Victoria’s secret is her transphobic views
STRIKE A POSE: Victoria’s Secret, a leading woman’s fashion company, is under fire for their decision to ban transgender models from walking the runway at their fashion shows.
January 10, 2019
In an article published by Vogue on Nov. 8, Chief Marketing Officer Ed Razek of L Brands, the brand that owns Victoria’s Secret, said that he believes that transsexual individuals (presumably transgender women) should not participate in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show because “the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is.”
According to Forbes, Victoria’s Secret’s profit dropped 89%, or a whopping $120 million, to $14.2 million just in the third quarter of their fiscal year.
This can be attributed to Razek’s comments, as well as the popularity of companies such as ThirdLove and Aerie because they feature a wide range of sizes and promote body positivity within their products and advertisements.
ThirdLove, a company with the slogan “bras and underwear for everybody,” published a full page ad in the New York Times. The ad was titled: “An Open Letter to Victoria’s Secret” and called out Victoria’s Secret for being stuck in their fantasy.
“At ThirdLove, we think beyond, as you said, a ‘42-minute entertainment special.’ Your show may be a ‘fantasy’ but we live in reality.
Our reality is that women wear bras in real life as they go to work, breastfeed their children, play sports, care for ailing parents, and serve their country,” the ad said.
Although I’ve never been a big fan of Victoria’s Secret’s 26.4 million dollar extravaganza, the blatant transphobia that Razek speaks is completely discouraging.
This close-minded comment has set the show and company back a few years. Suddenly Victoria’s secret is that she is a 41-year-old white and cisgender woman who still believes that using models who look any different won’t sell anything.
In this society, the “fantasy” that Victoria’s Secret capitalizes off of is predictable and shows that they can’t leave the corner they have backed themselves into. It’s simply not the normal “fantasy” anymore.
It’s time that Victoria’s Secret shifts their idea of a fantasy to match society’s idea because the times have changed.
An average American’s view shows people of all shapes, colors, sizes and representations. A steep decline in sales and popularity is no company’s idea of a fantasy.
Victoria’s Secret, you have a large pill to swallow: either move forward or be left behind. It’s time you put yourself in someone else’s bra.
