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It's that time of year again. Almost anywhere you look back-to-school sales and advertisements abound. But this year's shoppers may get much more than they bargained for. Parents are complaining that many of this year's ads go too far, featuring what they call lewd and, in some cases, even pornographic content. One of the most controversial ad campaigns was created by Abercrombie and Fitch, the well-known clothing store hugely popular with college students, teens and pre-teens. The store’s catalog has been criticized for featuring semi- and fully nude models in sexually explicit positions, amounting to what many are calling soft porn. Abercrombie and Fitch’s web site, abercrombie.com, states that the store targets students age 18 to college, while abercrombie kids -- launched in 1997 -- targets ages 7 to 14. Their latest concept, Hollister Co., was developed in 2000 and targets ages 15 to 17. Including abercrombie kids and Hollister Co., Abercrombie and Fitch boasts almost 400 stores nationwide. The store's spring catalogue, titled "XXX," features an interview with a male porn star. Its 2001 Back-To-School issue is centered around the fictional A&F University. It includes a letter from the University president, which states, “Our student bodies -- ahem, body, as many of you undoubtedly know -- is among the finest (in every sense of the word) in the country, if not the world.” The following pages include photos of fully nude male and female models portrayed as A&F University students. Magazine issues have included articles such as “The Rules of Attraction,” which offered tips on having sex in college. A particularly controversial article, “Drinking 101,” sparked protest from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Reports say it included recipes for drinks such as “Brain Hemorrhages.” Abercrombie and Fitch responded to concerns by cutting the article from catalogs not already sent, saying that future writing would encourage responsible drinking. Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, Corrinne Wood, initiated a campaign against Abercrombie and Fitch in 1999, after her daughter came home with the store's holiday catalog, "Naughty or Nice." After receiving a number of complaints, Abercrombie and Fitch began shrink wrapping their catalogs and requiring that they only be given to individuals who prove they are at least 18 years of age. "That misses the point," said Wood. "A&F's biggest market is still young teens and pre-teens. Visit a middle school and you will see the A&F logo on plenty of T-shirts and sweatshirts. Most parents would not let their young children wear the Playboy Bunny logo or tuck a Hustler magazine into their backpack, yet at least those companies are honest about what they are really selling." Bill Johnson, president of Michigan-based American Decency Association, stated, “We believe that, without a question, this goes far beyond what's happening in the rest of fashion," Johnson said. "When you're talking about full-frontal nudity and very erotic images — most men will talk about the fact that those hormonal years are so powerful. The effects of pornography are highly toxic — there's addiction, escalation, desensitization, then acting out sexually. It's not about ‘just pictures.' They have the potential to draw a young person into that whole process.” But it’s not just males parents are concerned about. Dennis Rainey recently visited an Abercrombie and Fitch store with his 13-year-old daughter, who wanted to try on one of the store’s popular sweaters with the Abercrombie and Fitch logo. While she was in the dressing room, Rainey -- who works with Focus on the Family and is the host of a national radio program -- turned to see an 8-by-10 foot poster on the wall displaying the back of a nude young man. “It was a picture shot from behind,” Rainey said, “and the guy was buck naked. I didn’t ask to see that.” When Rainey approached the manager, explaining that he felt the picture was inappropriate, the store employee simply disagreed. When Rainey’s daughter came out of the dressing room, he challenged the manager. “I said, ‘Come on-drop ‘em!’ Now he looked like a deer in the headlights, and he said ‘No way!’ And I said, ‘That’s right, because if you did that I’d have you arrested for indecent exposure.’” Rainey then asked the manager to take his name and number, expecting to receive a call later following up on the matter. “I will never forget this,” Rainey said. “He said, ‘Sir, they don’t care what you think.’” Rainey left the store with his daughter and without the sweater. He was never called. Abercrombie and Fitch directs questions to their New York-based publicist. “What we are trying to do,” said the spokesman, “is embody the spirit that we call American youth. And I think that having kids skinny-dipping in a pond is, you know, sort of an image that my boss has referred to as sort of a Norman Rockwell for the 90s and the new millennium. We are just capturing these beautiful images . . . and I don’t think they are very provocative, really. There is no frontal nudity or anything like that.” A completely false statement -- just look at the latest magazine. When confronted about his claim, the spokesman clarified, “I’m talking about male [nudity].” He later said, “Just wait. Nothing has changed as far as our commitment to putting together one of the coolest, most beautiful quarterlies there is . . . it is not being toned down at all.” Rainey estimates that he has shared his story on person and through his radio show with at least 4 million people. While he has no idea how sales might have been affected, his purpose is to inform parents of what’s out there -- particularly important as more kids hit the malls during the back-to-school season. “My message is that the moms and dads of this nation are the guardians and protectors of our children,” he says. “And I think we are the ones who have to step forward . . . To be kind, but to let them know that it is not acceptable.” |
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Minnesota Family Council / Minnesota Family Institute 2855 Anthony Lane South, Minneapolis MN, 55418-3265 Phone 612.789.8811, FAX 612.789.8858, www.mfc.org |