Body in Mind is dedicated to fighting for beauty whenever and wherever it is attacked. Thus we support SuperBeauty.Org in their fight against injustice towards women and hatred of beauty around the world, and you should too. Visit SuperBeauty.Org to fight for the beauty you love. It might sound corny, but it's what heroes are supposed to do. -D.Bell (BiM founder, editor)

Burqa to be banned in France

June 21, 2009 - Hallelluja, finally a world leader has found the balls to say it out loud.

"The burqa is not a religious sign, it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement - I want to say it solemnly. It will not be welcome in the territory of the French Republic."

This from French president Nicholas Sarkozy, who has banned the wearing of burqa in France. "In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity." to the extended applause of lawmakers.

Permalink

Bar Refaeli wears only handwriting on the cover of Esquire

June 5, 2009 - Supermodel Bar Refaeli found a novel way to bare all on the cover of Esquire - covering herself in handwriting.

Actually, the handwriting was a new story by Stephen King entitled "Moriarity". The first 48 words of the story were written on her her using red and black body paint.

"I haven't seen anything like that ever." She explained. "So I wanted to be the girl who did it."

Permalink

Page 3 girls defend soldiers' right to see them

May 14, 2009 - Britain's Ministry of Defense has banned overseas troops from looking at Page 3 beauties online. And so the girls are fighting back, staging a protest outside Ministry headquarters.

Ruth, Becky, Nikkala and Peta held up banners and chanted "Free Page 3", and were supported by passing motorists and even a van full of police. Check out their protest here.

We're thrilled to see someone other than us defending the value of female beauty, and the fact that our own Nikkala and Peta are leading the way makes us very proud indeed.

Permalink

Sets on the beach

April 1, 2009 - Heidi Klum is one of our favorite models for a reason. She's beautiful, vivacious, flirty, and not afraid to go naked. Which she's done for famed photographer Russell James and his new book. Judging by this photo, the book promises to be a lot of fun.

Permalink

Scottish jails to ban posters of nude women

March 31, 2009 - Prisoners in Scotland could soon have to take down their posters of nude women - but Page 3 images can stay.

A draft policy document sent to wardens has suggested that prisoners' cells should not show "anything which is offensive to other people". This includes full-frontal nude photos, but apparently in Scotland, Page 3 girls don't fall under this category. As well they shouldn't.

A spokeswoman for the the Scottish Prison Service said "it's about introducing a standard policy so that nothing is shown that causes offense to other people".

Considering that prisoners are only in there because they 'caused offense to other people', it seems pretty pointless to make the prison so politically correct. And depriving incarcerated men of perhaps the one joy they still have in life seems likely to lead to more violence and crime inside jails.

Permalink

Hot for Words

March 29, 2009 - Ever wonder where the word 'alley-oop' came from? Or how to pronounce 'forte'? Don't care? Maybe you will once you see Marina Orlova discuss eytomology (word origins) on her video blog Hot for Words.

Orlova is 28 year old former teacher with a passion for words. She hosts a spot on Youtube, has been interviewed by Bill O'Reilly, and voted World's #1 Sexiest Geek by Wired Magazine. The Russian beauty makes the most of her looks to inspire people's interest in her favorite subject, and we applaud her for using her beauty to foster knowledge.

Permalink

Nikkala Stott and Peta Todd wrap Body in Mind Vegas shoot

March 28, 2009 - Page 3 sensations and BiM favorites Peta Todd and Nikkala Stott have just wrapped up a week of shooting for us in Las Vegas. With photographers Paul Buceta, Michael White and D.Bell behind the lens, we were able to capture some of the most beautiful images and video ever created of these gorgeous women.

Keep checking back for Nikkala and Peta like you've never seen them before!

Viva Las Vegas!

Permalink

Spotlight on beauty in business: Valet Girls

March 28, 2009 - Imagine rolling up to a fancy restaurant in LA , and instead of handing your keys over to a man in a red coat, a beautiful woman in hot pink steps forward to take the keys. Now imagine twelve of them - models, actresses, singers, even doctors and lawyers, all wearing form fitting uniforms and big smiles.

That's what you get if Valet Girls has been hired to take care of valet parking.

"We make a great first and last impression, and in this economy, I am suprised more restaurants are not putting more of an emphasis on that." says Valet Girls President Nancy Saltzman. "Given the optino of hiring acne-riddled teenage boys in red vests, or beautiful sexy models and actresses trained in safety and hospitality, we're betting our success that restaurant guests will prefer the latter."

Valet Girls is a multi-million dollar company found in 1983, with plans to expand to Las Vegas, Florida, New York and the UK.

Permalink

Cindy Crawford poses naked for Allure

March 27, 2009 - This photo of Cindy Crawford - wearing only shaving cream and eyeliner - is causing quite a stir.

The 43-year-old model posed for a series of 'avant garde' photos for Allure magazine, showing off the remarkable body that has survived two children and the effects of aging. Blogs are buzzing about how great she looks and how risque the photos are, but no one has noticed the more obvious point being made here.

Cindy Crawford has been a respected businesswoman for the last ten years or so, most recently coming out with a line of home fashions called Cindy Crawford Home. Like other supermodels who have branched off into cozy careers post-modelling (Kathy Ireland and her fashions, Christy Turlington and her yoga), Cindy has parlayed her fame into a business that can sustain her in years to come. But what's unusual is that a woman who has embraced the Martha Stewart-esque calling of home and motherhood - traditionally asexual things - has also decide to pose naked for a national magazine.

She's one of the few examples we have of a strong, smart, family woman who isn't afraid to celebrate her beauty and sexuality.

Way to go Cindy!

Permalink

Economic crisis leads more and more women to stripping

March 26, 2009 - Perhaps there is one small silver lining to the dark cloud that is our current economic climate. Apparently more and more women are willing to take off their clothes for the good money it brings in.

Employers in the 'adult entertainment' industry (which often improperly lumps tasteful nudity in with outright porn) have seen an increase in applications from women who previously held corporate jobs. Flexible schedules and fast cash make it a tempting career choice.

Dancers at upscale clubs in Miami and New York can make $100,000 to $300,00 a year in cash, even in this recession. Clubs in New York are seeing 20 to 30 women a week applying for jobs, double the number a year ago. Even though the industry is down about 30%, it's still one of the best gigs going for a smart, beautiful woman.

Permalink

Saudi clerics want women banned from media

March 25, 2009 - A group of hardline Saudi clerics - one wonders if there's any other kind - have told the government they want to ban women from appearing on television and to prohibit pictures of them from appearing in print.

The 35 clerics decried the government's allowing the import of "obscene newspapers and magazines that are filled with deviant thought and pictures of beautiful women on its covers and inside"

It's telling that it's only the beauty haters who have no trouble identifying what's beautiful and what isn't. These monsters know precisely what beauty is when they see it, and they know what it represents. That's why of all the truly 'deviant' things they could be protesting, they instead choose to vilify images of beautiful women and televised examples of women pursuing values like normal human beings.

Permalink

Bullied to death: a young girl dies for being beautiful

March 24, 2009 - When Jessica Logan, a bubbly, compassionate and carefree high schooler, sent a nude photo of herself to her new boyfriend's cell phone, she thought she was doing what so many other typical 18-year-olds do: being flirty and fun with someone she loved. She couldn't have known that the fallout from that one innocent act would lead to her death.

Her boyfriend callously forwarded the nude photo of Jessica to four other girls, who circulated it and began a torrent of abuse that eventually drove her to suicide. Jessica would get scores of text messages, MySpace, and Facebook entries from people she didn't know calling her "Porn Queen. Slut. Whore."

"She just totally changed" her close friend said. "I remember her constantly calling my phone crying."

Jessie Logan hung herself on July 3, 2008.

Jessie's parents are pushing for more involvement from schools and local authorities to curb what they consider a form of "bullying". But this is more than bullying. It's murder. It's an example of how eager even the young are nowadays to pounce on a beautiful girl. It's the same motive of mobs who, in the past, have thrown women into volcanos or today stone rape victims to death.

Once again, the mass media have missed the real story. And that story is: a girl has been killed for daring to celebrate being beautiful, and that those who mocked her for it, are her killers. In fact, we're not sure what's worse, Jessica's death or the mass media evading and perpetuating the cause, as it has for decades, since the death of Marilyn Monroe, and more recently in the death of Anna Nicole Smith.

We at Body in Mind are not so naive and frail as these women, nor are we self-blinded like the general media. We know female beauty is a GOOD thing. And we believe women displaying their beauty deserve admiration, and respect.

For the sake of girls like Jessica, and for women like Anna Nicole Smith and Marilyn Monroe, remember, badmouthing beauty kills.

Permalink

Kiss My Math

March 23, 2009 - Danica McKellar thinks math is sexy.

Fans will remember the 33 year old beauty as Winnie Cooper from the Wonder Years. Now a 'math whiz', McKellar has written two books that attempt to glamorize math, especially among girls. She has 'decided to empower girls with stories of fabulous women in fun careers that use math, showing them that smart is sexy."

