Boobies and geology galore

"I just read it for the articles."\nThis time, he or she may be telling the truth.\nNational Geographic has flung off its robe of serious ecological reporting to dive into the world of boobies and booties with its latest collector's edition, which will be on newsstands Feb. 1.\nThe cover of "Swimsuits: 100 years of pictures" features a young woman lounging half-submerged in the Pacific Ocean covered by only three strategically placed scallop shells. \n"It's a very National Geographic image when you have the background, which is rocks," said Editor in Chief Bill Allen during an interview on National Public Radio. "That's geology."\nGeology! Yes, just studying geology!\n"And you have the oceans, which has always been something that National Geographic has been interested in," Allen said.\nThe ocean was the first thing I noticed!\n"And then, of course, the seashells … they are from the family, mellilobranchia," Allen said.\nHow interesting! Mellilobranchia! That would be a great middle name for a kid!\n"It's just a way that people have had of interacting with the oceans and the water throughout the last hundred years or so," Allen said.\nExactly! Do we interact with the ocean wearing parkas? Of course we don't. You can't even swim with a parka on, much less pose for revealing photographs. \nBut what we are really looking at here, besides a scantily-clad woman, is a thinly-veiled attempt to improve readership by dressing a magazine with pictures that will cause some to say, "Is it even legal to wear that in Utah?"\nAnd I don't think there's anything wrong with that. \nIn fact, I believe National Geographic is doing a public service unmatched since Roosevelt's Work Projects Administration. Some magazine had to stand up against Sports Illustrated and shout, "Swimsuits can be educational too!" \nI've already learned what "mellilobranchia" means. The only thing I've learned from an S.I. swimsuit edition is that Rebecca Romijn-Stamos could have done a lot better than a former cast member of "Full House."\nAlso, this is a tale of convenience. Instead of having to flip through the pages to catch that glance of an unclothed Polynesian woman, one can now simply randomly turn to a page and voila -- boobies and booties! \n"We wanted people to loosen up a little on the concept of what National Geographic is," Allen said.\nContinuing with this theme of "loosening up," possible subjects for the next issue are "The Playboy Mansion: Exploring a Suburban Jungle" and "Animals Having Sex."\nOf course, there is always the subject of objectifying women. A recent Miller Lite ad featuring two bikini-clad women fighting in the mud has been criticized as being sexist, tasteless and in your dreams. Has National Geographic lowered its standards to that of a beer company? Will National Geographic soon be better known for having a great taste or being less filling? Can anyone tell me why it's wrong for someone to want to look at an attractive person in a bathing suit?\n ... Which is what this is all about.\nThe swimsuit has become part of American's culture -- like apple pie and jokes filled with celebrity references. Therefore, a magazine issue exploring the history of said article of clothing is actually a valid attempt to explore in intriguing part of our culture.\nSecondly, and possibly more importantly, we get to look at semi-nude men and women. And what guy or gal doesn't like that?\nBe honest.