Monday, December 3, 2018

Controversy on the Catwalk

By: Chloe Jensen

       
 Victoria’s Secret “Angels” are no strangers to the catwalk. They’re also no strangers to the controversy surrounding their annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show event. Each year, this event draws in millions of viewers. However, in recent years their ratings have dropped significantly. Could this be due to the numerous controversies surrounding this fashion show? The brand has consistently received backlash since the show became televised in 1999.In 2017, the show had its lowest ratings ever, suffering a near 30 percent drop and averaging a 1.5 rating. The show has not changed much over its history and they could suffer a drop in viewers again this year. They stick to what they know: sample size models, popular musical guests, and funky costumes featuring their lingerie. Unfortunately, this lack of change could also be contributing to their falling viewership. Their lack of racial diversity, lack of plus sized models, the Fantasy Bra, it’s inappropriateness for television, and the diet of the models are all issues that have surfaced in the 19 years of this televised event.

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion show has had a rocky past with racial diversity. Historically, it has been largely a group of white models taking the runway. However, as of 2017, nearly half of the models they feature now are women of color. This can be seen as a great improvement and step toward diversity since the first Asian model featured wasn’t until 2009.
 30-year-old Kylie Stewart of Greene, Iowa, says, “It’s interesting that they’re so slow on racial diversity, their inclusivity happened so recently. It seems like they’re behind by society’s standards.” However, while others acknowledge this inclusivity came at a slow pace, they think it’s still a step in the right direction because a variety of race is not the fashion industry’s strong suit. Makeup companies have recently come under fire for a lack of foundation shades for people of color and clothing brands are often scrutinized for a lack of racial diversity or even a lack of racial awareness.  University of Northern Iowa Senior, Caitlin Allan, says, “Victoria’s Secret is a huge brand. The fact that they’ve begun to include many races in their show will open doors for people of color in the modeling world in general and I look forward to seeing change in the industry.” Others are not as bothered by the lack of racial diversity of their models. Josie Miller, a UNI alumna, stated, “Tyra Banks is a woman of color and she walked in their show when it started out in the 90s and has gone on to have an extremely successful career. Regardless, the company is trying to be more conscious and inclusive with the models they choose and I think their current efforts matter more than their past mistakes.”
         Victoria’s Secret has always received backlash for featuring models who are sample size. Many view these women as unrealistically thin and think they set ridiculous standards for women. Chief Marketing Officer, Ed Razek, made a statement regarding their exclusivity, “I’m always asking myself: if we do that, what is the reason we did it? Did we include them because it was the right thing to do or because it was the politically correct thing to do?” Recently, people have taken to Twitter to discuss their disdain for the lack of plus-sized models who walk in the show. Maggie Dee, a senior studying psychology at UNI says, “I think plus-sized models should berepresented more, but I don’t know if Victoria’s secret deserves 
that market because of their rocky past with inclusivity. People are going to go to the brands that represent them best and eventually, they’ll lose enough profit until they change with the market or fizzle out entirely.” However, others believe other steps are needed before being able to include plus-sized models in their show. Isabell Akers, a student at Grandview University in Des Moines says, “Victoria’s Secret needs to start by creating sizes that actually fit plus-sized women, then we can talk about them being included in the fashion show.” Others feel more neutral about Victoria’s Secret’s marketing techniques. Josie Miller says, “Personally, I think they can do whatever they want with their brand. If they want to use small models, let them. That’s who they’re targeting.”
         The Fantasy Bra is another aspect of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show that receives criticism. A special bra is featured each year and its price ranges from $1 million to $15 million since it’s covered in precious gemstones and diamonds. On “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Victoria’s Secret Angel, Candice Swanepoel, stated that her Fantasy Bra was crafted based on a mold of her body and revealed that the bra was
actually for sale. If no one bought it after a year, it would be broken down. Some view this as a waste of money and resources, while others look forward to the reveal of the bra each year. Maggie Dee explained her thoughts on the matter, “It’s a shrine to not only vanity, but also consumerism and that’s kind of disgusting, in my personal opinion.” However, others enjoy seeing the creative designs that Victoria’s Secret comes up with. Student Caitlin Allan says, “It seems like an excessive amount of money, but again, they’re a huge brand and it’s called a ‘Fantasy Bra’ for a reason. It’s not supposed to be something realistic and they have the money to spend. Personally, I look forward to seeing what glamorous design they come up with for the Fantasy bra each year, as well as the crazy outfits and themes they use to present their lingerie with.”
         However, not everyone appreciates the lingerie-clad women strutting their stuff popping up when they’re scrolling through the channels during prime-time hours. Some even view this event as inappropriate for television. "I would characterize it as a high-tech striptease. I think CBS acted shamefully and certainly not in the public interest, as broadcasters are supposed to do. They weren't selling clothes last night, they were selling women. You had near-naked women going down the runway, and young girls see this and think this is how beautiful women are supposed to act," stated Jan LaRue, chief counsel of Concerned Women for America. She made these remarks in 2002 when the show had been on television for just three years. However, it seems as if this mindset about the show could be changing. Maggie Dee said, “In today’s standards, the show is not that inappropriate. It’s normal for people to be aware of the human body and what it looks like, even the unrealistic type.” Josie Miller, who is a teacher, also has a similar mindset to Dee. She stated, “In comparison to what kids are or could be exposed to on social media and the internet, this fashion show is pretty mild.”
         Some are concerned about young girls being exposed to unrealistic bodies and others are concerned about just how these models maintain their bodies. There are various rumors about diets that the models partake in; like all-liquid diets days before the show or just cutting out liquids completely. People also call their exercise regimens “obsessive” and “unhealthy,” while others view them as athletes. Maggie Dee said, “If their diet is any type of diet that isn’t something you’d be willing to do every day, it’s probably unhealthy.”
However, not everyone thinks the Angels live an unhealthy lifestyle. “I can’t speak for how models actually eat, but it’s typically the stereotype that they starve themselves. I follow a few of the Victoria’s Secret Angels on Instagram and it seems to me that they are more like athletes now. They always post videos of their training sessions and they seem strong and healthy,” remarked Kylie Stewart. “I also think the way of modeling is changing. When I was a teenager it seemed like being a model was all about being as skinny as possible. Now, it seems better to be fit and toned rather than just skinny and unhealthy looking.” The models will post a “#TrainLikeAnAngel” each time they post themselves working out in the Victoria’s Secret gear. Alanna Arrington, a model from Cedar Rapids, has walked in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show three years in a row. She posted to her Instagram account about how she “trains like an angel” and keeps her body in the best shape as possible through running and clean eating. Student Caitlin Allan said, “Some of their exercise routines seem excessive to me, but as long as they’re eating clean and healthy, they’re probably fine. I think they can decide what health means to themselves, without everyone’s opinions about it.”
         Clearly, there are various controversies and opinions regarding the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion show. However, in light of these controversies they still pull in millions of viewers, even if the viewership has declined in recent years. In 2017, they still had 4.98 million people watching the show. According to Forbes Magazine, while Victoria’s Secret’s sales have been declining, they still maintain 28.8% of the lingerie market share. However, some say the future isn’t looking bright for this lingerie giant. Maggie Dee said, “I used to shop there, but once I realized the issues with their brand, I stopped.”
Even so, Victoria’s Secret still manages to maintain its loyal customers regardless of the controversy, including Kylie Stewart who said, “Some of their items are a bit too flashy for me, but I’ve always been a fan of their product and I’ll continue to shop there.”

PHOTO CREDIT:
Flickr.com


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