Standing in line at the grocery store, I see David’s hand reach up to grab something off the magazine display rack. Before I can stop him he’s got a hold of the latest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.
“What are you doing? Put it back.” I grab it from him, and place it on the shelf. Backwards.
“Ugh! Mommy! Turn it around. I can’t see it.”
“You don’t need to see it.”
“But I like looking at the lady.”
Oh. My. Word. He’s only five.
I knew from the beginning how hard it was to raise boys in today’s society. I knew how many temptations were out there. I knew that of all of them sexual images and pornography would be the most difficult to shield him from.
Yes, I knew what a dangerous world we live in, and here it was staring me and my innocent little boy in the face. At the grocery store. And so soon.
Have you seen this year’s cover?
It’s not just a photo of woman wearing a bikini. Actually she isn’t really wearing anything.
She has on a teeny tiny swimsuit bottom, and is topless. Her breasts are barely covered by her arms.
How can they call it a swimsuit issue when the model isn’t even wearing a swimsuit?
A better name might be the Sports Illustrated All Most Naked Edition.
Call me uptight and old fashioned, but that’s borderline pornographic in my book. And it certainly does not need to be displayed in the checkout line at the eye level of small children.
I saw the same magazine turned backwards on the rack last week at the same store. Only I didn’t realize it was the SI Swimsuit Edition. Apparently I wasn’t the first parent to think their kid didn’t need to see it.
How did I know it was the same magazine? I recognized the advertisement on the back. An illustration of a green M&M depicted as woman dressed and positioned suggestively.
Good grief. They even have to make M&Ms sexy?
OK. Now I’m not naive. It’s not the first time I ever saw the cover of a SI Swimsuit Edition. And it’s not the first time I’ve seen it on a magazine rack. I’ve seen plenty of other magazines with inappropriate covers displayed as well.
But it was the first time I saw it though the eyes of my son. David never noticed anything like that before.
You know, I can limit what programs he watches on TV. Fast forward through commercials. Monitor his computer time. Walk him away from that store in the mall. David isn’t in school yet, so I can even control who he socializes with. And now I have to figure out how to stand in line at the grocery store without him being bombarded by trashy images.
I really don’t know what to do about this one.
Anybody know a good place to buy a pair of horse blinders?
Oh my goodness! I actually teared up reading your post. I have a sweet little boy who is almost one and a husband with a history of sex addiction issues. I’m already afraid of the huge job I have. Maybe we’ll just move to a convent or something 😉
Hi! Stopping by from SITS.
I totally agree with your post. Now that my oldest is 5, he’s noticing things in a whole new way. It’s scary for me.
.-= Kmama´s last blog ..Week in Review and Photobooth Saturday: 2/20/10 =-.
Yes, I saw it too! One of the other blogs I read mentioned that she talked to the store manager about it. He agreed to put it with the magazines, instead of up front where everyone checking out would have to see it.
.-= Nancy M.´s last blog ..Sunday’s Song- Open My Eyes, That I May See =-.
I’m clapping.
Amen Sister! My husband has a subscription to SI. When it came in the mail last week I was appalled. I started cutting out the pages that were porn and I soon realized there wasn’t a sports article in the whole magazine! It quickly went in the trash. I told my husband I threw it out and he was completely ok with that. How do they call it a swimsuit edition when most weren’t wearing a swimsuit? Yes, soft porn it is.
.-= Cherie´s last blog ..Look What I Whipped Up =-.
so sad!!!! i hate how society tries to take our children’s innocence away so fast. it enrages me! at our grocery store up north, they had these covers that hid the “scummy” magazines from little eyes…i mean ALL eyes. i loved that. i would love if they weren’t there at all but i doubt that will happen. they were hidden from sight though.
Uh-oh… Mommy thought she had much longer than 5 years before she’d have to start worrying about that stuff!
.-= Cole´s last blog ..Dude, where’re Mommy’s tires? =-.
Sadly, I don’t think a convent would help! I have to say something a little bit from a different perspective. I come from a long history of sex addiction (ex-husband) and have 2 teenage boys and a new husband. One thing I have noticed over the years is that in my attempt to completely shield my boys from all things “sexual”, I was creating an atmosphere of “mystery”! The line is SO hard, but I think we have to be honest and open with them and teach them the RIGHT way to think about and treat women…hiding them in a closet just makes them WANT OUT!
I am in NO way condoning any of this, just noting that we have to be careful, cuz we DO live IN this stupid world! 🙂
.-= Jill´s last blog ..Jack (uh…don’t ya mean Jill?) of All Trades =-.