QUIZ: Test Your Swimsuit Issue IQ
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The swimsuit issue has its detractors. The National Organization for Women has said that the edition "promotes the harmful and dehumanizing concept that women are a product for male consumption." And there are sports fans who simply don't think models in bathing suits have anything to do with sports reporting. But controversy aside, the swimsuit issue remains one of the most popular products in the history of glossy paper and airbrushing.
How much do you know about the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue? Take the following quiz and find out.
Posted 29 Jan 2010
How old was Paulina Porizkova when she appeared on the cover of the swimsuit issue?
- 18
- 22
- 38
- 46
Paulina Porizkova first graced the cover at the ripe old age of 18, making her the youngest person ever to appear on the cover, before or since. Most of the edition's cover subjects have gone on to thrive in modeling, and Porizkova was no exception; her appearance kicked off a highly successful international career that's spanned over 20 years. The Czech model has since dialed back her involvement in modeling, but she's stayed in the public eye with appearances on "America's Next Top Model" and as a blogger for the Huffington Post.
What country allowed sales of the swimsuit issue for the first time in 2007?
- Chechnya
- China
- Cuba
- North Korea
The swimsuit issue may be a little racy, but the average American citizen who leaves it out on his coffee table will suffer mild ribbing from his friends at worst. In China, however, tough censorship laws have kept the magazine illegal. This finally changed in 2007, when the government decided to allow some of that evil western influence to seep in for the sake of a newly booming economy. After all, there's money to be made selling magazines with Bar Refaeli on the cover to the residents of Huguang province.
Which model appeared on the cover of the highest-selling edition in swimsuit issue history?
- Carol Alt
- Elle Macpherson
- Kathy Ireland
- Rachel Hunter
Kathy Ireland didn't appear on the cover of just any swimsuit issue, she appeared on the cover of the 25th Anniversary Edition, the best-selling swimsuit issue in the magazine's history. The 1989 appearance was Ireland's first cover shot of three, out of a total of 13 appearances in the magazine's pages. She has since started her own extremely successful company, Kathy Ireland Worldwide, which sells everything from clothes to real estate. She also appeared on "Dancing With Stars," where she was the third contestant to be voted off, beaten out by more agile hoofers, such as former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
Who was the first African-American model to appear on the cover of the swimsuit issue?
- Gail O'Neill
- Karen Alexander
- Roshumba Williams
- Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks became the first African-American cover model in 1997, one year after becoming the first African-American woman to appear on the covers of both GQ and the Victoria's Secret catalog. Recently, in 2007, she recreated her swimsuit issue cover shoot on her talk show to commemorate its tenth anniversary. Not bad for a self-described socially awkward girl from Inglewood, California with a dolphin phobia.
How many Sports Illustrated subscriptions were cancelled in the wake of Cheryl Tiegs' 1978 pictorial?
- None
- 340
- 680
- 1360
During the shooting of Cheryl Tiegs' third swimsuit issue appearance, the model went for a quick dip in the ocean. On her return to dry land, the photographers feverishly took her picture over and over again for an hour. Unbeknownst to her, the white fishnet swimsuit she wore had become transparent when she emerged from the ocean, moving the pictorial decisively out of G-rated territory. Despite the wardrobe malfunction, the picture found its way into the magazine, causing 340 subscription cancellations from offended readers. Somehow, the magazine was able to persevere despite this setback.
How many years in a row did Christie Brinkley appear on the cover of the swimsuit issue?
- 2
- 3
- 5
- 8
Christie Brinkley appeared on the cover of the swimsuit issue three years in a row, from 1979 through 1981. The all-American blonde image that Brinkley embodied was the industry standard during these years, and the swimsuit issue consistently promoted it while it was popular. In the 1982 edition, however, the cover featured an exotic-looking brunette from New York City named Carol Alt, a signal that an edgier style was on the rise and the era of the surfer girl was waning.
What did Kathy Ireland and Rachel Hunter have in common when they appeared together on the cover of the 1994 swimsuit issue?
- They had both been named "modelpreneurs" by Forbes magazine
- They were both romantically linked to Kip Winger
- They were both romantically linked to Rod Stewart
- They were both pregnant
In 1994, the swimsuit issue united two of its most popular subjects for its cover, Elle Macpherson and Kathy Ireland, and added New Zealand's Rachel Hunter, a first-time cover girl. A bold headline referred to the group of supermodels as "The Dream Team," perhaps suggesting that the trio were more than the sum of their parts. As it turned out, they were --- both Ireland and Hunter were pregnant at the time of the shoot, a fact that is nowhere in evidence when one looks at the cover.
Who was the first singer to appear on the cover of the swimsuit issue?
- Beyonce Knowles
- Christina Aguilera
- Fergie
- Shakira
Beyonce Knowles was the first singer, as well as the first non-model, to appear on the cover of the swimsuit issue. She appeared in the music-themed 2007 issue, one year after launching a line of bathing suits for her House of Dereon clothing label. The rumor that the pictorial was actually supposed to go to Taylor Swift, but was taken away by Kanye West, is untrue.
How many times has Elle Macpherson appeared on the cover of the swimsuit issue?
- None
- 3
- 5
- 7
Elle Macpherson has appeared on the cover five times, more than any other model. The statuesque Australian beats out Christie Brinkley, Kathy Ireland and Cheryl Tiegs, all of whom have appeared on the cover a mere three times. It was probably all old hat to Macpherson though, who had already graced the covers of Time, GQ and Vogue by the time she had turned 22.
What does Sports Illustrated offer to subscribers who object to the content of the swimsuit issue?
- A Sports Illustrated mouse pad
- A text-only version of the swimsuit issue
- An audio version of the swimsuit issue
- The opportunity to opt out of receiving the swimsuit issue
The swimsuit issue has caused controversy on a reliable basis since its inception. The publication has even reveled in it, printing letters from offended readers two weeks after the swimsuit issue hits mailboxes. However, they recently instated a new policy that allows subscribers to skip the issue entirely and get one extra regular issue in exchange.
Your score:
- Cover model
Your career in modeling is really going places.
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Business Model: Inside the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue - Amateur model
Not bad, but maybe your agent can do better next year.
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Business Model: Inside the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue - Hand model
Maybe a magazine like Cat Fancy is more your speed.
RELATED LINKS
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Business Model: Inside the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
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