I know this is old news by now but it's been with me on and off since hearing about it last week and it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Both ABC and FOX banned this Lane Bryant Commercial from their networks but have no problem airing the Victoria's Secret commercial {both below}. And it seems to me, since both commercials are equally as sexy as they are revealing, there is a double standard on the line here that has more to do with the size of the model's body than the size of her breasts. Tell me what you think.
CLICK HERE if you're interested in reading the following article: Lane Bryant Responds To ABC’s Censorship Comments Thank you Kimberly for the link ;)
CLICK HERE if you're interested in reading the following article: Lane Bryant Responds To ABC’s Censorship Comments Thank you Kimberly for the link ;)
67 Amazing people left a comment here:
I'm so tired of bony anorexic looking role models. Do you watch The Hills? What happened to those girls? (I'm not even talking about Heidi). They ALL look like they haven't eaten in a year.
Curvy women are so gorgeous. It's only a matter of time until the social eye shifts and they become what is desirable again. Bony=STARVATION. There is nothing sexy about that.
The Lane Bryant commercial is far more appealing. It's sad that those placing the advertisements are too stupid to realize this appeals to women more (and women are the ones buying these items).
there is nothing wrong with the lane bryant commerical honestly the company should have the right to AD time regardless of who their target audience is!
Wow, this is so screwed up.
What in the world was wrong with the first commercial?
It was short, sweet and to the point.
And the Victoria Secret one was all sultry and over-the-top.
sincerely I do not understqnd why it it hqs been bqned from these network. there is nothing wrong about this ad. maybe the camera stays more on the breast than in the victoria secret add but the rest of the image is less provocative.
to me the decision is not normal
http://www.iletaitunefoisundressing.com/
I had NO IDEA about this. Thank you for bringing it up - I'm going to blog about it too. I love Lane Bryant clothes and bras - that commercial is very tasteful.
It has nothing to do with the boobies. The VS commercial is a mini action movie in and of itself, you're not even watching a bra/panties commercial. It seems more like its for men lol. The LB is actually a bra/panties commercial...and geared towards the woman who will be wearing them.
and im sorry, i could go on much more on this, but I'm so tired and can't seem to put sentence together right now.
Maybe it's because the woman in the Lane Bryant ad is taking control of her sexuality vs. the Victoria's Secret models who fulfill your fantasies...HA!
But really, it is really ridiculous that the LB ad was banned, which actually portrays a realistic body, and the VS ad is allowed to air which perpetuates the super skinny body type and objectifies women.
Btw, Maegan, I've been following your blog for a while and LOVE it!
it is most definitely a double standard. Why is ok for Victoria's Secret to have commercials all over TV, not to mention a whole FASHION SHOW on TV and it's not ok to show the Lane Bryant commercial? The women are just as pretty, they just have average sized bodies instead of being stick thin. It's terrible that the media does this.
You know I actually loved that Lane Bryant commercial more than the Victoria Secret. Now is it because I am a large bust gal maybe, but I like how they are trying to sell to me a real person.
VS gals aren't real gals that I see everyday!
Now is it the innuendo about her meeting her guy for lunch and she is only wearing bra and panties? I caught that but would a kid, very doubtful. What about all the feminine product commercials or KY jelly commercials or even Viagra, what don't they think kids can see with that?
Argh!
Oh my gosh! This too put a huge sick taste in my mouth! It makes me sick.
First, the Lane Bryant commercial was so much sexier & classy. It's a "BRA" commercial, how do you know show it any other way!
Second, the VS commercial was trashy. It looked like lesbians were around ready for something hot, sorry TMI, but them all sittin around like that & the 2 next to each other? It looks nasty, not to mention the music. Don't get me wrong, I love VS that is all I wear- but come on America, you would get rid of the nice commercial that is more like for a hubbs & wife, yet keep the trashy one that looks more geared towards men/cars/woman etc...
Makes me sick! And I am OVER the nasty anerexic looking woman!
GO GIRL! ;)
Long time reader...first time commenter...thanks for posting this! I had no idea the LB commercial had beeb banned...the VS commercial is 10x worse!!! Grrr!
Double standards for sure. x
www.FashionSnag.com
Wow, I hadn't heard about this controversy before but this is outrageous ! Urgh.. this is definitely a case of double standards.
I haven't heard about this either, but I think it's wrong to ban one and not the other. Like you said, they are both equally sexy and equally revealing. I actually think the Lane Bryant model looks a little better! LOL!
Tania
I completely agree. The VS ads are super racy and I hate watching a game with my dad and then having one of those pop on because it's just so ridiculous. I think if they are going to show those they should show the LB ones as well. They are no more sexy and half the VS models have the same size chests anyways, theirs are just surgically modified.
