The Washington Post ran a front page story about an attractive young woman, Allison Stokke, who is a high school pole vaulter from California. That's not meant to have any connotations of anything, but it immediately sounds like a joke waiting to happen. Unfortunately, the girl didn't consider it a joke at all, and in this age of instant information and gratification, she has become the subject of male fantasies and a dream for photographers with an expert touch on the shutter.
I'll admit I looked at the "unofficial Web site" of her pictures, which has since been taken down with an apology for causing any unintended harm. And the girl is definitely attractive and has that wholesome, girl-next-door look that would be perfect for some advertisements. What amazes me is that none of the photos is in any way erotic or unseemly.
I feel bad for her, and I've chosen not to post the picture on my site, though it might have quadrupled the traffic. I suspect she'll have a difficult time next year at Cal Berkeley. Even though she'll be one of many beautiful girls on campus, there won't be many who can say she had to hire a publicist so a newspaper with the reputation of the Washington Post would run an article and help get her out of the public eye. I don't know any publicist who'd take on a client that wants LESS attention.
I hope she turns down the inevitable invitation from Jay Leno. And when she competes for the Olympics I hope she is able to accomplish things based on her abilities. But I also hope she's good enough to make the team, because I look forward to watching her compete. I could get to like female pole vaulting.
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