And as for the title, she claims it means "...I'm going to do whatever I want with my life, and I'm sure as heck not going to let a little math get in my way."

Permalink

Japanese design world's first female fashion robot

March 22, 2009 - Runways in Japan will soon see the world's first female fashion robot.

Researchers unveiled their new creation this week, a five foot two inch 'cybernetic human', programmed to mimic the motions of real models. She is based on anime versions of Japanese women, with oversized eyes, a small nose and shoulder length hair. She weighs 95 pounds, and can flash smiles, pose for the camera and even pout.

She will make her fashion debut March 23, and will cost more than $2 million.

Permalink

German teen gunman targets girls in shooting rampage

March 21, 2009 - On March 11 of this year, a 17 year old referred to only as 'Tim K.', burst into his former high school in Winnenden, Germany with a Beretta 9 mm and began shooting.

His targets? Girls

Of the nine students he killed - some found slumped over their desks, shot in the head, pencils still in hand - 8 were female. On his way out of the school he shot three teachers - all female.

His rampage continued haphazardly from there. He ran downtown and shot two passersby. He hijacked a car but let the occupants go, then shot a car dealer and a man shopping for a car. When police swarmed him he shot at them, wounding two of them. He himself was shot, staggered down an alley, and was found there dead after shooting himself in the head.

Perhaps because of the random violence before he took his own life, or perhaps because its standard practice these days, news outlets aren't making much of the fact that his primary targets, the first people he chose to kill, were all female. "There was no immediate indication of motive" news stories claim.

We know better.

Tim K was apparently a 'below average' student who didn't partake in school events. It's easy to read into that a social misfit, unsuccessful with women and incapable of impressing them with intellect or skill. And like most monsters, he decided to take his revenge on these women, who had the nerve to want for something better than someone 'below average'.

His motive, like that of so many others before him, was to destroy the thing he couldn't have. To eradicate the good that was so clearly nowhere to be found in himself. To kill beauty, and the women who embodied it, for reminding him daily what a failure he was. His later victims were 'collateral damage', random and unimportant once he had already accomplished his real purpose.

What's worse - being targeted and gunned down for embodying beauty, or having the world ignore the fact that this is why you were killed?

Permalink

More nudity would curb teen pregnancy

March 20, 2009 - The British Naturism Society has authored a submission to the Scottish government claiming that a more relaxed attitude to the naked human body could reduce the number of teen pregnancies.

The UK has the worst teen pregnancy rate of any EU country. "The UK is probably the most censorious country in Europe about anything to do with the body." said Andrew Welch, commercial manager of the British Naturism Society.

"This pattern of less body tolerance, worse outcomes is repeated across the western world. Our research shows conclusively that this is no chance connection."

"Governments, authority figures and social and community leaders should accept that the human body is not something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about and that being more open about it would benefit society."

Here here.

Permalink

New Dora the Explorer causes outrage

March 19, 2009 - If you have a little girl under the age of 7 or so, you probably know who Dora the Explorer is. She's a mop-top cartoon character who spends every tv episode on an exploring trip to find something or help somebody. She engages kids in finding new ways of getting to the places she has to go, and also teaches the kids Spanish.

But as her viewership grows up, Mattel and Nickelodeon have decided to give her a makeover, into a 'tween'. And parents are furious.

"Did Mattel turn Dora the Explorer into a Tramp?" screamed a headline from the Huffington Post.

By 'tramp', they are apparently referring to the long leggings and tunic that cover the entire body of this new figure. Dora has longer hair and wears some typical tween jewelry, but she is, in every way, a typical pre-teen girl.

Some parents are outraged at her 'shapely legs', calling the new image 'sexed-up' and a poor example for kids.

Mattel in return has promised that the original Dora isn't going away, and that this Dora is simply a way to keep the iconic character age appropriate.

We doubt there could ever be a clearer example of the people who claim female nudity and sexuality hurt children extending their wrath to include pure, non-sexual female beauty. We don't think a scientific experiment could ever be devised to prove more conclusively that the thing these parents hate about the new Dora is the fact that unlike the old one, she is a beautiful little girl. Quite terrifyingly, these parents are the spiritual, non-violent blood-brothers and sisters of serial killers and pedophiles - all are compelled to attack innocent female beauty.

Permalink

Iranian man who blinded a woman with acid to be blinded himself

March 18, 2009 - A judge in Iran has ruled that a man who blinded and disfigured a woman with acid for refusing to marry him will himself be blinded as punishment.

Under Islam's Sharia Law, retribution for violent crimes is permitted. The man in this case will have acid dropped into both his eyes, blinding him, in return for the damage he inflicted on his victim. He will not be disfigured as she was, and will be anesthetized for the procedure.

The victim claims she has done this to prevent future violence against women. "At an age when I should be putting on a wedding dress, I am asking for someone's eyes to be dripped with acid." she said. "I am doing that because I don't want this to happen to any other woman."

Permalink

Death by Immorality

March 17, 2009 - It's refreshing to find similar minds out there, people who can take a news story and see the real story behind it.

Such is the case in the following blog post on Erosophia: A More Intimate Love of Wisdom. It concerns the story of a young woman who killed herself after her ex sent the nude pictures she had given him to some vicious girls at her school.

Jason, the writer at Erosophia, hits the nail on the proverbial head with his analysis of this story. See if you agree.

*Thanks to Paul Kay for this story

Permalink

Claudia goes topless for Vogue

March 16, 2009 - Don't miss Claudia Schiffer's latest photo shoot for Vogue magazine, where she goes topless and puts beauties half her age to shame.

The 38-year old wears a military jacket over her bare breasts in the photo series, and confirms that she has no plans to quit modeling in the near future.

Permalink

Baby seal hunt scheduled to begin in a few days - protest now!

I wrote to my government representative today to protest the annual Canadian seal "hunt" in which hundreds of thousands of baby seals are bludgeoned to death for their skins. The response I got used words like 'safely harvest this natural resource' and 'experts say it's not cruel' etc. I was actually shocked by the callously blase language, but it shows how out-of-touch the Canadian government is with its people. Canadians overwhelmingly supported a ban on the hunt in 1987, yet since then the government has quietly funded the "hunt" back into existence, apparently simply to employ losers who are otherwise unemployable. A truly progressive ecological position is to preserve as much of the wild as we can, in the hopes that maybe one day we will understand it just a little bit better, and benefit greatly from that understanding. There is no way to slaughter hundreds of thousands of baby animals every year and to know what kind of disasterous effects it will have. Those who think they can are repsonsible for our planet now laying in ecological ruins. Even a child could see that leaving the seals alone to multiply would help save Polar bears from extinction, and that killing baby seals is cruel no matter how it's done. Unfortunately, the slaughter will begin again in a few days unless you take a few moments to register your protest, here .

Permalink

West Virginia lawmaker wants to ban sales of Barbie

March 4, 2009 - Democratic delegate Jeff Eldridge has introduced a bill to ban the sale of Barbie dolls in the state of West Virginia. He says that toys like Barbie "place too much importance on beauty and have an unhealthy influence on girls which could affect their intellectual and emotional development."

Eldridge told local news that he 'just hates the image that we give to our kids that if you're beautiful, you're beautiful and you don't have to be smart".

He knows the bill has little chance of being passed. It seems like he just wants an audience for his hatred of beauty.

Permalink

Bettie Page dies at 85

December 12, 2008 - 1950's pin up Bettie Page has died in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack nine days ago.

She had been hospitalized for three weeks with pneumonia, and was about to be released when she had the heart attack, her agent said.

Hugh Hefner said of her "I think that she was a remarkable lady, an iconic figure in pop culture who influenced sexuality, taste in fashion, someone who had a tremendous impact on our society. She was a very dear person."

In the later years of her life, Bettie distanced herself from her nude photography and became a devout Christian, but her contribution to the world won't soon be forgotten.

Permalink

Carol Alt poses nude for Playboy

December 4, 2008 - One of the original supermodels - and still stunning at the age of 48, Carol Alt has finally given in to Hugh Hefner's repeated requests and agreed to pose for Playboy.

She decided to pose because she 'wants people to know that after 40, it's not the end of your life. Life goes on. You can feel good, look good, be beautiful and sexy and that's all an attitude which comes from health.

She refused to let Playboy editors retouch the photos, saying she wanted to show a realistically attainable body, flaws and all, but still healthy and attractive.

Permalink

Bikini babes catfight over atheism as promo for new book

November 23, 2008 - Music producers have been using sexy women in videos to promote their product for years, so it's little wonder that the author of a new book has done the same.

Dallas lawyer Geoff Henley has written a book called "Beyond Reasonable Doubt: A Lawyer's Case for Disbelief in God", and to promote it, has created a two minute video featuring bikini-clad babes who end up catfighting over the subject of atheism. Set to Wagner's Flight of the Valkyries, the satrical video shows the women's poolside fight escalating to a full blown water battle.

"Too bad all atheist-debates aren't this entertaining" said one reviewer. "Not just theology, this is how all debates should be." said another.

We're just pleased to see someone using the power of female beauty to invite discussion on a serious subject. Check out the video here.

