At 81, Martha Stewart Defies All Odds and Lands First Sports Illustrated Swimsuit CoverAnd It's Amazing
Martha Stewart is back in the headlines, this time for landing the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. At 81 years old, Martha Stewart is the oldest person to be featured on the cover by several decades.Stewart may at first glance appear to be an odd choice for Sports Illustrated - after all, the Swimsuit Edition typically features models and athletes. Stewart is the face and mind behind one of the most successful lifestyle brands in the world. Then, of course, there's her advanced age.But featuring Stewart on the cover is just one of many choices made by Swimsuit Issue editor MJ Day to make the magazine more inclusive - and to expand the popular definition of beautiful.Martha Steward on the cover of Sports Illustrated@marthastewart/InstagramWhen you put it that way, Martha Stewart is suddenly an obvious choice for the Swimsuit Issue. She's found success as a TV personality, businesswoman, and author, and reaches 100 million fans every month through Martha Stewart Living Omnemedia. She's massively popular, which will only bring in more potential readers.Stewart also has previous modeling experience. To pay for her education at Columbia University in the late 1950s, she worked as a professional model for Chanel. Since then she's posed for countless photos for her magazines, books, and promotional materials. She also shares selfies and staged photos of herself with her four million Instagram followers.Stewart chose to shoot the cover, in part, to help change the conversation about older women. Oftentimes, women are overlooked by society after they reach a certain age and are no longer deemed desirable. It's a horrible thing to consider, but it does happen more often than we'd like to think. This hasn't been an issue for Stewart, though, who has continued to work into her eighties and remains a wildly popular lifestyle personality. "Usually I’m motivated by pay,” Stewart said in a behind-the-scenes video released by Sports Illustrated. “But this time, I was motivated by showing people that a woman my age can still look good, feel good, be good.""I want other women, especially women to feel that they could also be on the cover of Sports Illustrated,” Stewart continued. “I don’t think about age very much, but I thought that this is kind of historic."The Story of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit IssueThe first Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated came out in 1964. It was originally published in February, which is a slow month for sports reporting. Then editor Andre Laguerre came up with the idea of a swimsuit issue to help fill space in the magazine during the slower winter months. Laguerre assigned Jule Campbell with the task of travelling to a tropical locale and shooting a model in swimwear. Babette March was the first model to appear on the cover, as well as in a five-page layout in the magazine. Campbell was a fashion reporter who got her start at Glamour and quickly became the editor of the Swimsuit Issue. She opted for "bigger and healthier" models and included the models' names alongside their photos. The Swimsuit Issue quickly became a coveted job in the modeling world, and a media sensation in its own right.Throughout the decades, it has become a supermodel rite of passage to land a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover. Models like Cheryl Tiegs, Pauline Porizkova, and Heidi Klum have all been photographed on the cover, with models like Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell being featured in layouts in the magazine. Tyra Banks made history in 1997 when she became the first Black woman featured on the cover. RELATED: Martha Stewart's Unlikely Best Friend Snoop Dogg Broke All The RulesIn recent years, athletes have also been selected for the Swimsuit Issue, starting with German tennis player Steffi Graff in 1997. Since then athletes like Serena Williams, Anna Kournikova, and Amanda Beard have all been featured in the magazine. UFC fighter Ronda Roussey became the first athlete on the cover in 2016.From the start, the Swimsuit Issue had its share of detractors. Babette March in the first Swimsuit Issue wore a white bikini that looks quite modest by today's standards but was quite risqué for the time. The 1978 cover, which featured Cheryl Tiegs in a fishnet bathing suit, prompted the most subscription cancellations of any issue of Sports Illustrated.The entire concept of the Swimsuit Issue has also been criticized. Sports fans have expressed that the Swimsuit Issue doesn't have a place in a serious sports publication. Since 2007, subscribers have had the option to skip the Swimsuit Issue.Many feminist groups have also posited that the Swimsuit Issue objectifies its subjects and contributed to the commodification of women's bodies for male consumption. The Swimsuit Issue also retouches its photographs, which many believe promotes unrealistic beauty standards.An inclusive view of beauty in Sports Illustrated Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party/ IMDBSwimsuit Issue editor MJ Day got her start at Sports Illustrated over twenty years ago sorting bikinis and has worked her way up the ranks. Since she's taken over the Swimsuit Issue, she's been working to make the magazine more inclusive - and possibly more woke.The 2018 edition of the Swimsuit Issue, produced by an all-female crew, placed the #MeToo movement at the forefront of issue. This choice received backlash by many, who thought the magazine was exploiting the movement for profit.Whether you love the Swimsuit Issue or hate it, there's no denying that, under Day's leadership, there has been more diversity in its cover models. According to Day, 2023's cover models were chosen in part for their outspoken strength."While the industry wavers on its arbitrary notion of beauty, our issue has stayed the course, showcasing the women of today, the women shaping the future," Day said in a recent statement. "This year, we’re featuring an extremely diverse group of women starting with our cover models, who are collectively the most unapologetic women from different walks of life who continue to forge their own paths on their own terms."
