Victoria's Secret to drop its television fashion show amid criticism

[TacticalPeek]

Victoria's Secret to drop its
television fashion show amid
criticism

By MARK WILLIAMS
The Associated Press
4/10/04 5:33 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Victoria's Secret is dropping its nationally
televised fashion show this year, at least partly because of criticism
following Janet Jackson's breast-baring faux pas at the Super Bowl.

Ed Razek, chief creative officer for the Columbus-based lingerie chain,
said Saturday the main reason for the decision was so the company can
look at new ways to promote the brand.

Still, he said, "We had to make the decision probably six to eight weeks
ago when the heat was on the television networks."

The announcement came less than three months after the Jackson uproar
and a week after federal regulators proposed $495,000 in fines against
Clear Channel Communications for sexual material on the Howard Stern
show.

more
AP



And this is how we support our troops, in sandy places and other, far from the comforts of home? :evilgrin:

[jpgray]

1. I find sex so much more palatable than violence

Am I in the minority?

[JoFerret]

3. I do too, however

hyper-commercialised soft porn is tiresome.

[jpgray]

4. Are we talking about the music industry now?

:D

[TacticalPeek]

5. TV news?

:)

[maggrwaggr]

7. supermodels in lingerie is never tiresome

to me at least. :)

[JoFerret]

13. Sexist crap

.

[Skittles]

25. I don't think it is sexist for men to admit they like models in lingerie

I do think it is sexist that we gals see very little studly, hot, scantily clad men on TV.

[Piperay]

30. I agree...

where's the hot men in skimpy clothes. :P ;)

[TahitiNut]

32. "Sexy" is not "sexism". Libido is normal and egalitarian.

:shrug:

[JoFerret]

33. And sexy has no fixed meaning

What you find sexy says much about you. It does not define sexual appeal for all people. What people find sexy varies widely. Very widely and often disturbingly so to the majority.
The objectification and distortion of women's bodies for commercial exploitation under the disguise of fashion, and attitudes that find that acceptable, can be considered sexist.
Now you could defend on the grounds of free enterprise, and capitalism. But sexy? You have to ask: To whom? And at whose expense?

[TahitiNut]

34. Then stop wearing lipstick and high heels.

Lipstick first became a fashion during Napoleon's reign in France when aristocratic women started emulating the prostitutes who wore the red grease to imprint a ring around a man's "member" ... a "trade mark" so to speak.

High heels were designed to accentuate a woman's calves and portray the greater ability to grasp a partner during coitus. It's a chattel-related "marketing" technique.

It seems to me that it'd be far easier and more valid to cease participating in the 'objectification' one decries before pointing fingers at others. :shrug:


Speaking for myself, I regard people who wear high heels and smear their faces with dirt and grease to be engaging in stupid behavior. I don't personally regard it as either 'sexy' or 'healthy'.

[progressivebydesign]

14. Sex is great.. that freak show was something else..

Sex.. groovy! Anorexic women parading around as an ideal for young girl's bodies? nope. A study found that Victoria Secret's models are actually 15% BELOW what is considered medically as an anorexic weight. Now.. couple that with breast implants, and computer retouching to actually CUT fat and skin off the bodies, and elongate the legs and torso.. and you have an unrealistic, sick role model for beauty. Sick pandering of women's bodies.

p.s. I know I'll get the inevitable posts in response... NO I'm not ugly and jealous. I'm a feminist and I'm fit and trim and young. I have to put that disclaimer, because even on DU, if you criticize something like VS, you get the sour grapes attacks. Such is life in America!

[fudge stripe cookays]

17. Thank you!

I get so sick of this IDEAL hype.

We have this DJ in Dallas (or maybe he's nationwide by now-- not sure) Anybody know Russ Martin? He's a sexist pig who's always talking about the porn stars he "dates."

I finally turned him off for good a couple years ago when girls would call him up to complain about something sexist he said, and he'd ask them what they looked like.

The girls would tell him, and when a girl would say she was 5'5" and 125-130 pounds, he'd have a track making elephant noises in the background. Exactly what would be acceptable to you, you pig?

Somebody needs to be confronted with a cold, hard dose of reality.
It's called AVERAGE, moron.

[Demoiselle]

18. Hello, Fudge Stripe...I, for one, am totally turned on by

your gorgeous dog. Is it a Pyrenees? We've got two Pyrs, a male and female and they're much more beautiful than any Victoria's Secret model. I have nothing to add to the discussion in this thread, but I'd love to know more about the sweet pup in your post. I think I'll post a Pyrenees thread in the Lounge and see if anyone picks up on it. (And no, I'm not a pervert, just a dog lover!)