I'm so confused as to the problem with this commercial. I actually think it's clever and I love that this woman has curves and is comfortable with herself. You don't have to be a size 2 to be sexy.
http://senseofstyleiseternal.blogspot.com/
I don't think the Lane Bryant one is sexy and over the top at all.. its actually quite cute compared to the hard rock boob fest that is the Victoria Secret ad
http://www.kippisclothes.blogspot.com/
Seems to be a very clear double standard and its infuriating that things like this still happen.
Victoria Secret is way worse than Lane Bryant
that is some bullshit. the LB ad is far less provocotive. the networks are just scared of sexy women who don't conform to the image of beauty that media has created.
the LB ad potrays a woman in a position of power. she is overweight and FLIRTING (GASP!). this isn't allowed in our culture. a powerful women should be ugly and lesbian right, but an overweight, attractive and fat powerful woman? fuck no. not allowed. she is actually owning and controlling her body... not writhing around mouthing fuck me fuck me. we aren't programmed to handle that as well. which isn't to say this LB ad is ground breaking, it's simply trying to elevate the overweight woman to the same status as the thin woman.
the VS model is just a sex object, i mean, i hardly can remember she is a person with thoughts & feelings, the way they potray her. she IS tits and ass. and that's ok with society.
i'm studying this at university, so yeah...
The LB ad is better. Demure model, etc.
Wow... Why in the world did they ban that?? I didn't see a thing wrong with it. In fact, I liked the models sassy attitude!
I hope they get enough complaints that they let the ad air!
such great comments. And agreed ...what really gets me is that the LB commercial is so much more realistic than the VS one ...and so much more for women ...and women are the ones who actually wear the bras. So really, if the VS isn't banned and the LB one is, who IS their {FOX/ABC} target market?
I especially love that ABC banned the LB commercial from a Dancing with the Stars time slot. Last I checked, Dancing with the Stars was a whole lotta spray-tanned boobiness.
And DWTS's target audience is women...go figure.
Lane Bryant ad is really gorgeous! Beautiful and sexy model with great body. And Lane Bryant`s model looks more greater and healthier that VS models.
Very ridiculous that the LB ad was banned.
They prohibit us to look to a healthy, beautiful body, causing the watch to skinny models. Awful.
Okay so this upset me too. Then my fiance pointed out "what time were these commercials shown?" because it could have been that the Lane Bryant one was during the day or during prime TV watching times and the Victoria's Secret was late at night with a smaller audience. Again I don't know and think it's ridiculous either way, but maybe that played a factor. Hmmm.....
Complete double standard!
Yup, total double standard and it really pisses me off.
I read somewhere that one of the execs who was part of this decision stated the LB ad simply had too much "skin."
So to that end, Maegan is completely right. They were afraid of the size.
I did a little post about this subject from a slightly different angle a few days ago.
http://fashionplate-hungryforstyle.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-find-this-incredibly-interesting.html
I'll never understand any of this.
I've been a regular sized woman my whole life. Wavering from a size 10 to a size 12. Never had any problems finding people who were attracted to me.
Yet, we are thumped hourly with the opine that there is one standard look we should all attempt to emulate.
I call bullshite on all of it.
I wonder if it has to do with the length of time the camera was squarely on the woman's breasts. The LB did linger more than the VS one. The VS one had more skin, but there was so much going on that you really couldn't focus on it. Maybe?
Who knows. Ridiculous either way. The LB commercial is super cute. I hope they're getting a lot of PR with bloggers reposting their ad. :-)
The LB model is NOT fat!!! She is gorgeous. I actually found the commentary disturbing..."Beauty is only skin deep..." Would that same commentary be in a commercial where the women are stick thin? So "fat" girls have to keep telling themselves or be told that beauty is skin deep? I am confused...and yes it is a double standard. Thanks for posting Megan!I love your blog and I think you are beautiful (inside AND out!!).
Of course there is a double standard...it is ok to be hateful and discrimatory toward people, especially women, who are "fat"! We are supposed to loathe them, not find them attractive! They aren't supposed to be happy and in charge of their lives, they are supposed to hate themselves because of their size from lack of self discipline and constantly worry about their size and the diets they are always on to "fit in". The LB commercial totally explodes those myths.
i didn't know about this either. thanks for sharing--it irks me to no end. but irk can be a good motivator.
This is actually quite infuriating. The VS commercial is sexier then the LB commercial.
Playtex airs commercials with big breasted women!
Us DD's need to know where to buy bra's from.
Uggggggggghhhhhhhh!
I'm going to link back to you on my blog because this is annoying!!!!!!
it is a bit disheatening; however, it is NOT surprising. the big four is run by men. typically(no data to back this up only common knowledge) they have a different standard of beautiful than the average american woman.
the lb advertisement as well as the vs one should be allowed to air--at appropriate times.
according to the CDC
Body Measurements
(Data are for the U.S.)
Measured average height, weight, and waist circumference for adults ages 20 years and over
•Women:
Height (inches): 63.8
Weight (pounds): 164.7
Waist circumference (inches): 37.0
it seems to be that only Dove wants to see real bodies. are we REALLY that surprised? I'm diappointed--not surprised
I honestly don't think it has anything to do with the size of the models for LB.
