Mayor's "Racy" Myspace Photos

[notacleverusername]

So I found this article extremely amusing. I shall summarize it for those who don't like reading whole articles (I usually don't). The female mayor of a tiny town in Oregon had some photos of herself in her underwear that she had wanted to submit to Sports Illustrated. A relative of hers posted the photos on Myspace and people in the town found them, started freaking out, etc. Now she is getting heaps of publicity and people want autographed copies. She is selling autographed copies to raise money for local ordinances.
Here's the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23445683?GT1=43001

Now, one could argue that if she is using the money for charity or to benefit her community, then who cares what she is wearing or whether or not it's appropriate for her to do as a public figure. One could also argue that TV supermodel bimbos have ruined the true role-model figure for young women, and rising female political figures should keep all their decency to encourage youth. One could ALSO argue that women make a firm and strong statement against misogyny by taking their own bodies into their own hands and being in control of their sexuality.

But here's the part that I really want to know about, so please answer this question for me:
What exactly would I need to do, every day, to look that good in my underpants?
Thank you.

[robokitty]

It's horrendous that she was ousted for those photos. Not only that, but since when is a revealing photo a reason for demanding a recall vote?


After reading the article, it's pretty clear that the mayor is a fitness buff. And the pictures are about showing off how toned her muscles are. They are not pictures of her languidly, suggestively stretched out with some "come hither and do me" look. I wouldn't attribute her showing her body to the "supermodel bimbo" phenomenon. It's more along the lines of the health nut phenomenon.


I think it's great that she is selling autographed pictures of herself for charity. Not only does it help the community, but by personally distributing her photographs she makes the statement that there is nothing she should be ashamed about.



And finally, if you want to look that good in your underpants, eat healthy foods, control your intake of food, and exercise several times/week for a minimum of 1hr each time, including both aerobic and strength training in your workout. The big boobs you just have to be born with or get implanted if you don't already have them.

[Endersgirl07]

Crunches, free weights, running, probably a special diet and a personal trainer. :lol: (although they recommend you only work out every *other* day, otherwise your muscles don't have time to tone properly between workouts).

Now, I actually admire this woman. I think she handled this well. She's not posing naked or selling pornography- that would definitely change things. But she's in a tasteful lingerie set that shows off her very fit body. I like that she didn't apologize for it, or take it off of Myspace, and that in fact she is proud of it even enough to distribute it to other people. She knows there's no shame in what she's done, and her pride in her own body actually makes her a very good role model for young women, along with her contribution to organization in the town that she obviously cares about.
In terms of complaining or pointing fingers, I think that she's a victim of punditry and exploitative moralism, like so many others. As the article said, the pictures were shot before she decided to run for mayor. If these pictures were anything to be ashamed of, it's the same matter as with political figures who have their teenage drug offenses brought up against them- they're past mistakes. Ones that no longer affect them. It's unrealistic to expect that a person in a public office will be perfect or even close to it- they're just people, who had ordinary lives before they decided to run for their office.

[mocha0030]

this story was on 20/20 (i believe) months ago. however, at the time, she wasn't selling autographed copies of the pic (or at least i don't remember that part) and she hadn't been fired yet.

although she took the pic before she was mayor, i find it hard to believe (even if she is myspace illiterate) that she played no part in the pic being posted on her myspace account. if she's vain enough to take a pic in underwear in a public facility, i doubt she's going to be disinterested in the picture that's going to represent her online in a quest to find a man. sounds like bs to me. i'm not a prude, but there's something inappropriate about a MAYOR posing in UNDIES in front of a FIRE TRUCK, posting it on myspace and then SELLING autographed copies of it - male or female - charity or not.

[notacleverusername]

I like that she didn't apologize for it, or take it off of Myspace, and that in fact she is proud of it even enough to distribute it to other people. She knows there's no shame in what she's done, and her pride in her own body actually makes her a very good role model for young women, along with her contribution to organization in the town that she obviously cares about.
... It's unrealistic to expect that a person in a public office will be perfect or even close to it- they're just people, who had ordinary lives before they decided to run for their office.

