Even the Dailies Get Into Skin-Clicks

The Denver dailies take pride in being known as family newspapers, which helps explain why the Rocky Mountain News recently printed "p ---" and "t---" in an item about the words "piss" and "tits." But in an Internet-driven media environment that values clicks above pretty much everything else, even the Rocky is willing to dabble in flesh and fantasy. Witness "Broncos Cheerleaders Calendar Shoot," an online package teased in the July 9 print edition that juxtaposes a breathless, exclamation-point-happy article about the pleasures of posing on the Mayan Riviera with the real attraction -- images of women such as Serita Archuleta (pictured above) pouting at the camera in ways designed to make male football fans distend their jock straps.

Am I criticizing the Rocky for this, um, spread? Hell, no. Westword would have leapt at the opportunity to assemble a photo gallery starring Broncos pom-pom shakers. Slideshows are big hit-getters -- particularly ones that feature females in various states of undress -- and we're not too proud to take advantage of the oodles of dudes fondling their computer mice if we can come up with a decent rationale. For proof, check out some snaps courtesy of Westword profile subjects the PleasuresDudes. Really. Go ahead. It's okay by us.

Of course, Westword has never presented itself as a family newspaper -- but the Rocky continues to strike this pose even as it's trying to pull a few more visitors to its site with the assistance of bodacious ta-tas. In the comments section affixed to the main article linked above, a remark about the Archuleta photo attributed to a computer user dubbed Who_Me is listed as "removed by the site staff." But Who_Me didn't give up. In a second comment that was still visible at this writing, he announced, "The staff didn't like the fact that I pointed out that the bottom part looks wet."

See? The Rocky still has high standards. It's easy to overlook them, though, when you're staring at a wet crotch. -- Michael Roberts