At 81, Martha Stewart becomes Sports Illustrated's oldest swimsuit model: What's the controversy?

The lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart is breaking barriers! At 81 years old, she has become the oldest-ever cover model for Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue. She has broken the previous record of then-74-year-old Maye Musk — mother of Elon, Twitter head — when she appeared on the cover last year. While a section of fans applauded her, some netizens denounced the photoshoot by urging the subject to “age honestly” and alleged sexism. Let’s take a closer look. Also read: Was Kolkata St Xavier’s University professor asked to quit over her Instagram bikini images? Martha Stewart on the magazine cover The magazine cover shows Stewart wearing a white one-piece with a bright orange jacket draped. She put on nine different swimsuit outfits while being photographed by photographer Ruven Afanador in the Dominican Republic. “I am so thrilled to be on the cover,” Stewart wrote on Instagram, adding, “My motto has always been: ‘when you’re through changing, you’re through,’ so I thought, why not be up for this opportunity of a lifetime? I hope this cover inspires you to challenge yourself to try new things, no matter what stage of life you are in.”

According to Today show on Monday, in preparation for her January photo session, Stewart said she had cut out bread and pasta from her diet and attended Pilates lessons every other day. “To be on the cover at my age was a challenge, and I think I met the challenge. It was kind of fun. To me, it is a testament to good living, and I think that all of us should think about good living… The whole ageing thing is so boring,” she said. Also read: A bikini is a bikini, but is the 'Pathaan' team colour blind? Who is Martha Stewart? According to BBC, in the 1970s, Stewart launched a catering company. In the 1990s, she launched her own magazine, Martha Stewart Living, and became well-known. She eventually amassed a media empire that made her a billionaire. She was found guilty in 2004 of lying about selling stock in the biotech business ImClone Systems Inc. in 2001.

According to Reuters, “Stewart was found guilty of conspiracy, making false statements and obstruction of agency proceedings." In addition to paying a fine, she was given a term of five months in jail and five months of home detention, which she completed. Since then, she has made an effort to re-establish her image by collaborating with rapper and friend Snoop Dogg for a television series in 2016, extending her line of culinary goods, and appearing in her own reality television show. Also read: As the bikini turns 75, a brief look at a milestone moment in the evolution of modern swimwear What’s the controversy? The photoshoot has drawn compliments as well as criticism. Several celebrities including Jennifer Garner, Ellen Pompeo and others complimented her. An Instagram user said, “Crafting, gardening, cooking, modelling, restaurant owner.… What can’t Martha do? Unstoppable,” while another called her “an icon.” While a section of users asked high-profile women like Stewart to “age honestly.” A user commented, “Um there is a lot of airbrushing and filters going on here,” another one chipped in, “A lot of photoshopping for this.” The Washington Post quoted Deborah Jermyn, an author and academic specialising in feminism and media at the University of Roehampton in England, “Audiences and readers are well aware that the women featured will already have had access to all the advantages of privileged lifestyles, as well as top photographers and stylists. At the very least, these kinds of moments prompt renewed discussion and awareness of beauty standards, ageism and our enduring cultural investment in youth. But of course, this spills over into invaluable publicity for brands.” Although Shani Orgad, a professor of media and communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science, agreed that it is “about time” that older women receive more favourable coverage in the media, she noted that this depiction can offer challenges. Stewart’s portrayal “challenges decades of invisibility, stereotyping, demeaning and caricaturing older women as dowdy and irrelevant,” Orgad told The Washington Post. However, this type of vision is also incredibly erratic. Older women who transcend racial, social, and aesthetic boundaries are uncommon. According to Indian Express, critics are claiming that the bikinis women are wearing can only be regarded as appealing to men. While there have been complaints that sexually objectifying more women isn’t exactly empowering them and that if Sports Illustrated really wants to help women, covering more women’s sports would be a great place to start without sexualizing female athletes. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News,  India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.