ESPN reporter Britt McHenry made it clear that she is not in favor of female athletes posing for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, which resulted in one of the women who appeared in the magazine to respond.
Golfer Paige Spiranac, along with gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman, elected to pose nude for the annual edition of the magazine. Spiranac posted this tweet to promote the release of the magazine.
So @SI_Swimsuit magazine comes out tomorrow!! Make sure to go pick up a copy☺️ Still in disbelief I’ll be in it😱 #SISwim pic.twitter.com/Ka48yabXdY
— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) February 13, 2018
McHenry then took to Twitter to weigh in about it soon after.
Why does a woman have to pose nude to feel “empowered”? Isn’t it more empowering to keep your clothes on, go into an office or classroom like everyone else and excel? #SISwimSuit desperately wanting to compete with IG models with gimmicks.
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) February 13, 2018
For men to respect women more, maybe women shouldn’t take all their clothes off in the guise of pushing #metoo.
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) February 13, 2018
And that goes for men too. I’m not going to take a man more seriously because he strips down and writes words on himself. He might be great to look at, and that’s fine, but come on now…it’s not activism.
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) February 13, 2018
Spiranac fired back at the ESPN reporter not too long afterward, stating that it was her choice to pose nude, and that it’s what’s inside a person that really matters.
Different women feel empowered in different ways and it’s not right to tell someone what they can and cannot do. It’s more about the person you are and not the clothes you decide or not decide to wear. My body, my choice. https://t.co/CwGlgJX51z
— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) February 13, 2018
I’ve been around a lot of mean girls and I’ll tell you I’ve never been more welcomed and accepted before than I have by the SI models and team. They are rays of sunshine and some of the most beautiful women, inside and out, I’ve ever met. https://t.co/CwGlgJX51z
— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) February 13, 2018
McHenry wasn’t done, and appeared to want to get the last word in — taking a shot at Spiranac in the process by calling her “attention-seeking.”
I agree it’s your body to do what you want. But posing nude is a way to ascertain empowerment through vanity. I don’t think, and this goes for both genders, it’s the best way to receive reciprocal respect or empowerment. Just my opinion though. https://t.co/v5f4AODzkl
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) February 13, 2018
Ok, but you’ve literally cried at press conferences about how you’re not taken seriously in golf. Anyone can pose naked, and yet this is your response to a civil discussion. You’re both beautiful…and attention-seeking. https://t.co/QWoU37O4XE
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) February 13, 2018
The exchange ended there, as Spiranac didn’t appear to be interested in going back and forth with McHenry any longer. Both women raised good points, and it’s subjective as to who actually won the debate.
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