Permalink

15 Afghani women attacked with acid for going to school

November 14, 2008 - A group of men on motorcycles squirted acid from water bottles onto three groups of female students and teachers walking to school in Kandahar Wednesday. Some escaped with only burns to their uniforms, but others will have permanently scarred faces, and one teenager remains hospitalized, unable to open her eyes.

One of the teachers reported being threatened by a man the day before, who said "Oh, you are putting on makeup and going to school. Okay, we will see you."

Three men have been arrested, but the school's 1500 girls have stopped attending.

See the video here.

Permalink

What's wrong with this picture?

October 30, 2008 - The following two headlines were found on the same news website on the same day:

15 Year Old Girl Charged with Child Porn for Sending Nude Cell Phone Photos of Herself

A girl in Ohio is facing felony charges after she took nude photos of herself and sent them to some high school classmates. She was arrested and charged with illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and possession of criminal tools.

If convicted, she may have to register as a sex offender. The prosecutor is also considering charges for the students who received the photos.

and

Muslim Cleric Faces Possible Criminal Charges for Marrying 12 Year Old Contest Winner

An Indonesian muslim cleric may face charges of illegal sex with a minor after marrying a 12 year girl chosen for him through a contest run by his first wife.The girl's parents said financial difficulties led them to marry her to the cleric, who also declared plans to marry a 7 year old girl and a 9 year old girl.

So...a teenager goofs around and takes some nude photos of herself, and she's a sex offender. A 43 year old man has sex with children and he 'may' face charges. Could the hatred of women who use their beauty be any more glaring?

Permalink

Study claims men find women more attractive in winter

October 29, 2008 - A recent university study has found that men find women's bare bodies more attractive in winter.

Wroclaw University of Poland conducted a study of 114 men, who were asked to rate photos of women at differing times of the year. Throughout a period covering 5 seasons, the men were shown photos of women in black bathing suits, bare breasts of different sizes and young women's faces.

Bodies and breasts were rated most attractive in autumn and winter, least in summer. There was no seasonal variation when it came to rating the faces, which the researchers believe is due to women's faces being on display all year long.

"Since in summer men are much more often exposed to more uncovered women's bodies than in winter, our prediction was that stimuli presented to men in summer will be assessed as less attractive than the same stimuli presented to the same men in winter" the researchers concluded.

We believe that anytime men are deprived of beauty they're going to long for it more than usual.

Permalink

Virtual boob arrives for iPhone

October 1, 2008 - A Japanese blogger called Technohippy has introduced his new iPhone app called "paiTouch". Pai is short for 'oppai', the Japanese word for breast.

As the name implies, a rudimentary female profile appears on the screen which you can poke, prod, and otherwise manhandle all you want. There are even specs for nipple size, softness, and of course, overall size.

If you want to see it in action, click here.

Permalink

Construction workers complain about nude lady roller blader

September 30, 2008 - What's the world coming to?

Police in Portland, Oregon received a complaint from a group of construction workers about a woman roller blading nude. Gennifer Moss, otherwise known as Earth Friend Gen, likes to roller blade nude amongst tourists and locals in her home town, where public nudity is normally permitted.

But after the complaint, police told her she couldn't 'expose her genitalia'. She put on some panties and skated off.

Thankfully, a group of bystanders booed as she was confronted by police. Maybe there's some hope. Body in Mind is working towards a world where women can be as naked as they want to be, but we never thought we'd have to convince men.

Permalink

Megan Fox defends Vanessa Hudgens over nude photo apology

September 27, 2008 - Megan Fox, the sultry beauty who starred in Transformers, has lashed out at Disney for making one of it's young stars apologize over nude pictures of her leaked on the web.

Vanessa Hudgens, who starred in Disney's High School Musical, had nude photos of herself stolen and posted online. Disney made her issue an apologetic statement afterwards, which Fox hates.

"I would never issue an apology for my life and for who I am...You shouldn't have to apologize. Someone betrayed Vanessa but no one's angry at that person. She had to apologize. I hate Disney for making her do that."

So do we. Only beauty-haters make women apologize instead of those who sexually abuse them. Publishing nude photos without permission is no different than having sex without permission. Neither are the victim's fault. Kudos to Megan for seeing that, and speaking up.

Permalink

Look closely at this picture...

September 24, 2008 - To make a point about our 'throw-away' consumer society, US photographer Chris Jordan has created a series of photos in a series called "Running the Numbers", which aims to show 'the large-scale waste of consumerism in the US".

In this photo, Jordan assembled 32,000 Barbie dolls to look like a bust of, well, a bust. 32,000 is the number of American women who undergo breast enlargement surgery every month. The original photo is 5ft by 6 ft.

Jordan left corporate law to 'encourage people to take action by translating gigantic numbers into visual images.'

We're assuming Jordan doesn't want large numbers of people buying his art, then.

Permalink

Lawyer loses license for accepting nude dancing as payment

September 21, 2008 - In this shaky economy, it's little wonder that people are starting to get creative with financial matters and bringing back the barter system. But in Illinois, at least, you'd better not try to barter legal services for nude dancing, as one lawyer recently found out.

Scott Robert Erwin of DeKalb met a dancer at a local nude bar, and discovered that he had actually spoken on the phone with her regarding legal matters. Since the dancer was having trouble affording the legal fees, she and Erwin "mutually agreed that she perform nude dances for him for him in his office as a way to cut down on the fees".

It all fell apart when the dancer alleged Erwin touched her. Even though a jury failed to indict him, the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission suspended Erwin from practicing law for 15 months.

If a barter arrangement between this lawyer and, say, a roofer, had resulted in a possible criminal charge, we're certain he wouldn't have lost his license.

Permalink

Russian swimsuit model wins women's world chess title

September 19, 2008 - Using the slogan "Beauty and Intelligence can go together", 23 year old model Alexandra Kosteniuk has won the Women's World Chess Championship.

A grandmaster since the age of 14 (the youngest woman to ever attain the title), Kosteniuk has worked as a fashion and swimwear model to raise the profile of the game.

"I want people to see there is a fun side to chess. It can be made as exciting as soccer or tennis...I am clever, so I can play chess; and I'm not so ugly, so I can model"

Kosteniuk hosts the popular podcast "Chess is Cool", and sells semi-clad photos and videos of herself to further promote the game.

Permalink

Nikkala and Peta's Beautiful Performance II

September 15, 2008 - We've seen them show off their football skills for Samsung. Now BiM models Peta and Nikkala are back, this time on the golf links.

Check out their new "beautiful performance" here.

Permalink

Mayor in hot water for inviting 'beauty-disadvantaged' women to his town

August 21, 2008 - We've all heard the term 'third rail'. It refers to the third rail in the subway system, the one that carries the electricity and will zap you if you touch it. Therefore, a third rail is something you don't go near if you have any sense.

Seems beauty has become a third rail these days, at least for the hapless Mayor of Mt. Isa, Australia.

Last week, Mayor John Molony suggested that 'beauty-disadvantaged' women might want to consider moving to Mt. Isa, where the ratio of men to women is 5 to 1. He thought perhaps this might be a way for the non-beautiful to find meaningful relationships among men who were grateful for the presence of women.

Now everyone is up in arms. Women in Mt. Isa have demanded he resign, saying that he paints them as 'second rate'. Men there are angry at the implication that they will settle for ugly women.

Molony refused to speak at the 100 woman-strong protest rally, saying "No would listen to me. I think the women who turned up at that protest rally tonight are beauty disadvantaged themselves and they can't get over it so they attack me." he said.

Zap.

Permalink

Foundation helps victims of acid burning and immolation

August 16, 1008 - Five years ago, Masarrat Misbah, a salon owner in Pakistan, was approached by a veiled woman begging for help. The woman was insistent, and flustered Misbah. When the woman removed her veil, Misbah 'felt faint'.

"I saw a girl who had no face".

The woman's husband had thrown acid on her. Misbah decided to help her, and put an ad in the local paper to see if other women needed help. She also got in touch with Smileagain, an Italian non-profit agency that provides medical services to burn victims. Now there are 240 registered victims on the Depilex Smileagain help list, 83 of whom are in some stage of treatment.

Pictures and stories of women burned with kerosene or acid by crazed husbands or enraged relatives are heartbreaking. But what is heartwarming is how this organization is striving to return dignity and self-respect to these women through reconstructive surgery, skills training and emotional support.

You can read their stories and donate to their cause here.

Permalink

Mexican university bans mini-skirts for 'provoking sexual violence'

August 15, 2008 - A Mexican university has ordered women to stop wearing mini-skirts and 'provocative' clothing because it 'provokes violent attacks against women."

Hector Ojeda, rector of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa, has said that mini skirts are an invitation for attacks.

The Catholic Church believes that women's dress and conversations with men are responsible for the 1 in 4 Mexican women who suffer sexual violence. It advises:

"If you want to avoid sexual aggression...do not use provocative clothing...watch your glances...don't be alone with a man, even if you know him...don't permit spicy chats or jokes..."

In other words, all men are rapists and it's your fault. Sounds like an Islamic state to us. So what's next...burqua and public executions?

