Nicole Brodeur / Times staff columnist
Getting naked on her terms

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Related stories Nude photos of Jackson may stir up a storm of controversy

"Aren't you going to do anything about this?" readers asked — all of them women.

You bet I'm going to do something.

I'm going to fork over $40 for a copy of the Australian magazine Black+White, get a gander at the Seattle Storm star, and raise a glass 6 feet 5 inches in the air.

Here's to women doing what they want, and doing it well.

People pick up all kinds of meaning when female role models drop their clothes: The act, they say, objectifies women as a whole. It sanctions domestic violence. It shames women's sports and corrupts young fans.

Sorry, sisters. I don't see any of that in a naked L J. I see a woman calling the shots and not making excuses.

And that's got to be good for females everywhere.

These are not grainy, amateur photos unearthed by Matt Drudge and posted on the Internet. Jackson isn't wringing her hands, expressing regret or claiming she was duped.

These are tasteful portraits of a beautiful woman and talented athlete who is feeling all 77 inches of her fit, strong self.

"I feel really comfortable with the body and shape I'm in, and know I'm not going to be like this forever," Jackson told The Seattle Times' Jayda Evans last week. "I felt very much empowered."
 
Is there a problem here?

I saw the same sort of self-possession this past weekend in Eugene, Ore., where Olympic gold medalist and Athens hopeful Marion Jones placed fifth in the 100-meter race and continued to fight charges that she used performance-enhancing drugs.

Jones was swamped by reporters, but held up just fine.

"I just didn't have it today," was all Jones said of the race.

As for the controversy?

"It's the hand that I have been dealt, and I have to deal with it," she said. "Whether people believe me or not ... I've said what I had to say."

So before we make any judgments about what we see of Jackson or suspect about Jones, consider this:

These women are very much in control of things. Of their bodies and how they're displayed, their reputations and how they're managed.

They are forging a path for themselves and for a stronger future for all women.

Isn't that what Title IX was all about in the first place?

If Jones did dope up, well, she'll pay for it by losing her Olympic berth this summer. If tests show that she didn't, we can applaud her integrity along with her speed.

For her part, Jackson stripped on her own terms, talking to her family first and choosing which images would appear in the magazine.

I called around yesterday to reserve a copy, eager to see feminism all grown-up. The Elliott Bay Book Co.'s stock had come and gone already — and Black+White isn't officially due out until today.

That may be the only part of this story that's out of control — and off the hook.

Nicole Brodeur's column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Reach her at 206-464-2334 or nbrodeur@seattletimes.com. She woulda if she coulda.