[fudge stripe cookays]

19. Thanks Demoiselle!

I agree.

Yep, he's a Pyr (my first), and he's so sweet and so good natured. He attracts attention wherever he goes.

We got him from the Texas Great Pyrenees rescue. He was found down near Conroe somewhere. I figure he was probably someone's livestock guard dog who got out. I think he's full blood. He has the double dewclaws and everything.

Fargo is my baby. Gorgeous, pampered, and FAR less maintenance than a super model, I'm sure.

[Demoiselle]

20. Fargo is a great name

(Great state, too, I was born in North Dakota.) And doesn't he look fabulous in red white and blue! I'm not an expert but there's no doubt in my mind that he's a purebred and a real beauty too. Best of luck with him. I've put a Great Pyrenees thread in the Lounge now, and will see if anybody else says hi.

[progressivebydesign]

24. Love your puppy dog photo! N/T

[Piperay]

28. No critism from me

because I agree with you 100% and I'm not jealous or ugly either. :-)

[JoFerret]

31. Objectification of women's bodies

distortion of image, parading for commercial titilation and profit. And as for humiliating men in the same way...well...it would be equal opportunity exploitation but I prefer to go without thanks. This smarmy, smirky, sniggering sexuality goes hand-in-hand with the Asscroft puritanical nonsense. Let's have real bodies, real people, real bodies, real relationships, real sexuality, real lives not parades of skeleton models hyping unnecessary and overpriced clothing scraps.

[AspenRose]

2. Was Bob Dylan going to be in the show?

[Amaya]

6. This country has gone insane...

death and destruction are ok... but women in bras are badddddd :crazy:

[Lorien]

11. We are swiftly becoming the American Taliban

What is so offensive about beautiful women walking down a runway in bras, pantys, flowing robes and wings? Nothing really shows that you wouldn't see on any American beach. They aren't writhing up and down a brass pole, or anything like it! The only thing I find offensive is how thin a number of the models are (but models like Tyra Banks and Letitia Costa look healthy enough). I may be straight, but I'm also an artist, and I like looking at attractive women because they are, well, attractive!(Actually the human eye is naturally attracted to design that plays straight lines against curved lines, which is one of the reasons both men and women find fit women attractive).

I'm honestly worried about how far this repressive regime is willing to take this puritan notion of women's bodies=evil. While I agree that underage women should be more modest and music videos are sometimes oversexed, focusing on the Victoria's secret show is fairly absurd! The show always had good ratings, so obviously a call was made somewhere...

[cornfedyank]

12. they will take it as far as distraction will allow

anything to use up news time instead of things that really matter. remember they only have to fool enough people to get reelected. after that they do not care.

[daleo]

26. I agree

More distraction, to keep the news off Iraq and Bushco's incompetence and criminality. It's no accident that Powell's kid is head of the FCC.

[Avalon Sparks]

8. Somehow I doubt...

I doubt anyone in their target market would complain about the show anyway.

Can't really see the men that buy the clothes for their ladies, or the ladies that wear it complaining.

Only the fundies who probably would never set foot inside a VS anyway.

Makes no sense to me to call off the show.

[Danieljay]

10. my thoughts exactly...but

its not just the fundies on this issue...their is plenty of celebrating going on on both extremes...

on the Right: "The televised fashion show has generated criticism in the past from groups complaining about supermodels strutting down the runway in skimpy underwear."

on the Left: "Olga Vives, vice president of the National Organization for Women praised the cancelation, saying the show only objectifies women."

[progressivebydesign]

15. I agree with NOW. N/T

[PfcHammer]

9. what role did asskraft play in this i wonder

[NashVegas]

16. What's Much More Disturbing

there were reports the other day that the FCC is getting ready to take a second look at soap operas.

ABC has a core gay (lesbian) character on AMC and her girlfriend is getting shipped out of the show; there's talk they might try to take the character in a bi direction.

On OLTL, there's a gay male character they've been wanting to introduce forever, and according to rumors on the Television Without Pity forums that it's been permanently back-burnered due to FCC scrutiny.

[gulliver]

21. There goes Bush's edge with males. n/t

[Dr Fate]

22. What year is this? n/t

n/t

[bushwakker]

23. Yet another tragedy in George W. Bush's America*

[raysr]

27. "Do not adjust

your set", it's being controlled by Jerry Fallwell!!!

[thebigidea]

29. Ashcroft: "Excellent. All is going according to plan."

shit, a couple years ago I was attempting "satire" based around things like this. Now its "news."

Godblessmerica!