I really agree with you on this. I made a lot of mistakes in my teen years and a few while in college that will disable me from ever entering into certain professions (politics is a prime example). I understand the "need" for some restrictions, i.e. we don't necessarily want a heroin addict running a city. But how does posing for tasteful photographs change or imbalance someone's ability to make decisions that are for the best of others? Especially when the majority of decision-making in public office are not really "moral" questions at all. The public tends to only factor in morality when voting for a politician, but we forget that economics, education, health-care, retiree benefits, etc etc etc to infinity are all judgments that will be based on a person's opinion of ETHICS, not morals.
But I'm very pleased with how she has handled it. She seems to have good cheer about the whole situation, and despite being ousted, she still is giving back to the community. The community that shunned her! I know some (or maybe many) would disagree with me, but I would have no problem with any person of any age viewing those photographs. We have images of grossly anorexic women spread across billboards and magazine covers for young girls to see, where the image of a "woman" is presented to our society as a frail boned weakling. Powerful, healthy, and muscular women are mocked and ridiculed and labeled as "gross". I'd much rather have my daughter be like Jackie Warner (from Bravo's Work Out) or this mayor, than Amy Winehouse or an Olson twin.
Oh and by the way, you can call ME Catherine, too! Haha

[Amish Nick_SC]

this story was on 20/20 (i believe) months ago. however, at the time, she wasn't selling autographed copies of the pic (or at least i don't remember that part) and she hadn't been fired yet.

although she took the pic before she was mayor, i find it hard to believe (even if she is myspace illiterate) that she played no part in the pic being posted on her myspace account. if she's vain enough to take a pic in underwear in a public facility, i doubt she's going to be disinterested in the picture that's going to represent her online in a quest to find a man. sounds like bs to me. i'm not a prude, but there's something inappropriate about a MAYOR posing in UNDIES in front of a FIRE TRUCK, posting it on myspace and then SELLING autographed copies of it - male or female - charity or not.
The only inappropriate thing about it is that she isn't my mayor. :howdy:

Who cares if she took racier photos and posted them on her my-space account. Unless there was a charter in her cities laws prohibiting such acts, she shouldn't have gotten the boot.

And if any one thinks what she did before becoming mayor, look at France's first Lady.

http://soulpower.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/bruni1.jpg
A clean one of her.

Needless to say, if you search the web on her, you will find a lot of nude photos of her. So if there is no problem with her, then there should be no problem with this mayor.

[mocha0030]

The only inappropriate thing about it is that she isn't my mayor. :howdy:

LOL - so typical!

i'm not saying she should have been fired, but i still think it's inappropriate. as a mayor she's a role model. if i lived in her town, i wouldn't have wanted my 13/14-year-old daughter to have seen that picture on myspace. this country is oversexed and women are objectified enough. it just sends the wrong message to young girls. public officials are - and should - be held to a different standard than the average citizen.

[davious]

Considering the current Governor of California has appeared nude in various films, I really don't think her Myspace pics are a terribly huge deal.

[mocha0030]

ROFL - you are a trip.

what films was he nude in besides terminator 1?

for the record, men have the benefit of the double standard. ;)

[davious]

He has also posed nude for Robert Mapplethorpe (an artist), appeared nude in After Dark, a gay magazine, and according to the Celebrity Nude Database (CNDB) he appeared nude in Terminator, T2, T3, Total Recall, Red Heat, and an early film called Stay Hungry. I suppose someone could argue that Schwarzenegger did all of his nude stuff BEFORE being Governor, as an actor, while this lady did it while being an elected official...but, she isn't nude, just in lingerie, that reveals less than a lot of bikinis seen on the beach.

[Endersgirl07]

That's the thing, she DIDN'T do it while being an elected official. It was two years before her term.

Mocha, what does this have to do with women being objectified? She was the one who chose to take the photos, because she has a fit (not skinny!!!) body that she might have liked to show off. I think she's a way better role model for your 13-year-old than, say, Adriana Lima, who poses in skimpier lingerie and sexier poses and is seen EVERYWHERE. Why are you making all these excuses for "other" elected officials who did similar or worse things before their term as well? If you're really that concerned about it, then, no, men don't have the benefit of the double standard.

