Suzanne Hartsell, a high school senior whose letter recently appeared ("Advertisements turn women into objects," Feb. 18), is to be applauded for her courage in speaking out against today's advertisers who blatantly and publicly exploit women to make a buck!
I join you, Suzanne, in refusing to purchase any items that objectify women through such disgusting, degrading advertising. In addition, I have stopped shopping at retail establishments that promote pornography in their ads. Few things are as irritating to me as bra/panty-clad, dancing divas popping into my family room unannounced, in prime time, to shake their booty in the name of whatever retailer is buying the commercial time.
Hats off to you, and a hearty second to your challenge to stop supporting these visual insults to women!
Diana Byrd
Greensboro
Comments (5)
*laugh* I applaude your attitude, but I thought that pretty much "all" retail establishments use the sex appeal thing. I think Best Buy even did at some point, and they don't have clothing items. That's a whole lot of establishments to avoid.
Could be wrong. Like I said before. Sex appeal sells, and reality is that until that ends, it's really use your best judgment. Until you change men's genetic makeup, you're going to have issues with that. I think the monologue I've seen is "Caveman" or something that explains it rather well.
Posted by Ben | February 25, 2005 9:46 AM
I applaud you for avoiding these stores. I think it is sad that I can't go to the mall with my kids without passing a Victoria Secret, Abercrombie & Finch, Lane Bryant and any other number of stores because they insist on putting larger than life images of men and women in slinky underwear in store windows.
There is something called discretion and taste, and unfortunately, this generation lacks it.
Posted by mr t | February 25, 2005 10:27 AM
These stores are just the tip of the iceberg on the coursening of our culture. Four lettered words litter our primetime TV screens. The new reality shows would make Jerry Springer blush. Political "dialog" has degenerated to screaming matches and there seems to be no middle ground.
I'm sorry to say that the stores that you rightly avoid aren't the villians in this story. They only sell what we will buy. They accurately reflect the society in which they exist.
Posted by Marshall White | February 26, 2005 10:51 AM
Isn't it funny how we always seem to blame the advertisers and we never seem to hold the women appearing in the ads accountable?
Posted by Mike | February 27, 2005 9:29 AM
What's the big deal here? Why should we feel ashamed of the human body or form? Humans are a sexual species. Our kids see and hear worse things at school anyway. The antidote to this 'bombardment' of sex in our culture is to educate your children about it and to also educate them about proper protection when it comes to sex. Abstinence is great, but most kids aren't gonna go that route, so education could save their lives one day. A bit off topic, sorry.
Anyway, these girls in the advertisements do sell lots of products. When I am watching TV with my daughter and one of those commercials comes on, I talk to her and tell her not to become a brainless bimbo like that girl on the TV. I have been degrading those girls using sex to sell for a long time, and it seems to work. My daughter, now 10, wants nothing to do with those bimbos. Now the next ten years may hold a different story.
Posted by Brian Harper | February 27, 2005 11:07 PM