Abercrombie & Fitch update, etc.

By: American Decency Staff

*** Abercrombie & Fitch obscenity charge dropped *** Superbowl advertisements: Commercials went for a softer sell*** Abercrombie & Fitch obscenity charge dropped MSNBC ARTICLE STATES: Company says cops overreacted when citing manager over mall poster Abercrombie & Fitch obscenity charge dropped "… Deputy City Attorney Mark Stiles said the charge would be dropped even though the photos might technically meet the nudity portion of city code that makes it a crime to display 'obscene materials in a business that is open to juveniles.' But he said it would be difficult to meet the other standards of the law: that the display had to appeal to prurient interests, lack redeeming artistic merit and be offensive to prevailing community standards. …" http://www.msnbc.msn.com:80/id/22993326/ Personal note: As bad as the images of A&F are — See: DISCLAIMER https://americandecency.org/main.php?f=updates_new/2008/February/02.04a.08 They are not LEGALLY obscene. Miller v. California 1973 [The Supremes, devised a set of three criteria which must be met in order for a work to be legitimately subject to state regulation: the average person, applying contemporary community standards (not national standards, as some prior tests required), must find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest; the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct or excretory functions[1] specifically defined by applicable state law; and the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.] All three must be met. [Much more could be said here but will reserve that for another time.] As some of you will recall, Abercrombie & Fitch discontinued the production, sale and distribution of its pornographic catalog in December 2003. This discontinuation occurred not because of criminal charges brought by police but by way of significant public pressure, declining same store sales, multiple nationwide interviews, Dr. Dobson addressing the concern on a couple of radio broadcasts early in December of 2003 and full page ads that were placed by Citizens for Community Values (CCV) out of Cincinnati, in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today that targeted the Abercrombie & Fitch trustees taking them to task for using eroticism to target America's youth. ADA has continued to take pictures of A&F displays as concerns have arisen over this period of time. The display of the young bare-chested model with her arms concealing her nipples are pushing the envelope further than we've seen over these recent years. We have seen A&F use such a display but place it back in the store in a much smaller format. So what is the solution, then, if we can't look to law enforcement for assistance? Public concern. Continuing to keep yourself free of such eroticism so that you don't become accommodated to it, and, to rally others to speak up. We are need of persons across the country to serve in a capacity of contact person who will assist us in monitoring your local mall. Give me a call or email me if you share our concerns about indecency in the local mall and are willing to give at least a little time to it as a volunteer. Call: 1-888-733-2326 or email bjohnson@americandecency.org ====================================================== *** Superbowl advertisements: Commercials went for a softer sell The Detroit Free Press article stated it this way: — Commercials went for a softer sell — "Usually, the Super Bowl is a bruising, brutal, no-holds-barred battle for complete dominance. And that's just in the TV commercials. But on Sunday, the ads were a walk on the mild side. There were edgy moments, but the overall emphasis was on adorable animals and funny celebrities, not the painful pratfalls and gross-out surprises that have grabbed attention in the past." http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008802040367 Yes, there was the Victoria's Secret ad that was concerning, however … somewhat less blatant. Perhaps the efforts by many other ministries and the repeated expressions of alarm, disgust and distaste impacted advertisers this year. For whatever reason, though encouraged, this battle is far from over. Vigilance is needed! With God's help, we can be vigilant through thick and thin. ===================================================================== They have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean. " Ezekiel 22:26 ============================================================= If you agree with our efforts, you can stand with us financially at: https://americandecency.org/folder.php?f=donate American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 https://americandecency.org

---