Sports Illustrated readers CANCEL Beyonce Knowles "Ghetto Issue" subscriptions

Tags: Sports Illustrated + Beyonce Knowles + beyonce

genda posted on Feb 17th 2007 11:42PM

Sports Illustrated readers CANCEL Beyonce Knowles

"Outraged Sports Illustrated readers are flooding the SI offices with angry phone calls and emails demanding subscription cancellations. The furor erupted after Sports Illustrated's celebrated annual "Swimsuit Issue" hit the stands with Beyonce on the cover and an inside shot of a smug Kanye West gripping a models derriere.

Angry comments have been posted on this site as well as other blogs and message boards. "Is this the Swimsuit Issue or the Ghetto issue?" read one post. A source inside the SI mail room emailed me to say longtime subscribers are angry. "The calls are nonstop," she wrote. "Some of these guys have been subscribing to Sports Illustrated for years just so they can get the Swimsuit Issue before it hits the stands. This is like blasphemy to most of them who don't know who Beyonce or Kanye are."

A local newspaper reporter who asked not to be identified said, "So many women grew up identifying with the models in the Swimsuit Issue. They don't see themselves in Beyonce. SI has made a mockery of their core demographic with this issue."

So far, SI hasn't commented publicly on the complaints. But insiders say SI is discreetly emailing members of the mainstream media emphasizing the point that the Swimsuit Issue is a "Music Issue". But critics are asking how can it be both? "They should make up their minds," wrote one angry poster on a sports-related board. "Either it's the Swimsuit Issue or the Rap Issue. SI can cancel my subscription!"