SHUT UP! Jamie Lee Curtis Wins First Oscar at 64, Proves ‘Aging Gracefully,’ – Absolutely Magnificent
Jamie Lee Curtis proves that age is but a number by winning her very first Oscar for best supporting actress for the film Everything Everywhere All At Once. The Halloween survivor has over 45 years in the business. But while nominated for past Oscars, at the age of 64, this is the first time the star will be taking home an award.When her name was announced, Curtis looked shocked, mouthing, "Shut up!" before accepting her well-deserved award. Curtis speaks openly on the challenges of 'aging gracefully' in an industry that promotes youth. But hey, what does it matter when you can proudly claim roles and awards into your 60s when the usual cutoff age is 35? Curtis is a powerhouse who eschews Hollywood norms and forges her own path, be it acting, writing, or living her life as she sees fit. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who disliked Jamie Lee Curtis. The actress-turned-inventor-turned-author-turned-actress-again has managed, through her kindness, creativity, and can-do attitude, to win over just about everybody.This is especially impressive as the years have gone by. Hollywood is notoriously hard on actresses as they age - roles start to dry up, and the pressure to remain youthful-looking is crushing.So how has smile-lined, gray-haired Jamie Lee Curtis managed to not only survive, but thrive in Hollywood after decades in the industry? Let's take a look.Jamie Lee Curtis’s Start as the Ultimate Scream QueenHalloween Ends/IMDB Jamie Lee Curtis was born into a showbiz family. Her father was the popular actor Tony Curtis, though according to Curtis he wasn't very involved in her upbringing. She was raised in Southern California by her mother, actress Janet Leigh, and her stepfather.Though Curtis did enroll in college, she eventually dropped out to try and make it as an actress. Her breakout role was that of Laurie Strode in 1978's Halloween, which turned out to be a very successful film franchise, and one in which Curtis would reprise her role many times over.RELATED: Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest’s Advice For A Successful Relationship Is Just Two Simple WordsCurtis spent the next several years pigeonholed in the horror genre, often playing the part of the infamous final girl - a character that is often the sole survivor in a slasher film. Her films in the early 1980's received mixed reviews by critics and audiences.Curtis became so associated with horror movies that film critic Roger Ebert went so far as to say in his review of 1980's Terror Train, "Curtis is to the current horror film glut what Christopher Lee was to the last one-or Boris Karloff was in the 1930s." As such, Curtis earned the pop culture title of "Scream Queen."But Curtis had more to offer, as she would show directors and audiences later in the decade.How Jamie Lee Curtis Became an Award-Winning ActressBy the mid-1980's, Curtis was looking to expand her career beyond the horror genre. In 1984 she starred alongside Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy in Trading Places. She played a tough, no-nonsense prostitute who takes in Dan Aykroyd's character for a price. The film was a far cry from her usual fare, and won her a British Academy Film Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.She would be celebrated again later in the decade for her performance in 1989's A Fish Called Wanda. Her starring performance would earn her nominations for a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe, and an American Comedy Award.Other standout roles over the years include 1990's Blue Steel, 1994's True Lies, and 2003's Freaky Friday, proving that this Scream Queen could hold her own across genres.Jamie Lee Curtis’s Other Creative PursuitsNot only can Curtis hold her own in the horror, action, and comedy genres, she's also a successful writer. Curtis is the author of thirteen children's books, starting with When I Was Little: A Four-Year Old's Memoir of Her Youth in 1993. Her most