Victoria's Secret

Sorry to not begin this post with an image, but I guess I'm just not as daring as Jeana in posting images of nearly nude women. I'd like to think that I'm protecting the innocent eyes of the young children who may be playing at your feet while you're reading this. So, I guess that means that I'm a "Savior on Mount Zion" (or maybe I'm just withstanding a temptation to lead them toward forbidden paths).


My thoughts in general: With that introduction behind us, let me discuss a certain Victoria's Secret ad that I saw in the mall a few days ago. I was shopping with some friends (all female except me, of course) for bridesmaid dresses. No, I was not shopping for myself; I was just a fashion consultant. While we were in the mall, we passed Victoria's Secret, and I saw quite a large ad adorning one of the windows of the store. Passing it, I made a sarcastic comment about the model looking like she was full of confidence and empowerment because she was wearing her Victoria's Secret underwear. There was a round a chuckles from my friends, and then one stated that Victoria's Secret underwear is quite comfortable. I had supposed such comfort existed in the high-quality products of Victoria's Secret, but I have never experienced it myself. However, my comment had nothing to do with comfort or lack thereof; it was simply an observation of the image projected by the model.

My thoughts on application: Victoria's Secret ads can be used as teaching devices in many ways such as sex education, anatomy instruction, as so on. Many, if not all, of these ads would fit right into Jeana's lessons on the male gaze and feminist criticism. However, my thoughts when I saw this ad focused more on how the product was trying to be sold to women by seeking to project power, ambition, and confidence. If simply buying expensive underwear can give you advantage in the workplace (or wherever you may wear your super panties), then it's worth the investment. In becoming media literate, it is important to recognize how a product is being presented to the consumer. Is it merely functional? No. The message is that a little patch of cloth actually clothes you with superiority. Who wouldn't want that? In a teaching environment, care must be taken with the selection of images, but it is important to discuss what the ad is selling beyond the little bits of cloth and the almost bare body parts.