by Lynda Truman Ryan, February 20, 1994

"We want to thank you for your opposition to the SI swimsuit edition. It's far past the time for objecting.... We dropped our subscription many years ago because we felt that this particular edition contributed to the delinquency of minors." -- JR,Savannah, Georgia

"Thank you for taking time to do what you are doing to combat the immorality that has infected this nation. We applaud you for your effort and stand with you." --CL, Kansas City, Missouri

"Both my wife and I wholeheartedly endorse your efforts and would be more than willing to help in assisting you in your efforts. We have observed for a number of years the continuing increase in exploitation and applaud your efforts." -- PM, N. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

"Good people must stand up to these insidious actions." -- MB, Greensboro, North Carolina

"As a mother and a physician, I am horrified by the use of sex to sell --almost everything. I would be interested in helping you with your campaign." --MS, Statesville, North Carolina

"A few years ago, I cancelled my subscription to SI (which I really enjoyed reading, being a sports fan) because of this yearly issue, and wrote to the SI editors why I was doing so. I have two teenage daughters, a teenage son, and a wonderful wife. It embarrassed me that they would think that this portrayal of women--and also of children, especially female children--should go into homes in the context of "sports" and as a normal part of life. We determined that this abnormal portrayal of life was not coming into our home. Thank you for speaking out. I admire you for doing so, and I hope that you continue your campaign with vigor. Because of your special expertise, you have much to teach the editors of SI." --MC, Louisville, Kentucky

"I hope all right-thinking people will thank and support Dr. Linnea Smith, wife of UNC coach, Dean Smith, for her outspoken opposition to the way Sports Illustrated cheapens womanhood and degrades childhood in their annual swimsuit edition. If we do not support such courageous people as Dr. Smith, we shall get the corruption of our society which we deserve." --HW, Greensboro, North Carolina

"I want you to know that I support your efforts 100% as I have long been opposed to this issue. I think the issue exploits women in general and leads to a downgrading of women by those who view this issue of the magazine." --EM, Loisville, Kentucky

"For a couple years the swimsuit issue went in the wastebasket as soon as it came. At last I told them to stop sending it to me and if there was money still there to send the balance to my son's wife. They did." --FR, Washinton, Iowa

"I know you are receiving much criticism for your position on the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, but I want you to know that you have the 100% support of myself and my wife.... I think it is high time that somenone who is likely to be listened to take a public stand on the use of children in such an inappropriate manner." --WO, New Albany, Indiana

"Thank you so very much for taking your time and for your professional expertise concerning the subtle and not-so-subtle infiltration of soft pornography into this magazine. You are absolutely right about the undesirable suggestion of small children in the pictures in this issue, and I agree with you. I hope publishers,readers, and on into television and movie producers and watchers will realize the detrimental effect on children and adults pornography definitely engenders. I have cancelled the subscription to Sports Illustrated, which all of us enjoy reading. Originally this was done because of the publisher's involvement in the printing of Madonna's book. Now there is an added reason." -- JO, Greensboro, North Carolina

"I am not, nor is my husband, a subscriber of SI. There have been occasions when I considered it as a present to my husband, but the swimsuit issue was something I objected to greatly. After reading the newspaper article I am further horrified to learn of the use of children in that issue. I know that I will not become a subscriber as long as they continue the swimesuit issue. I have never understood what skimpy swimsuits have to do with sports anyway???" --CE, Long Beach, California

"I am a long-time college basketball fan... I applaud your efforts in trying to organize a ban on the swinsuit issue, which has nothing to do with sports but is really a type of low-level pornography. Recently, I informed Time-Warner, the publisher of Sports Illustrated, that I would no longer be reading any of their publications after their recent release of Madonna's book." --SW, Mission, Kansas

"I admire your courage.... It's not easy to take on the establishment and the so-called "sophisticated elite" --but, on behalf of my grandchildren-->thanks!" --TE, Raleigh, North Carolina

"I have become deeply concerned over the past few years with the barrage of sexual inuendo in music, TV, magazines, movies, books--it's everywhere! My husband and I are middle income, professional everyday average people trying to raise three children in these chaotic times. I just feel, personally, that things are getting out of hand." --CJ, Berwick, Maine

"This letter is long overdue, but I wanted to thank you for your protest to Sports Illustrated regarding their swimsuit issue. You have inspired me to do the same. I am a high school guidance couselor and teach courses in Human Sexuality. Although sexual abuse of children is primarily a crime of power, the sexual reinforcement is a strong one and the media does little to portray women as other than sex objects."

"I believe you are the only psychiatrist that makes sense! I am behind your opinion 100%" -- CC, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

"Thank you for your work, some of which was reported in our local newspaper regarding your objection to the Sports Illustratedswimsuit issue. I heartily concur that not only is sexual abuse and violence being glorified in the media, but it is increasingly bringing in a younger and younger mindset and people to be victimized. I have worked with men and women in my practice who have both been the perpetrators and the victims of these abuses." -- EO, Bellevue, Washington

"I am 50. Happily married. Sons 22 and 12. A daughter 17. SIdoesn't come into my home because of that single annual issue. For over 25 years I have worked with offenders. Needless to say I have seen a great deal of the darker part of our society. How in God's name do you '...handle... with class and good taste' the sexual exploitation of children -or women either. Keep the heat on!" -- PS, Athens, Georgia

"I am overjoyed to see someone protest Sports Illustrated's exploitation of women. But then in this country, women are a sport, we can be played with, kicked, hit, yelled at in public gatherings, have our stats talked about at bars and taken less seriously than the Super Bowl. As the mother of two sons and three daughters, I have long since refused to allow the magazine in my home, even though I come from a sports loving family. I am, however, heartsick about the statistics on battery and rape for women in our society, all in the sporting 'boys will be boys' attitude." -- PD, Corona del Mar, California

"This particular issue has annoyed me for years, but like nearly everyone else, I just held my nose and looked the other way. As a single mother of teenage and adolescent boys, I do everything in my power to instill a sense of respect for women in my sons. This one issue needs a lot of explaining on my part and I would love to see it eliminated." -- CP, Bloomington, Minnesota

"The cheesecake photos of women do exploit women and give the same old messages to guys growing up. For Sports Illustratedto show them somehow makes it 'more respectable' and that is wrong." -- MB, Alliance, Nebraska

"Thank you so very much for what you are doing to call attention to the harm our magazines, movies and television is doing to our society. We are truly seeing the results of what it is doing today with the rapes and child abuse. What else can we expect of our society when immorality is glamorized on our televisions, literature, and movies?" -- JL, Greenville, South Carolina

"Women in extremely revealing outfits have absolutely nothing to do with sports and everything to do with selling more magazines. While SIhas had some very good articles featuring women athletes, the past three issues had only one article about women's athletics, and that one, 'One Year Later...,' was an anniversary follow-up article on a story that received major media attention. What kind of signal is this sending to people? The best selling and most popular issue is devoted to sexual icons but SI cannot even squeeze in an article per issue concerning women athletes." -- BH, Ann Arbor, Michigan

"I applaud the Hyundai decision not to advertise in the non-sports edition of Sports Illustrated. I find it's sexist for a sports magazine to give more profile to a bunch of female non-athletes who look good in swimsuits than to female athletes who make great achievements in sports. Men and women throughout North America have not yet embraced equality of the sexes and this publication is just another way to propagate the old sexist belief that women are not equals to men, but sex objects for men." -- KM, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada