The cover is a bit of a departure with how Stewart looks in swimsuit photos inside the magazine and in a video that accompanies the cover.

Pick up on newsstands May 18th! #SISwimsuit #SISwim23 /DsRgLr6crKīut should Sports Illustrated get lauded for taking an anti-ageist stand with its Stewart cover, when it may very well have used a graphics editing software to remove any of the usual signs of aging from her face and body on the cover? In the photo, Stewart’s face is remarkably free of wrinkles, while her legs, throat, arms and cleavage look similarly smooth, as well as devoid of any sagging or age spots. Thrilled to be on cover of the I hope this cover inspires you to challenge yourself to try new things. About her cover, the lifestyle entrepreneur regards it as a “historic” moment for women’s empowerment, saying: “I want other women to feel that they could also be on the cover of Sports Illustrated.” She, too, can be glamorous, beautiful, powerful and sexy.

The longtime purveyor of unrealistic beauty standards, centered on young, lithe women, has given the spotlight to its oldest ever swimsuit model, ostensibly showing that a mature woman like Stewart doesn’t need to be invisible in American society.

Sports Illustrated’s decision to put 81-year-old Martha Stewart on the cover of its annual swimsuit issue should be an occasion for celebration, right?

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