Permalink

Miss Malaysia pageant encourages 'killing off' contestants

August 10, 2008 - Organizers of the Miss Malaysia pageant have come up with a startling voting concept and ad campaign that encourages viewers to 'kill off' contestants, and even beauty itself.

This year's pageant involves an online voting system where visitors are encouraged to 'kill' the women they don't want to see proceed into the finals. So far twelve women out of 32 have been 'killed off'. The pageant winner will be the one with the most points from the judges and the fewest 'kill' points from the public.

The ad campaign is entitled "Kill Beauty, Save the Children". A spokesman claims "The whole idea behind the beauty pageant is (that it's) not about beauty but about saving children. We want people to forget about beauty and concentrate on saving children because everyone on stage tonight is beautiful. Beauty is very subjective. We want to focus on something more concrete and meaningful."

Permalink

Italian prime minister covers up topless painting

August 6, 2008 - At one time, Italy was known for, among other things, it's unabashed adoration of the female form. Italian television often featured scantily clad women, and the government has boasted at least one former porn star among its ranks.

But recently, the prime minister of Italy has decided to cover up a painting of a bare breasted woman (a detail from Tiepolo's "Time Uncovering Truth) that graces his office.

"It was an initiative by those on the presidential staff who look after (the prime minister's) image." A spokesperson said. "That breast, that nipple...it ends up exactly inside the frame captured by TV news stations at press conferences."

This is not the first time a politician has covered up the female form in a work of art. John Ashcroft did it in 2002, choosing to cover up Justice, ironically enough.

Permalink

Feminists blast "Fat Princess" video game

July 29, 2008 - Sony has unveiled a new video game called 'Fat Princess', a type of 'capture-the-flag' game in which the object is to lock up a once-thin princess in a dungeon and feed her cake until her weight balloons. The bigger she gets, the harder it is for your enemies to carry her off.

Feminists are outraged by this. One in particular facetiously said she's 'thrilled to see such unyielding dedication to creating a new generation of fat-hating heteronormative assholes'.

It seems feminists are never happy. If a video game features a svelte, busty young heroine, the feminists blast it. If the game features a plump princess - whom you are supposed to make even fatter as part of the game - they blast it. In this case, they are failing to register that the game's 'fat princess' is the highest value, something considered desirable and worth protecting, even as her weight increases. You would think this kind of thing would make them happy, implying as it does that a woman can still be valuable even with some extra pounds.

There's no 'fat-hating' going on here, or women-hating - just the opposite. And as for 'heteronormative' - meaning the idea that heterosexuality is the norm - frankly, it is. Feminists make it clear that any romantic depiction of a male loving a female makes men into 'assholes'.

Makes you wonder what the world would look like if they really were in charge, doesn't it?

Permalink

Nivea ads latest to 'redefine' beauty

July 27, 2008 - Seeing the proverbial bandwagon of 'redefining beauty' that Dove recently made famous, Nivea has now jumped on.

Take for instance, this ad. They're trying to imply that the vague and egalitarian "sparkle" is what makes the girl in this ad beautiful. Now, it's more than possible that a person with 'sparkle' is indeed more attractive than someone without it, but let's be realistic.

Beauty, in this case, is a fine nose, deep, dark eyes, high cheekbones, a strong chin, full lips, great hair, subtle makeup and, finally, a cool expression. In other words, all the reasons this woman was hired for this campaign, and the reason this particular photo was chosen among the hundreds that were taken that day.The 'sparkle' is definitely there, but this woman would still be beautiful without it. And the woman behind her, arguably just as 'sparkly', would not be.

Nivea is trying gamely to cash in on the wild success of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty by moving away from their history as a skin care company and wading into the murky waters of women obsessing about their looks. It's quite a stretch in some cases.

"For our deodorants, the line is "Beauty is freedom", because when you get rid of body odor, you become confident and free." a spokeswoman says.

Permalink

What it's really like at a nude photo shoot

July 26, 2008 - Ever wonder what it must really be like to take part in a nude photo shoot, as either photographer or model? We see the finished product, the culmination of hours of careful planning and hard work, and if the photographer has done his or her job, it ends up looking effortless. But it is anything but effortless. It takes mental clarity and focus to pull of a seemingly casual photoshoot.

Here's a brief description of the experience, from both sides of the lens, from an article in Esquire.

Permalink

Nigerian bill to outlaw female public nudity resoundingly criticized

July 19, 2008 - A female senator from Nigeria who has sponsored a bill to prohibit public nudity in her country has faced fierce opposition from women's groups there, and most recently, at a meeting of the UN General Assembly.

Senator Ekaette has proposed outlawing nudity to the point of sentencing women who show their belly buttons, breasts or wear mini skirts in public to three months in prison. But she was soundly criticized by everyone from women's groups to civil rights groups to the senate president. Most expressed concern that rather than preventing harrasment, such a law would lead to further harassment of women by police and other authorities who had the power to interpret and enforce the law.

Then, at a UN meeting about the status of women in Nigeria, Glenda Sims of Jamaica challenged the proposed law further.

"Would the police go around with a tape measure to check the length of clothes or see if a breast was exposed?" She asked. "Women have a right to aesthetics of their bodies and the right to present themselves any way they want. A woman's body is the only piece of real estate on which she owes no mortgage. Dress codes are about power and dressing a woman from head to toe is a form of rape."

The committee was more concerned about Nigeria improving it's record on domestic violence, maternal mortality, female genital mutilation and women being punished as adulterers for being raped.

Permalink

Teacher suspended over nude photo will sue government

July 15, 2008 - Do you think a primary school teacher should be suspended over this photo? An Australian schoolboard does, but surprisingly, hundreds of parents in the district don't. They've even signed a petition demanding the teacher be reinstated.

24 year old Lynne Tziolas was suspended after appearing in this photo with her husband in Cleo magazine. Parents of her students lodged a formal complaint with the Narraweena Public School, claiming her suspension has disadvantaged students.

The decision was overturned, but Tziolas is suing the government for refusing to place her back in her old position, assigning her to a school more than an hour away from her home, and placing her in a special needs classroom, for which she has no training.

Permalink

Chilean subway stripper arrested

July 13, 2008 - It took several armed men to arrest Monserrat Morilles of Santiago Chile. News stories show her anguished face among a sea of olive green police uniforms being bundled off into the back of a police van. Her crime? Dancing on the subway.

Morilles, 26, spent the last week pole dancing on the subway trains of Santiago to 'challenge the prudishness of Chilean society". She would enter the trains at one stop, strip down to her skimpy underwear during a pole dance, and disembark at the next stop to avoid arrest. The media dubbed her "La Diosa del Metro" (Goddess of the subway), and she called her performances "happy minutes".

So of course it had to be stopped. Chile is known as one of South America's most conservative societies, and is barely a generation away from the rule of the notorious dictator Pinochet.

"This is just a beginning." Morilles said as she was led away. "We are starting an idea here that will grow and be developed further."

Thanks to Youtube, at least we can still her doing her part for beauty.

Permalink

Russian town unveils breast sculpture

July 12, 2008 - The town of Bataisk, Russia has set up an unusual sculpture in a city park - a nude female torso with a man's hand cupping one of the breasts.

Sculptor Anatoli Sknarin created the sculpture based on a similar piece he saw in the red-light district of Amsterdam. Officials say the sculpture will bring "family happiness" to any man who touches it.

Permalink

Bush's stimulus package helps porn sites

July 6, 2008 - It's little wonder that a story featuring the words 'bush', 'package' and 'stimulus' would end up being about porn.

Back in January, President Bush announced an economic stimulus package designed to encourage 'higher consumer spending". In recent weeks Americans started receiving their $600 stimulus checks - and promptly started spending most of it on porn.

A market research firm reported that many adult websites reported a 20 to 30% increase in memberships since mid-May, and that 32% of survey respondents said the recent stimulus package formed part of their decision to either become a new member or renew an existing membership.

"Getting more people to buy porn was probably the last thing Bush had on his mind when he came up with his stimulus package, but we'll take it. " a spokesman said.

Permalink

Sexy Furniture

July 6, 2008 - Mario Philippona of the Netherlands is a sculptural artist who uses his love of the female form as inspiration for an intriguing line of furniture.

His "sexy furniture" - everything from long legs in high heels that hold your office supplies, to a cabinet on heels with an inlay of a female profile - mixes form and function in a unique and charming way. He designs his works in life size drawings and then assembles the sculpture from pre-cut layers of wood.

Mario himself says it best "Female forms, the most attractive in nature, inspired (me)".

Permalink

Sold Out!

July 3, 2008 - The new Body in Mind hardcover book "Superbeauties: Nude and Natural" has sold out twice in the first week of its release on Amazon. But don't worry, more copies are on the way.

Check out your favorite BiM models - like Nikkala Stott, Peta Todd, Klaudia, Tracy, Arielle and a host of others - in this collection of the most superbeautiful photos ever produced. Get yours here.