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Comments

	Neptune says: um, I don't get the problem? :\| Posted: 02/18/07 04:06
	jim says: "So many women grew up identifying with the models in the Swimsuit Issue. They don't see themselves in Beyonce. SI has made a mockery of their core demographic with this issue." sooooooo,there saying more women identify with a 5'9" 110 lbs model than with beyonce? if anything,beyonce is more in line with whats considered a average body than a model. dont get me wrong, im sure neither is close to what the average womens body is,but at least beyonce isnt a stick figure unattainable representation,shes got curves and something to her. Posted: 02/18/07 12:06
	booya says: this is very odd and contradictory. Is it a taste issue, a sport over music issue, a race issue? seems odd to me. Do SI readers only want true "Models" on the cover? She's a talented beautiful woman, what the hell is the difference. I always thought this issue was just adolescent spank material anyway. Posted: 02/18/07 12:28
	CutiePatootie says: i think what made them angry was the part about kanya grabbing that chicks ass. also, i would think it would be considered a race issue, ONLY because they referred to it as the "Ghetto Issue". I find that extremely disturbing that b/c they are black, they labeled it ghetto. Posted: 02/19/07 11:10
	Zion says: CutiePatootie, you took the words right out of my mouth. It is funny how an issue is labeled ghetto and it just happens to feature a black model during the month of what, Black History. HMMMMMMM.... You know I find it sad that this country claims to be so superior, but yet the message remains the same, no matter how rich or beautiful you may be, you're black. Posted: 02/23/07 05:15
	DEMETRIS says: I think that is just bullshit. I think beyonce can hold her own against any model. I don’t really care for S I but beyonce is a very beautiful woman who I think any young girl can relate to. To me I think that most model look sick but b is just stunning. Posted: 02/28/07 17:28
	lily8756 says: Beyonce is the best because why the hell do you want some anorexic b#### on some cover. Not alot of people are 5 10 and 95lbs and eat ice all day. Beyone defines curvy and sexy. So f^^^ all those bitches that canceled there subscriptions because there just freakin jealous they can't look like that, f$$$in anorexic bitches. Posted: 03/23/07 20:03
	krissy says: it just goes to show that race is still such a deciding factor in America and it's 2007. Sad...very sad commentary on the way the world is still turning. Posted: 04/13/07 08:05
	richard says: so let me get this straight i know for a fact not too many african americans buy si magazines, its majority white so the moment they add a african american female in the cover and even more in the magazine it becomes a problem and becomes " ghetto". it is very hurtful to see people still think this way in 2007. its about race, never have i heard ghetto and si in the same sentence until they added beyonce and other african americans. i dont need to say anymore, i know beyonce must be very hurt about this and so is everyone in the black community. now let someone tell me racism doesnt exist and its all in my head. Posted: 05/08/07 11:32
	Ree says: Those flat behind, trailer trash hicks are jealous because they don't look half as good as Beyonce and other beautiful black women. Posted: 08/09/07 00:17
	Parissa says: Beyonce is more than good enough for ANY magazine!! She's the prettiest model I've seen to grace the cover!! Posted: 08/09/07 00:28
	ecotrancer says: this is really messed up. i cant believe that people were that outraged about beyonce being on the cover. ok kanye grabbing a chicks ass is kinda ghetto but come on. beyonce is beautiful even if they photoshopped this picture to death. she is a real woman, curvy and sexy. i wonder if it would have been some skinny black model if it would have been the same deal. this country and people are such idiots. people need to grow the hell up and reconsider their actions against others. im sure this was very hurtful... id be embarrassed as hell if it was me on the cover and this happened. word up to all the people who still kept their subscriptions. peace and love. Posted: 09/04/07 05:17
	sexygrrl says: thats racist. duh Posted: 11/27/07 19:17
	Pretty says: If she's so gorgeous, why can't she even stand up on the cover? Is it b/c she'll show that she's short? Bottom heavy? Pear shaped? Overweight? Cellulite ridden? And actually has no business being on the cover of that magazine when truly beautiful women are inside and have been inside the magazine for years? (Her hair is not even real, even though she's trying desperately to imitate that white, at the beach wind blown look.) No wonder men wanted their money back. Men didn't want to see an average looking woman - they see enough of that in real life. They wanted EXTRA ordinary, like they were expecting. Posted: 07/13/09 03:47
	Shaiye says: To NJCritic - If its that easy to take over something it probably wasn't worth having, if something that bad was taking away the quality of the media it would fall through accordingly and you could start up your own white stuff somewhere where people wanted nothing more than to see the same thing over and over again. That is, eenles ussa neegarrs is to lazy fuh you ta be able ta do sumthin like that. To Pretty - If you had half the sense you try to sound like you have you would know that the white girls you see are wearing a whole lot more fake things than hair (lookup : fusion strands). Hmm, who might they be imitating when they spend tens of thousands of dollars at a time to have curves installed on their bodies. And it's very easy to find video footage of the shoot done for this cover so that you can see how little photoshopping was really necessary. And I won't even start on cellulite - you really ougtha know better. Simple mindedness aside, beauty is not about color and there is no form of it that does not cross the culture boundary to take influence. And since I'm still not quite over some of the dumb stuff I've read here, you people who are scared of having to earn high status, and think you should get it free just because your parents had sex, better be glad she wasn't wearing an attractive swimwear ensemble. Posted: 07/14/09 18:51
	Uncle Rosy says: White folks racism,hell that's what it is and them same white folks are out here calling the President racist stuff,just watch Fox. Posted: 07/19/09 04:21
	Uncle Rosy says: White folks racism,hell that's what it is and them same white folks are out here calling the President racist stuff,just watch Fox. Posted: 07/19/09 04:22
	Keepnitreal says: Reality check people! Would KING magazine have a model that was thin and not with a huge butt on their cover? NO! So OK lets keep SI as it was. I mean the black communuity has chosen to start their own "black only" magazines so why throw Beyonce on this cover! Yeah I said it, keep it real! Posted: 09/13/09 20:32
	trenten says: and has nothing whatsoever to do with her being black it has to do with her having taste. there have been a few black models in sports illustrated but and those girls were models and very tasteful. beyonce is trash and thats what i see when i look at her Posted: 10/05/09 22:09
	trenten says: why is everyone so upset that this issue was canceled? beyonces ghetto ass had no business in sports illustrated. Posted: 10/05/09 22:10
	ter2k0 says: slapkanye.com Posted: 01/15/10 16:30
	Blah says: Pure Racism....plain and simple! Posted: 02/28/10 21:39
	Jay says: The issue here is there has been one black female on the cover of SI swim suit issue and that had been Tyra Banks back in 1997.....1997 about 10 years ago. They were coming out a with a "music" issue and a top female music artist was and is Beyonce, thus the reason why she is on it. Now the readers probably would not being saying the same thing if it was a Brittany Spears or a Jessica Simpson....think about that now. Posted: 02/28/10 21:43
	Jay says: I am afraid it does have to do ALL about her being black plain and simple. But the ones who say that it does not are the same people calling President Obama a social.ist and commun.ist, those are the new "n" words unfortunately. I mean seriously, when the policies that he put forth only helps those idiots and they still protest against them, they are a racists plain and simple. I had no problem with the issue and but I do have a problem with the people who read this magazine, because they are the people who need changing of their corrupted Fox News watching secret racists views. They are fed to believe this stuff and it affects their judgment and beliefs. Thus the reason why they would protest against policies that help them and want Republicans who will vote against things that would help them, but as long as they are white, then its alright.....it is a shame indeed. Just shows that we have so much more work that has to be done on this country. ...and to KEEPNITREAL, you are as dumb as you sound. The reason for magazines like KING are because magazines like SI Swimsuit issue is that the mainstream media does not show the beauty in a black women's body because the image that sells to mainstream America is a blond haired, blue eyed, white women because it is a "safe" are when it comes to selling sex to mainstream. Tyra and Beyonce have been a "safe" woman for white guys to say they think is attractive and I catch white guys saying that all the time, but do not find a Nia Long, Gabriel Union, Regina King, or Jada Pinkett attractive. I am a white guy and I think Beyonce is attractive, but I find black women extremely attractive, especially because my wife is black. But to have a person cancel their subscription on the sole purpose of this being a "ghetto" issue in fact the MOST racist thing you could say or do.... period. There really is no discussion in regards to it and to argue the point that because there is a KING magazine so keep "them" out of the SI swimsuit magazine, that sounds like the same stupid point people make about BET, it is because you are a white person who likes only white 24/7, you probably cringed when February comes around too and wait for it to be over. Morons like you are who we need to get out of this country by teaching the right way to belief because you will just pass that hate to your children. To me you are not KEEPNITREAL, you are KEEPNITDUMB and that is dangerous to our society. Posted: 02/28/10 21:45