World Today

`Sports Illustrated' Swimsuit Edition Explores New Dimension

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And finally, tonight, that annual ode to exposed flesh hits newsstands soon, but you'll need a little help to fully appreciate this year's "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit issue.

CNN's Jeanne Moos explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The models are making their entrance. The photographers are jockeying for shots.

UNIDENTIFIED PHOTOGRAPHER: Look at each other a little bit, yes.

MOOS: But don't even think of diving into this year's swimsuit edition without your goggles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's amazing.

UNIDENTIFIED MODEL: I'm coming out at you boys.

MOOS: Coming at you on horseback in 3-D. Every issue comes with a pair of cardboard glasses.

SHAKARA LEDARD, MODEL: It's all about the glasses.

MOOS: Model Shakara Ledard can see herself in 3-D.

It doesn't look 3-D to you?

UNIDENTIFIED MODEL: I think the camera has to have these. Let me put it on. And now, let's go to see my picture.

MOOS: What we found was that 3-D doesn't show up on camera.

STEVEN COHN, "MEDIA INDUSTRY NEWSLETTER": Oh my God, it is 3-D!

MOOS: The editor of "Media Industry Newsletter" was impressed with the quality.

COHN: Well, I think it's a great gimmick. Again, this is the 36th year they're doing it and they need to do something different, OK. You can't just run the same old swimsuit every year, or a little bit less.

MOOS: The cover girl on the first swimsuit edition back in 1964 wore both halves of her suit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are dumb pictures.

MOOS (on camera): Well...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's a nudie magazine.

MOOS: No, it's "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit. It's you know...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where's the swimsuit?

MOOS (voice-over): She's got a point. This year's cover girl, Daniella Pestova, substituted beads for a top.

Over the years, the swimsuit edition has been the butt of jokes. "Comedy Central" put out "Sports Imitated" with a cover model clad in lettuce leaves. The "Sporting News" featured a bikini-clad linebacker with the headline, "Swimsuits Don't Fit Us."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Love that.

MOOS: But the swimsuit edition thrives. And while most of the issue is the usual models clinging to elephants, frolicking in waves, biting Evander Hollyfield's ear, what's getting the ear of the press?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, her clam's in 3-D. Nice.

MOOS: The 3-D doesn't really accentuate the anatomy, but rather surroundings, like these leaves.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you've got to try to look behind the leaves here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, maybe if you angle the magazine a little -- no, they're still there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whew, I feel like I could touch her!

MOOS (on camera): Are you worried guys are going to want to, like, touch your picture?

LADARD: Ooh! I don't even want to go there.

UNIDENTIFIED MODEL: That's what my son was doing. He was really like, reaching out for the sand and stuff.

MOOS (voice-over): The mark of a model is the ability to look good in 3-D glasses, not idiotic like the rest of us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a piece of junk.

MOOS (on camera): All right, thank you very much. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you get the message? A piece of junk.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love these glasses.

MOOS (voice-over): Remember it's the glasses that are 3-D, not the cup.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

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