recent book, Me, Myselfie & I: A Cautionary Tale, came out in 2018.Curtis also wrote for the Huffington Post from 2011 to 2017. She created her first podcast, Letters from Camp, in 2020. Her second series, Good Friend with Jamie Lee Curtis, came out in 2021.Curtis also held a patent for an invention. In 1987, she designed a diaper that could hold baby wipes, though she never allowed the invention to be marketed.How Jamie Lee Curtis Stands Up for What She Believes InPerfect/IMDBCurtis has always been staunchly outspoken about the causes she believes in, using her wealth and social status to further good causes. One example of this is her continued support of the Jewish community. Though not a practicing Jew herself, Curtis does have Jewish ancestry. Her father, Tony Curtis, was the son of Jewish Hungarian immigrants. Budapest, Hungary is home to the largest synagogue in Europe - The Great Synagogue, which unfortunately suffered some damage during World War II. In the 1990's, Curtis and her father helped finance repairs for The Great Synagogue, as well as for the synagogue in her family's ancestral hometown of Mátészalka, where her ancestors worshipped.RELATED: How Jamie Lee Curtis's Enduring Career Defied All Odds - And One Piece of Advise She Has for WomenMore recently, Curtis has been outspoken in her condemnation of Kanye West's anti-Semitic remarks on Twitter.Curtis is also in the business of helping and supporting women and children, both in Hollywood and beyond. She recently made headlines for her support of Everything Everywhere All At Once co-star Michelle Yeoh at the Golden Globes. In the photo from the night that's gone viral, Curtis is cheering as though her team just won the superbowl.Curtis also famously took a shining to co-star Lindsay Lohan during the filming of Freaky Friday, and has kept in touch with her in the intervening years. Both actresses have expressed their interest in making a sequel movie.Curtis uses her fame to bring attention to the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, and hosts their annual "Dream Halloween" event. She's also involved with the Children's Hospital Los Angeles.How Jamie Lee Curtis Aged Gracefully in HollywoodHistory of Horror/IMDBAs mentioned above, the pressure placed on women in entertainment to retain their girlish good looks is immense. Plastic surgery is a very common response to that pressure. And who can blame actresses for taking this route? While Hollywood has plenty of roles for aging actors - think of silver fox Richard Gere or action star Tom Cruise - there aren't currently many roles for aging actresses. Plastic surgery has become increasingly normalized in the past couple of decades, and it's unnervingly common to see actresses north of forty suddenly appear with smoother, stretched faces.Curtis herself has succumbed to that same pressure, having tried Botox and liposuction in previous decades. She's expressed regret for these procedures though, citing them as the cause of a Vicodin addiction. (She's been sober for 23 years.)KEEP READING: Jamie Lee Curtis Bravely Reveals Decade-Long Struggle With Opioid Addiction, Shows That Even the Mega Successful Have Painful SecretsSince then, Curtis has opted for an au naturel approach to her looks. She's embraced her gray hair and even appeared in photo shoots without makeup. That isn't to say that she eschews glamour - she made recent headlines for her gorgeous Golden Globes outfit, and has sparked controversy by appearing in February's issue of British Vogue in a cut-out Tom Ford dress.But beyond her age positivity, Jamie Lee Curtis has retained a youthful joy for life. After receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Venice Film Festival in 2021, Curtis said she still felt like "this 14-year-old person just beginning their life. That’s how I wake up every day with that sort of joy and purpose."That joy and purpose comes across in her work, and it's contagious. We can only hope that she's paving the way for younger actresses to age gracefully throughout their careers too.
