With respect, citing beach culture as a defence of mall culture is like saying that the Chicago Fire wasn’t much different than the San Francisco Earthquake.
The point of the bikini is sexual transgression, not athletic performance—that’s why it was named after a thermonuclear test site.
My point is, a bikini isn't indecent and neither is a picture of a model in boy shorts and a bra. The ads at Victoria Secret stores don't even show the models in thongs, so they're even more covered than some girls at the beach who wear thong or g-string bikinis.
The point of the bikini is sexual transgression, not athletic performance
The point of the bikini is something women can wear to the beach while staying cool and minimizing tan lines. You're about 50 years late when it comes to complaining about the bikini.
Maybe my persepctive is different because I've spent time on European beaches where many women (including my wife) go topless, and people don't give it a second thought. American beaches are remarkably covered up, in comparison (with a few notable exceptions, like South Beach).