By Anne Brodie
Publishing feminist pioneer Jule Campbell is the subject of a documentary with a cultural edge, written and directed by her daughter Jill. Beyond the Gaze looks at the groundbreaking career of the photographer’s decades putting together the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. The annual issue dramatically outpaced any other by leaps and bounds , the highest earner, typically bringing in $15 M a year (equivalent $78M today). A no brainer, right? Sports fans – presumed to be men – enjoying photos of beautiful, trim supermodels in skimpy, barely-there suits. That was when the term “supermodel” was born, thanks to their exposure and ensuing fame and power. They were Kim Alexis, Carol Alt, Tyra Banks, Christie Brinkley, MJ Day, Kathy Ireland, Elle Macpherson, Paulina Porizkova, Roshumba Williams, Stacey Williams and Cheryl Tiegs, many of whom speak in the doc. Through her 32-year gig, Campbell had one passion, to create art of images of semi clad supermodels in exotic remote locations where they frolicked and posed, in and underwater water, on sandy beaches, by waterfalls. To her it wasn’t remotely sexual “There’s nothing sexy about it”, concluding that what is dangerous is the atomic bomb, not bodies. It was her celebration of beauty, youth, the natural world and the sky, always plenty of sky. But anti-porn groups, radical feminists, and others opposed it, and “middle America lost its mind”. Campbell remained steadfast and became in the scheme of things, a cultural leader. She didn’t intend to be. Campbell was in her mid nineties whe she the documentary was made and tossed off this bon mot “Old age is a HOAX. It’s what you make of it. It is beautiful. I still have fight in me.” And guess what? This stalwart creator was always lowest paid Sports Illustrated editor all her 32 years. One heck of a yarn. Not to be missed. TVOD today.