Should We Really Be Happy That Martha Stewart is a “Sports Illustrated” Swimsuit Cover Girl?

I’ve hesitated to write this piece. Probably because, back in February, I wrote a piece about Madonna after seeing her on the Grammys. She was unrecognizable to me, and I questioned whether her transformation was about reinventing herself or trying to avoid the stereotypes about women and aging.

I feel that way again about Ms. Stewart’s “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit issue cover.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m happy for Martha Stewart. She looks great. Her hair is full and lustrous. Her face, unwrinkled. Not a blemish or age spot on her. Posed “just so,” you can’t see any muffin top, no turkey wattle, no cellulite on the thighs. And, because she is wearing a cover-up that does its job perfectly, no bat wings. In fact, even her décolletage looks remarkable, shot in such a way that you can’t tell if gravity is a friend or foe. Good for her! The photo is a testament to women still being attractive in their 80s.

But let’s get real. Ms. Stewart is a former model, and a member of a privileged class, with money and access. I don’t know if Ms. Stewart has had any “work” done and that’s really not the point. But she has the resources to help her reduce the more visible and less attractive side effects of aging.  A team of stylists, make-up artists and hairdressers also helps.

Many women are applauding this latest turn from Sports Illustrated. “We’ve come a long way, baby!” as the saying goes.  And we have. Ms. Stewart’s photo is certainly a refreshing step in a new direction away from the years of showing the scantily-clad bodies of such gorgeous creatures as Elle MacPherson, Christie Brinkley, and Kate Upton. But although I’ve never really understood the connection between a “sports” magazine and semi-nude pin-up covers, is this new direction the right direction?

Should we be applauding Sports Illustrated for featuring mature women on their cover? Aren’t we just still recognizing women for their physical appearance rather than their accomplishments? Have we not yet gotten beyond seeing women only for what they look like…regardless of age? Even the Miss American beauty pageant got rid of the swimsuit competition in 2018.

I’m more impressed with the recent Vogue cover featuring 106-year-old Apo Whang-Od or Helen Mirren at the Cannes Film Festival in a stunning ice blue dress and hair-to-match giving new life to the old-age nickname of a “blue haired lady.”

Frankly, I thought I was over having to be compared to other women’s looks after I hit 50. Unfortunately, after Martha Stewart’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover, am I now going to be expected to strive to look like her when I’m 81?

That would be too bad. Because most women won’t look like Ms. Stewart in their 80s. And that also would mean women haven’t come very far, after all.