Victoria Secret Underwear Parade on CBS

By: American Decency Staff

In 2008 Victoria’s Secret CEO Sharen Turney promised a toning down of the eroticism of Victoria’s Secret – stating their image had become “too sexy” and the corporation would instead return to a portrayal of “ultra feminine” resulting, one would assume, in a turning away from the explicit pornographic advertising Victoria’s Secret had become known for.   At the time we were wary yet cautiously hopeful that maybe, just maybe the company was finally listening to the countless ones who had called, written, signed petitions, boycotted, picketed malls in protest of their unwelcome erotic displays and television commercials foisted upon shoppers and TV viewers. 

Obviously, that promise was as flimsy as the products the company sells.  Last night CBS aired the annual “Underwear Parade” – otherwise known as the Victoria’s Secret ‘Fashion’ Show.

However, this display of barely-clad lingerie models has nothing to do with fashion, but is all about skin.  As nearly nude women paraded down runways, cameras gave viewers close up shots of barely-covered breasts and derrières – all while the models strutted seductively down the runways.  

As one VS model stated:  “There’s nothing like it on TV.” 

National advertisers that sponsored this erotic display include:  Burger King, Crest, Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Microsoft, Sprint, Canon cameras, T-Mobile, Motorola Droid, Zicam, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Pictures.

The good news is that of the 17 companies we targeted last year, who sponsored the Victoria’s Secret show in 2011, only four returned to advertise again this year – Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Zicam, and local advertiser Logan’s Roadhouse.

Click here to send a message to the companies that empowered The Victoria’s Secret Show with their advertising dollars.

This was not a show about “fashion”.  This was not even so much geared toward women.  This was about appealing to men.  The camera angles, the erotic poses and postures all with the purpose of eliciting a sexual response – and a flood of Christmas sales of lingerie by men who want their wives to live up to the image on display by Victoria’s Secret. 

This was also blatantly obvious in the Victoria’s Secret ads which ran during the commercial breaks – each ad as pornographic as the show itself – if not more so. 

Victoria’s Secret actually boasted about how erotic their television ads have become. 

One model stated:  “One of the first (Victoria’s Secret) commercials that I’ve seen was the one that got banned with Claudia Schiffer.  That one was tame.  The underwear was a lot more conservative than what we wear now.”

In 1996 the three major networks balked at airing a Victoria's Secret advertisement with Claudia Schiffer. The concern of ABC, NBC, and CBS was that the advertisement was too sensual and not appropriate for all audiences.

Another model stated:

“I think times have really changed and that’s okay.”

I’m so glad to know that she’s “okay” with an increasing flood of eroticism over television airwaves and in mall window displays, but millions of parents, grandparents, and caring individuals aren’t okay with it!

We feel pity for these young women who prostitute their bodies for the pleasure of men; we grieve for our daughters and granddaughters who are being taught to degrade themselves for the pleasure of men – that their value is equated to their body parts and sex appeal; and for our sons and grandsons who are drawn into a pattern of lust and escalating pornography use.

Click here to send a message to the companies that empowered The Victoria’s Secret Show with their advertising dollars.

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