I have already sung the praises of Brooklyn Decker. But what the heck, how about one more shot of her hips?
Anyway, the point is: does she have what it takes to repeat? Here’s a roster of the girls who have made the cover two or more consecutive years in my lifetime:
What do those names have in common? They all belong in the Oxford English Dictionary under the definition of “supermodel.” They’re all celebrities in their own right, above and beyond the cover. They have their own movie appearances, their own blogging gigs on the Huffington Post, their own lingerie lines, their own modeling-based TV shows.
There’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg thing going on. Did their stardom net them consecutive covers, or did the consecutive covers launch them into stardom? But the point is, are there SI models today who have that kid of pull?
Frankly, I think Brooklyn does. Or at least, she’s come closest since 1997, when the last repeat cover girl* donned her bikini (the first time).
I almost predicted Brooklyn as the 2011 cover girl, but I have a hunch SI is going to opt for variety instead of repetition.
*I feel the need to mention Carolyn Murphy, who technically graced the cover in 2005 and 2006. The caveat, of course, is that 2006 featured eight previous cover girls, and it’s almost a given that they’d invite the girl from just 365 days earlier to reveal herself again. For my money, Carolyn has the least star power of the 2006 girls.
But I like her. Down-to-earth, all-American, catlike. Plus, I’m a sucker for a blonde in a red bikini, so let’s take a look at her solo cover.