Permalink

Beauty in quotes

July 2, 2008 - Throughout the ages, philosophers and poets have opined about beauty and what it means. Here are some of our favorite quotes on our favorite subject:

"Beauty is nothing other than the promise of happiness" - Stendhal, "On Love"

"Things are pretty, graceful, rich, elegant, handsome, but until they speak to the imagination, not yet beautiful" - Emerson, "The Conduct of Life"

"Beauty is merciless. You do not look at it, it looks at you and does not forgive." - Nikos Kazantzakis

"Nothing is more powerful than beauty in a wicked world" - Amos Lee

"Beauty is the evidence of why we are here." Adrian D Canfield.

"Anyone who preserves the ability to recognize beauty will never get old." - Franz Kafka

"That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful" - Ninon de l'Enclos

"In every man's heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty" - Christopher Morley

"The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone" - Goethe

"Beauty...when you look into a woman's eyes and see what is in her heart" - Nate Dircks

"The true beauty of a woman is her inherent ability to make better a man in every way" - Don Williams Jr.

We love that all these quotes fit in nicely with D.Bell's theory that beauty is the representation of values. Can you see why?

Permalink

Miss Universe airs live from Viet Nam July 13

July 1, 2008 - The 2008 Miss Universe pageant will be broadcast live on NBC from Nha Trang, Viet Nam at 9pm ET Sunday July 13.

This year's hosts are Jerry Springer and former Spice Girl Mel B. Check out the gallery of this year's contestants, and if you happen to be in Viet Nam for the event, you can request tickets here.

Permalink

Beauty3d: Naked Covergirl v2 demo lets you be an erotic photographer

June 30, 2008 - Ever dreamed of being an erotic photographer? Well now thanks to Kaplay Studio you can explore your fantasy job with the latest demo of Beauty3d: Naked Covergirl.

In this simulation game you play an erotic photographer, Jacky, taking photos of three beautiful girls on a tropical island. Apparently the girls are 'realistic and beautiful' in 3d, and will pose and dance for the player. The official version retails for $39.95

Permalink

British museum receives complaints about nude mummies

June 26, 2008 - File this one under 'You've got to be kidding...'

The Manchester Museum in England houses Britain's largest collection of Egyptian artifacts. But following complaints from visitors about the mummies being displayed "naked", the museum is going to keep the mummies covered until they can figure out how best to display them.

Egyptologists decried the move as a 'step backward' for an educational institution. It certainly is, but we think it's a far more telling sign of how hysterical the world is becoming about nudity. When a waxy 3000 year old remnant of a person can be deemed immodest, things have definitely gotten out of hand.

Permalink

Austrian women beat Germany in topless soccer match

June 24, 2008 - With many European eyes on soccer during the run-up to the Euro 2008 finals, we'd like to take a moment to praise a group of lovely young German and Austrian women for making 'the beautiful game' even more beautiful.

Erotic actresses from both countries took place in a 5-a-side topless beach soccer match on a Danube river island in downtown Vienna last week. The ladies wore only thongs and painted-on shirts in their national colors.

The verdict? Austria beat Germany 10-5. "They might have to work on their technique a bit, but it was definitely a rather pleasant game to watch." said a spectator.

Permalink

What's the connection between beauty and a free market?

June 23, 2008 - Ever wondered why there seemed to be an explosion of stunningly beautiful women from the former Soviet Union during the early nineties?

In this article, Anne Applebaum poses the interesting hypothesis that beauty only thrived once communism died. Before the liberating forces of capitalism, there were no fashion magazines, no tv shows dependent on beautiful stars, no cosmetics or haute couture and no rich men to dress up for. On top of that, unusual beauty, like unusual genius, was considered "highly suspicious" in the former U.S.S.R.

Yet another reason to defend capitalism. As Applebaum says, "...cheer up next time you see a Siberian blonde dominating male attention at the far end of the table: The same mechanisms that brought her to your dinner party might one day bring you the Ukrainian doctor who cures your cancer or the Polish stockbroker who makes your fortune."


*Thanks to BiM member John Van S. for this story.

Permalink

Oregon woman plans to parade topless on 4th of July

June 22, 2008 - Jen Moss, a.k.a "The Naked Lady" of Ashland, Oregon, is going to march topless in the town's annual 4th of July parade. And if she's prevented from doing so, she'll sue.

Moss left her hometown of Ojai, California and came to Ashland because the town only prohibits exposing the genitals, effectively allowing toplessness. She celebrates this by habitually riding her bike around town without a top. But when she signed up to march in the parade, she was told it was 'inappropriate for a family event' and wouldn't be allowed to participate.

She plans to contact the ACLU about a law suit if she is prevented from joining the parade.

Permalink

Peta and Nikkala show off football skills for Samsung

May 31, 2008 - Check out this amazing Samsung ad featuring BiM favorites Peta Todd and Nikkala Stott showing off their ball-handling skills. Way to go girls!

Permalink

Hospital refuses money from sale of Carla Bruni photo

April 14, 2008 - What's more important - helping care for sick children, or keeping the tradition of hating female beauty alive? Apparently a hospital in Cambodia thinks it's the latter.

Recently, this nude photo of former model Carla Bruni - who is now married to the president of France - was sold at auction for $91 000. The money was offered to Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital Association in Cambodia, but the doctor who runs the hospital turned it down.

"Accepting money obtained from exploitation of the female body would be perceived as an insult" Dr. Beat Richner said. "The idea behind this gift was to get publicity for the auction and the photographer. It was a way of using us."

The photographer, Michel Comte, has only agreed to sell the one image of her, and asked that proceeds be given to charity. The money will instead go to a Swiss charity working on clean drinking water solutions.

Permalink

Help stop the Canadian Seal Hunt, in honor of Anna Nicole

March 31, 2008 - Back in April 2005, Anna Nicole Smith called on Prime Minister Paul Martin to "stop the bloody seal slaughter", and asked her fans to do so as well.

PETA posted her message on their website: "The fur industry says that it is killing more seals because of an increase in demand for fur - all fur. Anyone who buys a mink or a fox fur coat or a jacket trimmed in fur bears the responsibility for creating an environment of demand for the furs of these baby seals - who are often skinned while they are still conscious. Please, join me in getting active to stop the bloody seal kill."

PETA has posted a renewed effort to stop the seal hunt, in Anna Nicole's memory. Please check it out.

Permalink

Complaint against 'sexually suggestive' beer label gets thrown out

March 9, 2008 - This label, for Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout, was accused of being 'sexually suggestive' by the British watchdog group Alcohol Concern.

Brewers are banned from associating their product with sexual success, but according to the Portman Group, which regulates brewers, Wye Valley Brewery had not crossed the line into irresponsible marketing, and threw out the complaint.

Wye Valley claims that their brand was intended to be a 'light-hearted image capturing the spirit of of 1950's rural Herefordshire."

Permalink

"Babe rage" incident calls attention to hatred of beauty

March 3, 2008 - Two Florida teenage girls say they were escorted off a Southwest Airlines flight because they were too pretty.

Nisreen Swedberg and Sarah Williams say that the flight crew was rude to them, refused them service, and accused them of causing a disturbance after another passenger yelled at them. They were escorted off the flight, questioned by the FBI, and banned from all future Southwest Airlines flights.

"I think they were just discriminating against us because we were young, decent-looking girls. Nobody else on the plane looked like us." said one of the women.

Whether there's any truth to their claim, or whether they're tying to gain the same publicity that Kyla Ebberts received from her run-in with Southwest Airlines, we're glad to see that finally the idea of 'babe rage' - prejudice and hatred openly directed at a beautiful woman just for being beautiful - is finally being acknowledged.

Permalink

Lindsay Lohan recreates Marilyn Monroe's last nude photo shoot

February 20, 2008 - In an act of great courage or incredible hubris - we won't know which for a while yet, if the media is any indication - 21 year old star Lindsay Lohan has posed nude for photographer Bert Stern, recreating down to the letter his famous last-ever photo shoot of Marilyn Monroe.

Bert Stern photographed Marilyn Monroe at the Hotel Bel Air in California six weeks before her death in 1962. The images show a vulnerable 36-year-old who was still unmistakably one of the most beautiful women who's ever lived.

Now Lohan and Stern have recreated the images for New York magazine, with Lohan donning a blonde wig and black eye liner, along with the guazy fabrics reminiscent of those used in the original shoot.

While Lohan's beauty pales in comparison to that of Marilyn's, it's still charming to see a young woman pay homage to a great beauty of the past.

Permalink

Teacher allowed to keep teaching after 'nudity vs porn' lesson

February 18, 2008 - An Australian teacher who told his class of teenage boys to research pornography online has been allowed to keep teaching, and has even won a promotion.

The teachers' watchdog organization dismissed a complaint about his assignment "Is nudity and pornography the same thing?" The teacher, Mark Heiberg, told the boys to use the internet to research the topic, and then asked them waht would constitute suitable viewing for an eight-year-old boy.

Heiberg defends his assignment by saying "I didn't mean look at pictures of pornography, it was to get a definition. I think it's appropriate that kids know the difference, because there's so much out there."

The class never got to complete the assignment, as it was removed from school computers as soon as the principal became aware of it. But at least the teacher kept his job, with the full support of his principal.