Brock Purdy: From Mr. Irrelevant to 49ers Quarterback—A Lesson In True Belief
It's not every day that the understudy ends up the star of the show, but that's exactly what's happened during this NFL season. Through a series of accidents Brock Purdy, also known as last year's Mr. Irrelevant, has been launched from the third string of the 49ers to their starting quarterback.RELATED: Patriots Player Rescues 71-Year-Old Woman From Vicious AssaultPeople understandably wondered how the 23-year-old would handle his new position on the team, and whether he could perform under pressure. Here's how Brock Purdy went from the 262nd 2022 draft pick to one of the most talked-about athletes in the NFL, all while never doubting himself. Who Is Mr. Irrelevant?@brock.purdy13/InstagramPut simply, "Mr. Irrelevant" is the last college player chosen for the NFL draft each year. In 2022, there were 262 new players drafted into the NFL, Brock Purdy was the 262nd pick, making him the most recent Mr. Irrelevant.The slightly cruel nickname was coined in connection to Irrelevant Week in 1976. Retired NFL receiver Paul Salata, who announced the last draft choice for decades, founded Irrelevant Week. Each year, Mr. Irrelevant is invited to Salata's hometown, Newport Beach, California, for a week. RELATED: 8 Months Ago, He Was A 39-Year-Old DoorDash Driver – Today, He’s A Pro GolferMr. Irrelevant and his family are then treated to a gauntlet of events, such as a regatta, a trip to Disneyland, and a roast. Purdy in particular went sailing and surfing, watched a baseball game, and went on a pub crawl with fans. Irrelevant Week serves as a way to celebrate the player, give the player and his team some publicity, and to raise money for charity.Irrelevant Week comes with enough perks that in 1979, two teams vied for the last pick of the draft. The Los Angeles Rams passed up the second-to-last pick, hoping that the Pittsburgh Steelers would take their place. The Steelers also passed, hoping the Rams would pick. Once they were forced to make their draft picks (the Steelers got the coveted last choice), Salata's Rule was put in place. Now, teams can't pass up their place in draft picks.Typically, Mr. Irrelevant goes on to slowly prove himself over the first few years of his career. No Mr. Irrelevant has risen in the ranks and proved his mettle as quickly as Brock Purdy.Brock Purdy's Early Football CareerPrior to being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, Brock Purdy had a successful career as a quarterback at the high school and college levels. He attended Perry High School in Gilbert, Arizona, where he was the quarterback of the football team starting in his sophomore year. His younger brother, Chubba, would follow in his footsteps, also becoming a quarterback for Perry High School until he was accepted at Florida State University. His sister Whitney was also a college athlete, playing softball.RELATED: Teen Runner Sacrifices Chances Of Qualifying To Help Carry Competitor Across Finish LineIn 2018, he enrolled at Iowa State University. Purdy started playing on the Iowa State football team as the third string quarterback, behind quarterbacks Kyle Kempt and Zeb Noland. He quickly moved up the ranks when Kempt suffered an injury and Noland failed to perform. All in all, in his freshman year he started eight games for the Iowa State Cyclones.From there, Purdy was the starting quarterback for the team, starting all thirteen games in his sophomore year. In his junior and senior years, Purdy and running back Breece Hall (who now plays for the New York Jets) led the team to record-breaking victories. By graduation, Purdy held 32 school records.Brock Purdy Was Drafted Last and Finished First@brock.purdy13/InstagramDespite his long record of stellar performance, somebody had to be drafted last, and in 2022, it was Brock Purdy. He had a good track record at Iowa State, but many were concerned with his strength and mobility, as well as his height - at 6'1'' he's a few inches shorter than most NFL quarterbacks.Purdy had a good attitude about taking on the name Mr. Irrelevant, saying to NBC Sports, "I didn't care which round or which pick I was, or if I was undrafted. I just wanted to prove to myself that I can play at this level, and I got an opportunity to play for the 49ers, so I'm very thankful."RELATED: NFL Star Inspires Boys Beyond the Football Field, Teaches Us to Use Our Gifts to Help OthersOnce again, Purdy was the third string quarterback, this time behind established quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garropolo. In week two of the season, in their game against the Seattle Seahawks, Lance injured his ankle. Garropolo was now starting quarterback, and in October 2022 in their