The Memphis Flyer‘s first ever “Hotties” issue may have made its debut only five years ago but skimming through past Valentine’s Week stories shows that from the beginning our paper has been rather obsessed with things bold, beautiful, naughty, nice, and downright nasty.
In February 1991, to celebrate the Flyer‘s “Terrible Twos,” the staff assembled a “What’s Hot” list that included “obscene art,” “dirty music,” and “flat-tops on jocks.” Noting that the economy was in recession, the hot-list entry for topless bars included some semi-serious speculation that strip joints like Tiffany’s (RIP) had a better year than First Tennessee Bank.
In 1997, Leonard Gill leafed through Inter Courses, a cookbook devoted to aphrodisiacs. Inter Courses included entries for favorites like oysters, chilies, grapes, and honey, as well as surprises like pine nuts, black beans, and rosemary. But truth be told, nobody was buying this book for the recipes. To show just how sexy food can be, Memphis photographer Ben Fink shot a variety of male and female nudes clothed in nothing but delicious looking edibles.
The term “wardrobe malfunction” was coined in 2004, when Memphian Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson’s breast during halftime at the Super Bowl. Afterward, Bill Bomar, Timberlake’s grandfather, supported his grandson’s claim that Jackson’s northern exposure was an accident, saying, “I’m as proud as I can be [of Justin]. I’m so proud sometimes I could just bust the buttons on my shirt.” The Pesky Fly responded to Bomar’s comments, saying, “No you don’t, Grandpa. NO YOU DON’T!” — Chris Davis