Permalink

London Underground bans image of nude Venus

February 14, 2008 - Only in this day and age could a 500 year old painting be considering 'sexual in nature' and potentially offensive. At least that's what the London Underground said this week when it banned this image from its train system.

The image, a nude Venus painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder in the 16th century, was part of an advertising campaign to highlight a forthcoming art show from the Royal Academy. But the Underground said it "breached guidelines against advertising with depict men, women or children in a sexual manner or display nude or semi-nude figures in an overtly sexual context".

Huh?

"It's impossible to see how this classic painting could possibly cause offense" a British politician said. "The decision is absolutely bonkers".

Permalink

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2008 hits newsstands today

February 13, 2008 - SI favorite Marissa Miller graces the cover of this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2008, out on newsstands today.

Also featured are Bar Refaeli, Ana Beatriz Barros, Jessica White and Anne V, along with IRL driver Danica Patrick.

The issue was shot during a two-day shoot in the US Virgin Islands last October.

Permalink

Teacher 'traumatized' teenager by flashing breasts at him

February 11, 2008 - A 47-year old teacher in Sweden decided to retaliate against one of her teenage students who had filled her blackboard with profanity and sexual imagery - by flashing her boobs at him.

She has been fired from her job, and fined nearly $800 in 'damages for trauma to her victim'

The teacher denies there way anything sexual about her actions. "I just snapped. I was trying to get him to stop writing and drawing filth on the blackboard."

Permalink

Is this photo 'obscene'? Virginia Beach thinks so

Feb 9, 2008 - Police in Virginia Beach, VA cited the manager of an Abercrombie & Fitch store for "display of obscene materials that is open to juveniles" and confiscated the posters after complaints from customers.

The manager, if convicted, faces a fine of $2000 and as much as a year in jail. Police had to charge him because there was no legal way to cite the company.

The retailer is said to be preparing to 'pursue its legal rights vigorously'.

"The marketing images in question show less skin than you see any summer day at the beach. And certainly less than the plumber working on your kitchen sink." the company said in a statement.

Permalink

Pam in Paris - ooh la la

February 8, 2008 - For all our Parisien members, or for anyone else who might happen to find themselves in the City of Love for Valentine's Day, here's your chance to see Pamela Anderson nude on stage.

Pam will be performing at the famous Crazy Horse in Paris on February 13 and 14, and in the tradition of the club, will go fully nude.

Catch it if you can.

Permalink

Fans of losing Superbowl team blame Gisele

February 5, 2008 - Football fans were shocked last Sunday when the New England Patriots lost the Superbowl to the New York Giants in a 17-14 upset. And when they wanted someone to blame, they immediately thought of Gisele Bundchen.

Gisele is dating Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and newspapers in Boston have called attention to this fact in the aftermath of Sunday's game. "Super stunner: Could Bundchen be to blame?!?" one headline demanded. "Gisele is bad luck" and "Gisele is a jinx" others said. Fans believe the model distracts Brady too much from his important work of tossing a ball around.

Women fans are also angry at Gisele because Brady recently fathered a child with actress Bridget Moynihan, and then took up with Gisele - note they aren't angry with Brady for having done this, just Gisele.

Permalink

"Bare France" - nude flight attendants liven up flight

February 4, 2008 - Leave it to the French to liven up a boring flight with some female nudity.

Two amateur videos of a French flight crew have been making the rounds of the internet. In the videos, stewardesses strip for the captain and first officer, show off their bums and flash their boobs. In one video, the captain is seen fondling one girl's breasts and in the other, the captain slaps the girl's behind declaring "firm derriere".

Apparently, 'probes' are underway at various European airlines to find out who was involved.

Permalink

Italy's nude art models want better pay

February 2, 2008 - Italy's 300 life models - who pose nude for art classes - are fed up with their low pay and want the government to step in.

Only about 50 of them have full time contracts, and as a group, the 300 recently went on strike demanding full time pay for the hard work that not everyone can do.

"It's not easy because you are naked, so you have to be comfortable with your body and have a nice relation with everybody but be neither too open nor too close." one model said. "It's a tough job! It doesn't seem to be, but try it. Put yourself in front of the mirror and then stay for a long time in a pose. It's not easy."

Permalink

Vote for your 'Sexiest Geek'

January 31, 2008 - Wired News is giving you a chance to vote in their third annual "Wired News Sexiest Geeks" contest - a competition to find the 'sexiest, smartest and most Wired men and women of the year'.

"Remember", they say "Geeks are not just computer nerds. They're dedicated to the point of being obsessed, so smart they scare you, and hot in a possibly indefinable way."

Check out some of their suggestions to get you started.

Permalink

Zeta-Jones is the benchmark of beauty according to scientists

January 5, 2008 - Scientists from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia have come up with new computer technology that measures the attractiveness of women, and have determined that Catherine Zeta Jones is the 'benchmark of beauty'.

Facial measurements of volunteers are fed into the computer and compared to beautiful models and actresses like Zeta Jones. The volunteer is then given a score of 1-10 based on how many features and measurements they share with the famous beauties.

One of the program's developers thinks the software could be useful for plastic surgery patients, to determine whether surgical changes would improve their attractiveness before they go under the knife. Others think the software could be harmful to people's self-image, and has no purpose.

Permalink

French Photo produces photo of nude Victoria's Secret models

January 4, 2008 - You've seen them in skimpy lingerie in the pages of Victoria's Secret catalogue, and now you can see them in nothing at all.

French Photo magazine has released the photo of Alessandra Ambrosio, Izabel Goulart, Miranda Kerr, Adriana Lima, Karolina Kurkova and Selita Ebanks, lined up together in the nude, to celebrate their new edition "20 years of Supermodels".

Permalink

Texas strip clubs face 'pole tax'

January 1, 2008 - As of today, strip-club owners in Texas must start paying a new tax - dubbed by some the 'pole' tax - of $5 per customer. The tax is projected to earn an estimated $40 million, most of which will be donated to help rape victims.

A club in Amarillo is challenging the tax, saying it discriminates by not targeting nude modelling studios and adult movie theatres, and that it violates the Texas constitution, which requires that 25% of all occupation-specific taxes must benefit public schools. All this will accomplish, we believe, is to give the legislators behind this tax even more people to target unfairly.

We'd prefer that the strip-club owners fight the tax on the merits (or lack thereof) of the issue. By giving proceeds to rape victims, it implies that there is somehow a connection between strip clubs and rape, and that strip club patrons must pay for their 'sins' by helping their 'victims'. This idea is what the owners - and anyone who loves female beauty - should be fighting.

Permalink

Dying for beauty in Iraq

December 26, 2007 - Running a beauty salon in Baghdad can get you killed.

For about two years now, hardline extremists have been blowing up beauty salons. It's sinful, they say, for a woman to appear beautiful in public, and anyone who helps a woman look beautiful is marked for death. The most recent attack occurred on December 13, when gunmen broke into the home of a beauty salon owner and shot her dead.

Salon owners have gone underground in defiance, continuing to run their businesses at home for the countless women who want their services. Most won't use their real names in interviews, but insist that wars will come and go but a woman's desire to look and feel beautiful will always remain.

"Here, we give women hope," one salon owner said. "They feel like women, even during the worst tragedy."

These murders can't actually be motivated by religious fervor since the women are trying to be beautiful only in private. It's pure hatred of female beauty that motivates the murderers, which is what we've always said.

Permalink

French islanders support beauty queen who posed nude

December 23, 2007 - The small island of La Reunion, a French possession in the Indian Ocean, is standing behind one of their native daughters who is set to lose the title of Miss France for having posed nude three years ago.

Valerie Begue, the first Miss France from La Reunion in 30 years, won the crown two weeks ago. But when 'provocative' photos of her surfaced, the head of the Miss France organization threatened to fire her, saying "I wouldn't want to be seen touring the provinces (of France) with a girl like that. Let her stay in La Reunion".

Her island compatriots are standing behind her in droves, including local politicians and churchmen. The island's radio station says it has never received so many phone calls from outraged listeners, and hundreds of supporters marched through the capital city in protest.

Permalink

Thoughtful art exhibit covered up as 'inappropriate for children'

December 15, 2007 - An artist who was using a local museum exhibit to explore attitudes towards art, pornography and nudity has had his images covered up for a group of fifth graders.

Neal Peterson's exhibit. "Thirteen Pieces of Paper" features a graphic sex scene from Hustler magazine, Michaelangelo's Adam and Eve, an Anne Geddes photo of a nude mother with child and a Jeff Koons photograph showing pornography as art. The idea was to mix the images together to question how they are perceived both separately and together. But the thoughtful display was covered up just when the people who ought to be thinking about things - teachers, and the younger generation - were set to visit.

The artist is crying censorship, but the museum claims they were 'misled' and the exhibit wasn't appropriate for children.

"If you want to make a statement, how about doing it the right way? No one has been censored." said the museum director.

Permalink

Father strangles daughter to death for not wearing hijab

December 12, 2007 - A 16 year old muslim Canadian girl was strangled to death by her father for refusing to wear hijab.

