Was Esquire’s “Sexiest Woman Alive” issue too sexy for Apple’s iPad? It appears that way.
The magazine’s November issue, featuring Derek Jeter’s girlfriend and "Friday Night Lights" actress Minka Kelly on its cover, finally appeared in the iTunes App Store on Wednesday -- a full month after appearing on newsstands and four weeks after it was submitted for approval, according to Mashable.
The reason for the delay? More than likely, it was Apple’s strict guidelines for developers governing how content presented on the device, which Apple wants to keep family-friendly.
A representative for Esquire did not return an e-mail seeking comment.
But as the blog points out, the App Store Review Guidelines say “‘explicit descriptions or displays of sexual organs or activities intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings’ will be rejected.” (It's part of Apple's crackdown on porn.)
While I don’t think the magazine’s print content would make Apple blush, the extra stuff -- like video footage from Minka’s shoot, which is on Esquire’s website -- could have.
There’s clearly a double standard happening here, though. While bereft of nudity, Playboy’s iPad app features scads of scantily-clad centerfolds, yet gets (seemingly) no flak from Apple. And scores of R-rated movies -- featuring erotically stimulating organs -- are available for rent or download through iTunes.
Esquire launched its $4.99 iPad application in October. “With our first issue, we begin to tap into the potential of the device,” editor David Granger said when they launched it. “With each subsequent issue, we’ll find new ways to enhance the Esquire experience on iPad.”
I guess Granger will have to find ways to enhance that experience without overstimulating it.