[mocha0030]

i'm not "making all these excuses" for anyone. i was being sarcastic when i made the statement about the double standard. but to be honest men aren't objectified and viewed as "pieces of meat" the way women are. adriana lima is not a public official, it is her JOB to pose in skimpy lingerie - she's a model. she's doing exactly what's expected of her.

it has a lot to do with women being objectified. she's a mayor, which SHOULD be the antithesis of a shallow bimbo getting ahead because of her looks. she should be promoting intelligence, hard work and determination, instead of "look at how sexy i am in my underwear." i'm well aware that the pic was taken before she was mayor. but the fact that she was the mayor when the pic was posted on myspace, she's in a fire house (city property), and then on top of it she decided to start SELLING the pic, just makes it even worst imo.

no need to get so testy. i can have a different opinion from yours.

davious: i'm not a schwartzenegger fan, so i haven't seen any of the other movies you mentioned besides the terminator series. and i only remember him being naked in the first terminator (i'm not saying he wasn't in the others, only that's the only one i remember). i forgot all about the gay magazine spread.

[Peppermint_SC]

Now usually I have issues with seeing women potrayed in our media and such as submissive, phsicaly and emotionaly weak, sex objects that are only around for guys to ogle at their looks. So I do think the arguement of giving young girls the wrong message might've applied, but for a diffrent situation.

From what I can see, these pictures can't even be considered "racy", it looks more like she's showing off her muscles and how fit she is. It was for a fitness contest after all. Plus, compared to other pictures around, hers aren't bad. The poses aren't provacative at all, and she's wearing more than what I see most people wear at the beach. The fact that people voted her out is just stupid, I bet the citizens have no problems with seeing images on T.V and in magazines that are more provacative and objectifying but if their mayor posed more mild pictures than all of a sudden it's a big deal.

[mocha0030]

i guess it's a matter of what one perceives as racy/provocative vs. displaying physical fitness.

i don't find the picture itself to be offensive or lascivious, just the circumstances surrounding it.

[palabravampiress]

I agree with davious.

If the Governator can be naked and show off his muscles, then this mayor can pose in her undies and show off her muscles.

Personally, I don't think parents should be concerned about this. I think moms should hold them out to their daughters as proof positive that women *can* have it all: they can be mayors of cities; they be proud to show of their fit, *healthy* bodies; and they can still be very physically attractive. I think that women often feel like they have to choose, like they can't have all three of those things at once. Unfortunately, I think the fact that America isn't ready for a female mayor who can show off her body but is ready for a Governor who can do so just reinforces the idea that there really is something wrong with women's bodies, their sexuality, or both.

[robokitty]

I agree with davious.

If the Governator can be naked and show off his muscles, then this mayor can pose in her undies and show off her muscles.

Personally, I don't think parents should be concerned about this. I think moms should hold them out to their daughters as proof positive that women *can* have it all: they can be mayors of cities; they be proud to show of their fit, *healthy* bodies; and they can still be very physically attractive. I think that women often feel like they have to choose, like they can't have all three of those things at once. Unfortunately, I think the fact that America isn't ready for a female mayor who can show off her body but is ready for a Governor who can do so just reinforces the idea that there really is something wrong with women's bodies, their sexuality, or both.

I think you hit the nail on the head here.


When I taught high school, I noticed that many of the girls had this preconception that they could either be popular/attractive OR brainy, but not both. If they earned a good grade on a paper, they would hide it away quickly.

[notacleverusername]

LOL - so typical!

i'm not saying she should have been fired, but i still think it's inappropriate. as a mayor she's a role model. if i lived in her town, i wouldn't have wanted my 13/14-year-old daughter to have seen that picture on myspace. this country is oversexed and women are objectified enough. it just sends the wrong message to young girls. public officials are - and should - be held to a different standard than the average citizen.

First off, those photos are the least of your worries about what a 13/14 year old girl is going to see on myspace. I see dirty, raunchy, very-sexual photos on the login screen alone - and these are not photos anyone would debate about being too sexual.

Second, I think the mayor's photos actually do send a very positive message to young girls. And I think this might be an area where you have to understand what it's actually like to be a young girl, growing up in our society where you have to fit into a pair of size 1 or size 0 jeans, no matter what your genetics may try to dictate otherwise. I spent the entirety of my high school years with a severe eating disorder and wasted away, yet I still was never below a size 6. Because girls are built the way that they are. And we girls NEED to see images of fit, healthy, and proud women to show us that we can still hold our heads up.