game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Purdy got his first chance to play in the fourth quarter. Then, in their game against the Miami Dolphins, Garropolo hurt his foot. Purdy had to take over mid-game, and was soon after announced as the starting quarterback for the 49ers for the rest of the season.Brock Purdy Doesn't Let Them Get Him Down@brock.purdy13/InstagramIt's quite remarkable to see a 23-year-old in his first professional season lead an NFL team - let alone lead it well - but Brock Purdy is rising to the challenge. Most notably, he led the 49ers to victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making Purdy the only quarterback in his NFL career start to beat Tom Brady.Apparently when Purdy started the season, there weren't high expectations placed on him. He was advised by previous 49ers quarterback Joe Montana to trust in his team and "just [...] be the mailman - give the ball to the guys that can run."RELATED:Roger Federer’s Best Quotes and Most Inspirational MomentsBut according to his teammates, Purdy has taken this opportunity to prove himself and isn't buckling under the pressure. "Being with him in the huddle, he's poised, calm and extremely confident. He's exactly what you would want in a quarterback. No moment is too big for him, and he makes corrections quickly," says 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.Since Purdy was named the starting quarterback of the team, the 49ers have averaged more points and have continued on an eleven-game winning streak. How Purdy will continue to lead the San Francisco 49ers is yet to be seen. But one thing's for sure: he's risen above his moniker and, in the NFL at least, has become more than relevant.Brock Purdy is the perfect example of never giving up on your dreams and having the utmost belief in yourself. Originally chosen as a last pick, Purdy could have let that rating define him. Instead, he was thankful he could play at all and worked harder than before. Even a little draft couldn't keep him down. So how does he keep it together? " I’m a faith-based guy, so that’s how I stay grounded. I don’t look at football like it’s literally everything. It’s do or die or anything like that....It’s a game and it’s my job for sure and I take it very seriously, but at the end of the day, I know that I’m not defined by the wins or losses as a person."KEEP READING: Gisele Bündchen's Feelings on Tom Brady's Return to Football Reveal the Challenges That Come with a 13-Year Marriage
Diane Kruger Never Wanted Children -But At 43 One "Star" Changed Her Entire Life
The choice to become a parent is a difficult one for many women, often requiring mothers to make sacrifices in their personal and professional lives. This is especially true for high-achieving women, whose careers are still on the rise during the typical "child-bearing" years.RELATED: Meet Elon Musk’s Children: His Odd But Uplifting Reason for Having 10 KidsDiane Kruger was child-free during her twenty and thirties, leading her to believe that she just wasn't destined to be a mother. Since becoming a parent in her forties, she's reported that she couldn't have guessed that her life would go in this unexpected yet wonderful direction.How Diane Kruger Got Her Start in HollywoodDiane Kruger in Troy (2004)With a face like hers, it's hardly surprising that Diane Kruger got her start in modeling in Europe. She grew up in the small German town of Algermissen, where she walked her pet rabbit on a leash and was ostracized by her peers for studying ballet. It was an early dream of Kruger's to one day become a ballerina, but she was forced to change her goals following a knee injury. While still in her teens in 1993, Kruger turned to modeling, participating in the Elite Model Look: an international modeling event in which aspiring models compete to represent their home countries. Kruger represented Germany, then headed to Paris to start her modeling career in earnest.RELATED: Betty White Revealed Why She Never Had Kids – And It’s an Important Lesson for EveryoneDespite not speaking French before arriving, her time in Paris was extremely successful. She quickly landed the cover of Vogue Paris and was in print campaigns for fashion houses like Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, and Christian Dior. She developed a working relationship with Chanel's creative director, Karl Lagerfeld, and would go on to be an ambassador for the brand. Kruger would find success in print and on the runway, but she aspired to more. In her early twenties, she decided to try acting. She got her big break playing Helen of Troy in 2004's Troy, starring Brad Pitt. Three thousand other actresses auditioned for the role."I mean, Helen of Troy obviously was based on the way I looked," Kruger told Tatler. "But