It’s ironic that feminists have done more than anyone else to make women into sex objects.
1969 - Would you believe there was a time that “feminists” were NOT just all about abortion? Here a group opposed the Miss America Contest.
Their placard reads “Cattle Parades are degrading to human beings.”
It’s a different take than the Bishop here, but a similar complaint.
The 1969 protest may not have been as high minded. Some elements of it were sensational headline and media grabbing promotion. Some looked like class warfare and trouble making.
Miss America was considered “G” rated TV fare at the time per the morality aspect - and the bathing suit part of the competition in 1969 featured one piece (non bikini) outfits, although accented with the otherwise incongruous high heels.
Ratings were high as I remember it back then (and before - when it was even bigger).
There were “talent” and “poise” and “answering questions under fire” aspects to the contest – and a bit of “March Madness-like” rounds of eliminations where different states (each “Miss” had a sash indicating the name of her state - implying she was that state’s champion) seemingly competed. But the “swimsuit competition” and the finale with the winner named – garnered photos in the next days’ newspaper.
The “bikini contests” of today are considerably rougher (often seen in the contexts of “Spring Break” celebrations at beaches or bars). It doesn’t seem to be Miss America or its Phillipine counterpart that the Bishop is warning against.
More subtle is a hint to women and men that perhaps one shouldn’t wear bikinis or gape at
people who wear them. Or take more care about those things. And a Bishop can be expected to call people to higher things, even if the strategy of the day elsewhere is to keep a low profile and speak seldom (the Church on defense).
This Bishop will be criticized to be sure.
Whenever I hear a good person criticized at least 20 percent of it tends to include such convoluted thinking as to reveal that the critique is wrong. An example of that would be:
“I don’t like that Bishop … all he does is talk about “lust” … and bikini contests!”
:banghead::doh2::nope:
