American Apparel ads banned for being 'sexually provocative'
Ads feature young girl in “overtly sexual” poses.
A recent ad campaign from clothing brand American Apparel is creating controversy.
The Daily Mail reports that risqué photos of a young-looking girl with her breast exposed has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, who says that the model in the ads looks to be younger than the age of 16.
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Multiple comments on the brand’s web site complained that the photos in the ads are “unnecessarily sexual,” inappropriate to be seen by children and portray a young girl in “overtly sexual” poses, says the Daily Mail.
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The ASA demanded the ads must not appear again, making this statement: 'We considered both poses were sexually provocative and concluded that the images were irresponsible and likely to cause widespread offence, because they were displayed on a website which could be viewed by, and was likely to have appeal to, children under 16 years of age.'
But the brand is standing to their ground, claiming the ads are “completely decent and were a fair representation of their product line.”
This certainly isn’t the first time American Apparel has created controversy, but what do you think of their latest batch of ads?
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Photos: American Apparel
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Minors can be stylish, but they really don't need to be sexy. My mother always used to say garbage in, garbage out. That meant what you see or hear is what you pattern yourself after. We have been struggling as a nation to raise children without the physical discipline of yester year and have instead been not disciplining them at all. The only tool most people use most of the time these days is telling kids 'don't do that'. It's even harder to make that work when they are bombarded with images of jail bait looking ready to get laid and violence on every tv station and video game. (Yes I know that's an exaggeration, but have you watched cartoons lately? And those are supposed to be for kids...) It's bad enough when they see it with adults on adult shows (I know someone who lets her under 10's watch true blood) but when it's young people who look about 14 posing as pedophile bait in an ad campaign? Not so cool.
WOW, Americans are such prudes. It is the human body. It is what happens to your daughters and their dauhters. The problem is that this young lady is probably more mature and more wise than most girls her age.
Now, I do not want to see someone (male or female) showing and advertising anything I, or my daughter should see. But shouting how this is wrong or distrubing, is not a bad thing, unless a parent or an adult for that matter, is not comfortable talking about the human body. Sex has sold millions of merchandise a year, Victoria Secret, sex toys after hours, and anyone who makes a stink about anything THEY feel is offensive. Teach your children and discuss the WORLD. It actually accomplishes more than crying about it being "offensive".
@splib; I do agree with you, however, it is marketing. This has been going on for many years. I am 42 (woman), married, with one daughter. I would rather choose to talk to her about this type of advertising, rather than sweep it under the rug.
If many of you did not demand the ad be taken down or it is not appropriate; you need to educate yourself and your children.
I do not know why breasts continue to be so sinful to look at. The taboo persists even in the face of the sexual liberation, feminism, the XXI century, and living in the most advanced country in the world. But it turns out, we are just a puritans as those arriving on the Mayflower over four hundred years ago...or is it just thick hypocrisy?
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