Aqsa Parvez had clashed with her conservative father over her refusal to adhere to traditional muslim values. She would wear loose clothing to school, but then change to more form fitting clothes, and would have to scramble to put the hijab back on whenever she saw her older brother coming. Days before her death, friends noticed bruises on her arms, and noted that she worried her father was going to kill her.

The media is quick to report the family lawyer's contention that there was "more to the story than just cultural issues.", and a spokeswoman for the Islamic Social Services Association claims, absurdly, that to say it's about the hijab is 'an oversimplification', and that it had more to do with the hormones and emotions of teenagers trying to assert their independence.

Anything but the truth - that another Islamic woman-hater has murdered another woman and the world refuses to acknowledge it.

It's a hatred so intense that father's will kill their own daughters, and so common that no one will dare admit it exists for fear of being implicated: it's hatred of female beauty.

Permalink

The new Body in Mind Media Store is online

December 9, 2007 - We know, it's that time of year. You've got people to buy for but haven't got a clue what to get them.

For the fellow beauty lovers on your list, we've put together the Body in Mind Media Store, filled with our favorite DVDS, books and magazines, all carefully chosen for their uplifting or thoughtful approach to female beauty. You'll find Bettie Page, the best in Pin Up art, the philosophy of Ayn Rand and the highlights of Playboy, to name a few.

Merry Christmas!

Permalink

Oops...

December 8, 2007 - We usually pride ourselves on reminding you of upcoming shows and specials involving female beauty, but this time we goofed. The 2007 Victoria's Secret Show aired on Tuesday, Dec. 4 and we forgot to mention it.

Our bad...

The good news is that you can see highlights from the show on the CBS website - and they promise to air the entire show online very soon.

Permalink

Saudi rape victim faces 200 lashes for telling her story

Nov 16, 2007 - A 19 year old victim of a gang rape in Saudi Arabia was sentenced to receive 90 whip lashes for "being in the car of an unrelated male at the time of the rape" - and then sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail for telling the news media her story.

The judges in Saudi Arabia's Higher Judicial Council wanted to 'punish the woman further' for " her attempt to aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media."

The six men who raped her were given between two and nine years in jail. None of them will face the lash of a whip for their crime. The woman, on the other hand, will face imprisonment and the whip for having been raped and for daring to tell the world about it.

We're sickened by the spectacle of this incredibly courageous young woman being forced to endure what will likely amount to a public execution for it. Raped for being beautiful; killed for being brave. This is hatred of beauty on a country-wide scale, and we can think of nothing uglier.

Voice your protest at Amnesty International here.

Permalink

Soccerettes - Nikkala & Peta

Recently, two gorgeous soccerettes - Nikkala Stott and Peta Todd, both of whom are Page 3 models and favorites of Body In Mind, were interviewed by SoccerAM TV show.

Peta was the center of attention. And even though her time on-screen was all-too brief, the viewers did learn some things about one of our favourite models...

Previews of the new Page 3 calendar were shown, though their breasts were blurred out. Beauty is yet to come out of the closet, for the rest of the world anyway.

For an uncensored eyeful of these lovely ladies, check out our Nikkala and Peta galleries.

Permalink

Elle MacPherson proves she's still The Body with see-through shirt

October 23, 2007 - Elle MacPherson stepped out at the London premiere of Eastern Promises last week, wearing a see-through shirt and no bra underneath her tuxedo suit.

She's always been one of our favorites, for her bravery and her unabashedly joyful attitude, and this latest episode further proves the point.

Find out why she qualifies as the most beautiful woman in the world, here.

Permalink

Panty protest against Myanmar violence

October 20, 2007 - Women around the world have chosen a unique way of protesting the recent brutal crackdown by the Myanmar government - they're sending their panties to Myanmar embassies worldwide.

The "Panties for Peace" drive was launched by an activist group, Lanna Action for Burma. Apparently the country's superstitious military authorities believe that contact with women's underwear saps them of their power.

The military has violently cracked down on anti-regime demonstrations, and continues to imprison anyone involved. The Lanna Action group has encouraged women to send or deliver their underwear to Myanmar embassies in protest.

"You can post, deliver or fling your panties at the closest Burmese Embassy any day from today. Send early, send often!" their website advises.

Permalink

Islamic militants attempt to assassinate Benazir Bhutto

October 19, 2007 - 126 people dead, 248 injured, the most deadly suicide attack in the history of Pakistan - all because a woman is running for president.

Benazir Bhutto, returning to Pakistan after eight years in exile, was driving in a celebratory procession amidst 150 000 well-wishers when two explosions went off near her truck. She had been urged by authorities to use a helicopter amidst threats of attack, but refused. She was left dazed but unharmed.

Last month she told CNN that she knew she was a target. "Islamic militants don't believe in women governing nations, so they will try to plot against me."

She was right. Although some news sources claim that she was attacked because of her western ties and desire to fight the taliban and al qaida, she herself knew that the attack would be motivated by her sex.

Permalink

Spice Girls team up with Victoria's Secret

October 17, 2007 - 90's girl group The Spice Girls have reunited for the first time in nine years, and will be releasing their new album exclusively through Victoria's Secret stores.

The "Spice Girls: Greatest hits" features 13 of their most popular songs, and will be available in Victoria's Secret stores starting November 13th. The album will be available to the rest of the country in January.

The girls are also set to perform at the Victoria's Secret fashion show, airing December 4 on CBS, followed by a reunion tour of major US cities.

Permalink

Would this poster make you crash your car?

October 9, 2007 - This Nickleback billboard poster was pulled down in London, England because council officials feared it would cause 'traffic chaos'.

The poster features Hugh Hefner's girlfriends lounging in bikinis - fully clothed, that is - as promotion for their new single Rockstar.

It's hard to know what's worse - the assumption that men are such dribbling idiots that the sight of girls in bikinis would make them crash their cars, or that girls in bikinis are so inflammatory that utter chaos would ensue if they were allowed to be seen in public.

How long will it be before real live women will be prevented from wearing bikinis in public?

Permalink

Beyoncé cancels Malaysia show over stringent modesty rules

October 1, 2007 - Kudos to Beyoncé Knowles, who stood up to Muslim fanatacism and cancelled a show scheduled for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Knowles said she was reluctant to fulfill the Malaysian government's demands that female performers cover themselves from their shoulders to their knees. She will perform in Jakarta, Indonesia instead - although it is also a muslim country, it does not have as many rules regarding female performers.

"It doesn't have all the issues we have." a concert promoter said. "She can perform as she likes there."

We salute Beyoncé for not giving in to the thugs and misogynists who want to bring women down. We just wish she'd said so.

Permalink

Alicia Silverstone¹s Sexy Veggie PSA
Order a FREE vegetarian starter kit at GoVeg.com

Alicia Silverstone bares all for PETA

September 29, 2007 - Actress Alicia Silverstone skinny dips for PETA's first-ever naked vegan testimonial ad and thus joins the unofficial "club" of beautiful women who bare all to promote "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" campaign.

"Like most people, I wasn't always a vegetarian, but I've always loved animals" she says. "Now when I see a steak, it makes me feel sad and sick because right away, I see my dog or the amazing cows I met at a sanctuary. Being vegan truly is the secret to my life's joy and peace" added Alicia and invited us to check out her favorite recipes, cruelty-free cosmetics and fashions.

This foxy lady always buys "Fake, for the Animals' Sake." In fact, she even posed for PETA's "Pleather Yourself" campaign to urge consumers to give leather the boot. "Together, we can make the world a more peaceful place for animals", she said.

Permalink

Student mob demands expulsion for girl who posed nude

September 27, 2007 - When you hear about old legends involving virgins being thrown into volcanoes or young women being slain for witchcraft, there's always an angry mob involved. Townspeople, religious nuts, whatever - there's always a crowd chanting for her death.

The people who formed those mobs are still around.

Recently a 16-year old girl in Indonesia was expelled from her high school for posing nude on the internet. As troubling as it is that a school would deny an education to a woman for simply taking her clothes off, what's downright terrifying is the mob of angry students that gathered to condemn her.

Hundreds of students rallied to demand a harsh punishment for her. "We need to see our school uphold the moral values they teach us". one male student said. "She deserves to be expelled because she disgraced us all." They also placed yellow flags around the school, symbolizing death.

What does it take to make a 16 year old boy want to punish a girl for posing naked? Any healthy young man would love to see a girl his age naked, it's a normal part of growing into a mature man. To see this natural interest corrupted so early is a terrible sign of things to come

Permalink

New Body in Mind RSS feed

We now have an RSS feed for all Body in Mind blog items. Anyone who wants it can find it here.

Permalink

Update: Dr. Phil gets Southwest Airlines to apologize to Kyla Ebbert

September 25, 2007 - Dr. Phil may be the only thing standing between us and a totalitarian fundamentalist state, God help us.

It was only by appearing on Dr. Phil's show of September 18, 2007 that Kyla Ebbert, the woman told to cover up on Southwest Airlines, finally got the apology she deserved. A representative from Southwest came on the show to make amends, and announced that the airline would be offering 'mini-skirt fares' to entice flyers.