I don’t think they could have given it to any model, right? They wouldn’t have given it to me if I didn’t have at least a little bit of talent."Troy was famously lambasted critics, which prompted Kruger to focus on European cinema for a while. She's been known to perform in an impressive three languages: English, French, and her native German. She eventually returned to Hollywood, most notably in the role of Bridget Von Hammersmark in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds. Diane Kruger's Complicated Relationship with MotherhoodDian Kruger in The 355 (2022)Throughout her early career, Kruger didn't want to start a family. After all, having children is very demanding, particularly on mothers. And oftentimes, the period of life in which women are expected to have children - in their twenties and thirties - is the same period of life in which women are still establishing their careers. With such a demanding yet successful career requiring travel and working long hours, who can blame Kruger for not wanting kids yet?"I didn't want children for a long time. I really liked my life the way it was," Kruger told Tatler.During this time, Kruger also didn't have a stable long-term relationship. Her marriage to French director Guillaume Canet ended in divorce after five years, and her relationship with Joshua Jackson led to a huge influx of attention from the paparazzi and the relationship ended in her late thirties. RELATED: How Fergie Redefines Motherhood by Challenging All Expectations For Older WomenBy her forties, Kruger had made peace with the fact that she would probably remain child-free."In my late thirties, I was starting to think about it but I wasn’t in a place in my relationship at the time – or whatever – where that was going to be a possibility and so I had kind of given up hope and I thought it was just too late. And I was OK with that."Of course, that all changed at the age of 43, when she had a baby girl named Nova (“Nova in Latin means new beginning, and a nova star keeps changing and is reborn.") with fiancé Norman Reedus.How Diane Kruger Balances Family Life and a Demanding CareerCourtesy @dianekrugerBoth Kruger and Reedus continue to have demanding careers. Reedus is on The Walking Dead and acts in other projects on the side; Kruger continues to appear on the big and small screen. What's changed is that she's become more discerning about the roles she accepts since she has a toddler in tow.Kruger felt like an outsider throughout much of her childhood. She had an odd name ("Diane" being unusual in Germany) and odd interests (the aforementioned ballet and pet bunny). On top of this, Kruger couldn't invite other kids over to her house because of her father's alcoholism. RELATED: Why Diane Keaton Never Married but Chose to Raise Two Children Alone at 50Because of her upbringing, Kruger works hard to make sure Nova feels a sense of belonging wherever she goes - which, given her parents' jobs, is all over the world."We teach [Nova] that she is at home in the world, that we have friends all over the world [and] that we really don’t have to miss people because we’re just going to go for a little bit and then come back," Kruger told Tatler. "We’re very lucky to have homes in different places."Kruger and Reedus are incredibly protective of Nova. They have never publicly shared photos that show their daughter's face and until fairly recently, had even kept her name a secret.Nova is enrolled in the Montessori school system, so wherever she travels, she's put in school.What’s Next for Diane KrugerDiane Kruger and Josh Hartnett in Wicker Park (2004)Kruger continues to be in high demand, apparently reading ten to fifteen scripts per week. She's been cast as Marlene Dietrich in a new miniseries about the famous German actress and is an executive producer on the project.RELATED: Elton John and David Furnish Prove the Secret to Surviving Marriage, Children and Life under a MicroscopeKruger also uses her fame to bring attention to important issues: gun control in the United States, and the pay gap between actors and actresses in the industry. And, of course, she's continuing on the new path of motherhood."The arrival of Nova has changed my life – our lives – in the best possible way. It’s just amazing that you thought you were one thing but you’re meant to do something completely different."Kruger sets the example that life doesn't have to be dictated by age. Thoughts, passions, and goals can easily change from day to day, hour to hour or even decade to decade. We don't have to be locked into who we were at any set point of our life. Wonderful changes can come about at the wildest of times. KEEP READING: How Diane Kruger Learned To Make The Right Relationship Decisions - Not the Easy Ones
