Well, those prudes in Tampa got their way, and the Lingerie Bowl won't be tainting their apparently pure city. Instead a nudist resort in Pasco County stepped in and saved the day. The joint is appropriately called the Caliente Clothing Optional Resort, which should fair well for the Miami Caliente team. The Caliente will play the Tampa Bay Breeze January 30. The winner will then play either the L.A. Temptations or the Phoenix Scorch during the Super Bowl's halftime in a live pay-per-view program.
My first reaction to this story was that anything that's headlined "Nudists Save Lingerie Bowl" has got to merit some examination...right??
I always find myself surprised that, in a society that alleges itself to be advanced and respectful of the role of girls and women, this sort of thing can still take place. Mind you, I'm no prude. The idea of attractive, scantily-clad women prancing around a football field doesn't exactly fill me with revulsion. Nonetheless, if there is anything more rampantly and overtly sexist out there, I've yet to see it. I'm not certain one could even reasonably refer to the Lingerie Bowl as degrading to women. After all, no one is forcing the participants to play in the game. Everyone involved is no doubt hoping to get something out of it- money, fame, (hopefully not TOO much) exposure...so who's exploiting whom? Clearly, the Lingerie Bowl is obviously designed for the titillation and pleasure of men, most of whom are fully aware that this game is as close as they will EVER come to women who look this good in underwear.
Then again, the Lingerie Bowl is a pay-per-view production, which really only means that it's true- a fool and his money ARE soon parted.