It all started here. "I saw a link to [Victoria's Secret's Go East] line on the blog, Angry Asian Man," she says.
"Hooray for exotic orientalist bull----," wrote the blogger who included a link to the "Asian-inspired" lingerie line's centerpiece: "The Sexy Little Geisha," a mesh teddy that comes with an obi belt, chopsticks and a fan.
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Immediately Jacinto sat down to write an insightful post on why she found the outfit, and the line in general, offensive. "It's the kind of overt racism masked behind claims of inspired fashion and exploring sexual fantasy that makes my skin crawl," she wrote in article published September 6 on the blog Racialicious, a site for commentary on the intersection of culture and race.
"There's a long-standing trend to represent Asian women as hypersexualized objects of fantasy," wrote Jacinto. She also took umbrage with the lingerie description as "your ticket to an exotic adventure" and the fact that none of the models for the collection were of Asian descent.
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Jacinto, meanwhile, has gotten a lot of responses from commenters questioning why she cares so much about some bras and underwear. "It's important that companies like VS know that capitalizing on a stereotype and on a culture is tasteless and offensive," she explains. "The messaging we insert in our culture shapes people's attitudes—so questioning clothing like this is important."
Source: Shine from Yahoo!
This blog is to show and point out incidents that prove just how racist the world still is and we're hoping through this blog that the world can change and get better for everyone
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Victoria's Secret Geisha Lingerie pulled after some thought it was racist
What do you think? Do you think the way the lingerie was being advertised was racist? Make sure to read the whole article and the original blog posts in the quoted article below.
Labels:
Racism in advertising,
Stereotypes
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3 comments:
I don't personally don't find that depiction as overtly sexual or demoralizing in respect to the culture. Geisha's were highly reputed and sought after entertainers, dancers, and caregivers who train for most of their life to inevitably sell their virginity to the highest bidder. The nature of the Geisha herself is coveted in a sensual fashion because of their allure, grace, and appeal. I see the ad as a veneration to the high esteem Geisha's are held in, and the veneration just happens to be in a very American sexualized fashion. I can't find the demoralization in a racist sense because I don't feel it has to do with being an objectification of Asian women in particular. Many people have a particular fascination for the culture because Geisha's are beautiful, and I hardly see a racist offense as much as it is probably a careless, perhaps tasteless depiction.
I believe that this could have been a great marketing strategy for the Victoria's Secret organization. Because the media always succeeds in conveying their own interpretations to the public, they have an immense influence on them, and therefore impact the way that they think. I think that the organization's intention was to embrace the style of the "Geisha" and in turn accommodate this certain style into their own brand. It could have been sexy, provocative, and overall a best seller in the lingerie department.
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