I remember another thing about when I was younger and read fashion magazines. They may be changing now, but this was only 4-5 years ago, that so many of the "high fashion" spreads talked about drug, alcohol, and tobacco as means that celebrities controlled their weight. Whether or not those magazines were condemning them makes no difference. Girls still can read that and say "ok, so that's how she got so skinny". In Australia, they are finding that no amount of anti-tobacco messages can stop teen girls from smoking, and so many of them are starting smoking intentionally to lose weight.

I digress. The point is: we are overrun with images that negatively impact teenage girls in our society. Seeing a woman who is in great shape (and got there through exercise and good habits, not binging and purging), powerful, and assertive could do a lot of good. We need more of these. Maybe a mayor fitness calendar?
Which reminds me, the NY fire department poses nearly-nude on their "public equipment", then sells the calendars, to raise money. How is this not exactly the same in every single way?

[Zaggytiddies]

Why does wearing underwear in a tasteful photo make you not a role model? Everyone wears underwear (most of the time). Would there have been such an uproar if she'd been in a bikini on the beach?... Cause guess what guys.... it's the same friggin thing!!!!!!!

PS... I would love to look like that in my undies too... :)

[mocha0030]

why does a person have to be half naked to show off they're physically fit and healthy. *sigh* whatever...

[crocobaura]

Don't know about you people but I don't think I could take my bosses seriously if I were to see them in their undies. Swimsuits are for public places, undies are for private moments. I think the picture is bad taste, amateur glam and awkward. How good her body looks is relevant only for the myspace community men.

[davious]

it has a lot to do with women being objectified. she's a mayor, which SHOULD be the antithesis of a shallow bimbo getting ahead because of her looks. she should be promoting intelligence, hard work and determination, instead of "look at how sexy i am in my underwear." i'm well aware that the pic was taken before she was mayor. but the fact that she was the mayor when the pic was posted on myspace, she's in a fire house (city property), and then on top of it she decided to start SELLING the pic, just makes it even worst imo.


I fail to see how she is being objectified. It was her idea to take the pictures, it was her idea to try to get into the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, it was her idea to post the pictures on her own Myspace. How can it be objectification, when the source of the images is also the subject of the images? IE, how can you objectify yourself?

She became mayor before the images were posted on Myspace, so you can't argue that she got ahead because of them, she was elected mayor because of her intelligence, hard work and determination...or do you want to take the position that pretty women cannot be taken seriously, because they OBVIOUSLY got to where they were because of how they look? Who cares about the timing? The pic didn't help her get elected, she earned it...if she posts it after becoming mayor, what difference did it make, in the long run? I guess I don't consider it objectification when the source of the objectification is the same as the subject of the supposed objectification.

[mocha0030]

She became mayor before the images were posted on Myspace, so you can't argue that she got ahead because of them, she was elected mayor because of her intelligence, hard work and determination...or do you want to take the position that pretty women cannot be taken seriously, because they OBVIOUSLY got to where they were because of how they look?

i did not say, nor do i believe she got her position because of the way she looks. the statement was made to make a point and draw a comparison. you seem like a relatively intelligent fellow, so i'm going to assume you already knew that and you're purposely twisting my statement to support your views.

i'm pretty, so - NO - i don't believe a pretty woman can't be taken seriously. but pretty women are certainly taken LESS seriously when they strip down to their drawers, take pictures and decide to sell them.

how can you objectify yourself?
it's ridiculous to say that people can't objectify themselves. prostitutes, porno stars, strippers, models, etc. do it on a regular basis.

[notacleverusername]

Mocha I thought you were a guy?? Am I incorrect? Your profile says male.

[mocha0030]

OOPS! male is the default gender in the profile. i guess i need to change that. LOL

[Elyasis_SC]

I think society needs more people like her.

Humans are sexual beings, as such it shouldn't really matter. As long as it was her decision and she wasn't forced, good on her!

I never really liked how body builder women look but she's very healthy looking. I respect her courage in this matter and hope this whole thing hasn't drastically affected her life in a negative way.

[notacleverusername]

This is so off-topic but I started the thread so I'm allowed to deviate if I want, right?
Because Elyasis I have to ask you something really important. IS THAT A DINGO?!!