If it hadn't been for this show, it's likely Southwest would have maintained the stance they'd defended for two months; no apology, no backing down from the belief that they can tell a woman what to wear. Unfortunately even Dr. Phil didn't give this ugly matter the kind of credibility that an incident of this magnitude deserves. Instead of treating the matter as a case of outright sexual harassment, he buried it in an episode about people with bad manners.

But hopefully at least it will encourage other women to stand up for themselves when they're attacked for their beauty. And hopefully it will make other petty tyrants think twice before going on the attack against beautiful women.

Permalink

Another woman told to cover up or leave

September 24, 2007 - It's happened again. Another woman has been told to "cover up or leave".

This time it happened to a very well endowed British tourist named Helen Simpson, who was visiting a casino in Christchurch, New Zealand. She was wearing a low cut black evening gown, and was told by a female staffer that people found her top offensive. She put on a zip-up top to cover her chest.

"I feel like I've been discriminated against for having big breasts." Simpson said.

She was further humiliated by the fact that every staff member, from croupiers to security, were told about it. "The most humiliating thing was that everyone knew. All the staff were staring and the group of guys that complained - I'm sure it was them - were smiling."

And the response from the casino executives? They're questioning her motives for going to the media, and say it's merely a matter of responding to comments received from other guests.

All of these attempts to force women to cover up we've seen in the news lately are attempts to find out if anyone will defend women. If no one does, we can count on governments and private businesses starting to pass laws and rules dictating dress codes to women. And once this starts, there's no going back to the freedom beautiful women enjoy today.

We don't know who the creeps were who complained about Helen's dress but the casino should have told them to stop harassing women. And if they don't have the balls to tell them, then the government should. We strongly advice Helen to have these men - and this casino - charged with sexual harassment.

If women don't assert their right, they will lose it. We submit any fundamentalist Islamic society as example and proof.

Permalink

Two Swedish women fight for the right to go topless

September 22, 2007 - Two Swedish girls are fighting for their right to go topless after being kicked out of a pool for swimming without their bikini tops.

Ragnhild Karlsson, 22, and Kristin Karlsson, 21 were spotted without their tops by a female lifeguard, who sent other guards to pull them to the side and tell them to put tops on or leave.

The women then sent a letter to the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman saying they see no reason for men and women to be treated differently, and that if anything, a bikini top 'could be accused of drawing unnecessary attention to a woman's breasts."

Pool staff later referred to studies showing that sexual crimes were more common in pool environments. (They didn't say then why men were not banned from public pools but women's breasts were.) They also claimed it was a "hygiene issue" (girl germs?) and that because of 'families with children (robo moms), the elderly (most in Sweden are nudists last I checked) and people from different ethnic backgrounds", they stand by their decision. (They didn't say what ethnicity is offended by boobs but not by bikinis.)

If rapists, children, old folks, or ethnic types don't like it they can leave the pool since they are the ones with the problem. Why force these girls to make it theirs? Why are women who aren't ashamed of their bodies always required to submit for the sake of anyone at any time regardless of how morally depraved that anyone might be? Why do we continue to put the bravest and most beautiful among us at the bottom of the social hierarchy - even below would-be sexual offenders? (The girls had to go in case any sexual offender present was tempted to offend again.) Why does everyone have rights, except these girls? Why does everyone continue to equate breasts with sex and sex with immorality, regardless of the setting, situation or circumstances?

Isn't it obvious? A serial-killer on the X-files once asked a wise man why he can't stop killing. The wise man answers, "It's because you're a homocidal maniac." It's just as simple in this case. Why do people keep giving beautiful nude young women the short end of the stick? It's because they hate beautiful nude young women. Let's start seeing it for what it is.

Good luck girls! We're doing everything we can to fight this kind of hatred.

Bare Marilyn Monroe to Sell Bottles of Red and White

September 9, 2007 - Several winemakers, believing it may improve sales of certain brands, introduced funny labels, among them images of scantily clad Monroe on Marilyn Wines’ Marilyn Merlot.

Charmingly naked Marilyn Monroe graces the label of Marilyn Wines' Velvet collection; the decorative plastic overlay can be peeled back after purchase to reveal the stunning details of the original portrait behind the strategically placed ribbons. Industry analysts say the idea behind the move is to push younger customers to buy wine instead of beer.

"The barrier to [the] young demographic is the complexity of the industry," said UBS senior beverage analyst Kaumil Gajrawala. "The critter labels and some of these labels that make wine a little more fun have broken down the barrier."

Southwest Airlines humiliates beautiful passenger

Sept. 8, 2007 - Kyla Ebbert, a 23-year-old college student, was told in front of a plane full of fellow passengers that her perfectly normal outfit was 'too revealing' and escorted off her flight. She was later allowed to fly but only after being forced to cover herself with a blanket.

It never ceases to amaze us that people think they have to right to dictate what women wear. The only thing more amazing is how few women actually defend themselves or others. This is why Kyla Ebbert deserves our praise and gratitude for going public with this story.

Today tyranny over women and their bodies comes in a wide spectrum: from forcing women to cover their entire bodies in bags in fundamentalist Islamic societies to Southwest Airlines forcing Kyla to cover hers. The only hope to stop it is if women learn to defend themselves and each other on principle. "If you've got it flaunt it" is not a principle, and it will not silence those who attack beauty. On the other hand, "a woman's right to her body" is a principle - and the only one that has a chance to protect women from a future of bag wearing.

This is the issue at stake here. To date women - and men - have completely failed to identify this, and it makes one realize how whole countries manage to make it illegal for a woman to show even a wrist or ankle, and how they manage to execute the women who do without any fuss from the female population.

The outcome of this battle against women's bodies is crucially important to all our lives, and it's why it belongs as a lead story in the news even with so many other things going on in the world.

Mariah Carey goes nude on cover of Interview...sort of

Sept. 7, 2007 - Voluptuous singer Mariah Carey has posed in nothing but a shawl on the cover of Interview magazine, for a story called The Naked Truth. More pinup photos by Bruce Weber accompany the article.

Carey candidly discusses her 2001 breakdown, calling it a "breakthrough" that she needed to have.

Chat with supermodel Megan Gale this Friday

Sept 4, 2007 - Here's your chance to chat with Australian supermodel Megan Gale.

Gale will be online with fans at couriermail.com.au on Friday, Sept. 7th from 2:30 to 3:30 pm Australia time. She'll talk with fans about fashion and the life of a supermodel.

Check out the site for how to submit your questions.

CCTV boob flash girls exonorated

August 24, 2007 - Flashing and jiggling their breasts at a camera, almost got a pair of buxom blondes into serious trouble. But they managed to win a last minute reprieve just as the two were prepared to stand a trial for their exhibitionist treat at a CCTV camera.

After spending the day on a British beach, curvy 21-year-olds Abbi-Louise Maple and Rachel Marchant, seeing the CCTV camera pointing their way, lifted their tops and showed their beautiful boobs right to it. Believing they were just having some fun, the young ladies were unaware the operator was dialing police. They were arrested for outraging public decency and faced up to six months in jail and a £5000 fine. Charges were eventually dropped, however, considering the cost of such a trial to taxpayers.

To this we can only add the operator must have been a beauty-hater of some kind. It's our guess that if there were a beautiful nude woman walking around firing a revolver and 50 people saw her, 49 would call the cops and report that there's a naked woman on the street.

Beauty tips from 1694

August 22, 2007 - Ever wondered what was considered beautiful a few hundred years ago? Despite the belief that Rubens' voluptuous women were considered beautiful back then (they weren't), a newly-discovered book from 1694 - written by a man - proves that objective beauty is indeed eternal.

"The Ladies Dictionary, Being a General Entertainment For the Fair Sex" advises women on how to be as beautiful and alluring as possible. For example, don't try to be too skinny - "bodies that are very lean and scragged, we must own, cannot be very comely." the writer says. But for those flabby bits, the writer suggests oil and goose grease, and 'chasing your body (exercise) as much as you can, that the blood may be stirred and the skin sit more loose." There's even a whole section called "Breasts hanging down or large: how to make them plump and round."

Just as we said in our page about super beauty through history: super beauty has always been the real standard that most people prefer. Anything else - skinny or fat - is only a fad.

CORRECTION: Microsoft strongly denies hiring Miss Australia

Aug 10, 2007 - Almost as soon as the story hit the internet, Microsoft rushed to deny it had hired Miss Australia Erin McNaught to spice up the sagging IT industry.

According to US technology blog tech.blorge.com, Microsoft sent an email "emphatically denying" they had hired her, saying there was "no financial arrangement of any kind, nor do they have any plans to launch an advertising campaign featuring her."

They downplayed her involvement in an IT conference, claiming she was only there because another presenter had backed out at the last minute. "She was there due to her enthusiasm and commitment to technology and her role as a presenter on (Channel 10's) Cyber Shack"

Gee...could they fall over themselves any more to deny that they hired a beautiful woman because of her beauty? The mere suggestion that beauty could liven up a slumping industry has them scrambling to deny it, as though it were the most shocking and horrific thing a company could do.