It could be because the model for LB is leaving the house in just a bra and panty under a coat... which could mean something different to different viewers...
This is really disturbing. Not only is there the whole body issue--valuing super skinny "model-like" bodies over curvier ones, but I think that breasts actually play into it as well . . . a woman with DDs and a woman with Bs wear the same dress, and people think it looks "slutty" on the woman with bigger boobs, which is ridiculous and unfair! Glad you brought this up; I'm sure it's just one of many examples of inequity.
I felt so uncomfortable watching that raunchy victoria's secret commercial. like really, this is pathetic. the LB commercial is sexy and real. unbelievable.
the vs commercial is completely boring.
the lb commercial is great, but i didn't even realize it was about plus size until 15 seconds in. mostly i was thinking this woman was pretty but she looked normal.
tv is all kind of fucked up.
Personally, this makes me want to curse very loudly. First, the slut factor in the VS add is like 1000000 times more suggestive and degrading to women than the Lane Bryant add. Which quite truthfully, is clever and good marketing.
The VS add...watch the first oh, minute or so and tell me what they are selling (if you didn't already know what VS was). Whores? Yup. That's what I thought too.
"1000 Fantasies" compared to "your mother wouldn't wear this." Uhm... is there a comparison?
Plus, I'm pretty small and I never really care about a good bra. I mean come on, whats there to put in it? These commercials are for the leering perverted old business men who can't get their kicks anywhere else.
Maybe the LB commercial was banned because it wasn't directed my Michael Bay? LOL, I mean honestly-WTF is the difference between these 2? Makes NO sense!!!
I actually told my husband the other night that I was uncomfortable when the VS commercial came on watching tv with his dad. I think that should tell you something! haha
Great post.
The Victoria Secrets video is WAY more sexy...that should have been banned before the Lane Bryant one! CRAZY!
Oh BTW stop by my Blog...I posted a Zumba video. Maegan, you have to try a class in your area...it's soooo fun!
Totally a double standard!
It says so much about how these two television networks feel about their audience. Curvy/full figured women are only good enough for ABC & FOX if it's to watch their shows but not to be seen on their channels... at least not as a sexy woman. Tragic!
great post! interesting x
Okie dokie. Misleading information. FOX did NOT ban this ad from airing on the network. It was restricted from airing during the earlier part of American Idol, which is considered family programming, until they made some edits. There was a particular shot in which too much breast was exposed. This is exactly what would have been done with (and has been done with) Victoria's Secret spots. Those spots usually don't run without restrictions due to the amount of exposure in the particular ads.
Take a chill pill, commentors.
Maegan, it is great to see a "non-plus" size blogger covering this topic and the many positive comments that have been made above.
I think Ashley is a gorgeous woman and as someone who shops at Lane Bryant it is great having her as the face of LB out in the public eye.
If you or any of your readers are interested in reading more about the timing of the commercials vs. VS commercials- here is a statement from LB.
Double. Fucking. Standard.
Every time I see a Victoria's Secret commercial on non-cable channels, during daylight hours, I feel like the FCC let something slip...into their pockets.
I just put my money where my mouth is -- I don't buy Victoria's Secrets stuff (mainly because it sucks). I know I can't blame them for this particular debacle (sounds like some network crap) but I can blame them for shoddy craftsmanship, sweatshop labor and a host of other image issues that I have with the brand.
@Chicago Mom - I truly do not understand why women feel like it is ok to put down thin women in order to uplift larger women. Is that not a double standard?? It is ok to call thin women bony, anorexic and unsexy? That is just as negative and hurtful as calling someone fat. There are women in the world who are naturally thin, who do not diet, and have a very hard time gaining weight. The Victoria's Secret models have beautiful bodies and so does the model featured in the Lane Bryant ad. It's not a competition.
thank you for posting this discussion..... I really appreciate all the comments posted. I am a size 18w, and it is very frustrating that certain powers that be are still so antiquated in their thought process. Although there's been a lot more positive media attention on this matter...this still shows that we have a long way to go.
First Thanks Maegan for pointing this out to us. I had no idea and thank you ladies for agreeing that this was ridiculous not to air it. Who says women never agree...
The Victoria Secret commercial is clearly over the top even without comparing it to the Lane Bryant commercial. The world we live in is backwards as evidence of this and so many other aspects.
Completely a double standard and the Victoria Secret commercials have always been overtly sexual!
Karena
Art by Karena
WTF?!??! a) i had no idea this was happening; b) the lb ad is fab and that woman looks smokin' hot, but the commercial is done TASTEFULLY and it is not overly sexual; c) FFFFFFFFFFFFFUCK FOX, always and forever. fox is the worst network in the u.s. and abc is now on my shit list, too.
Great work Maegan bringing this to our attention! As a non TV watcher(not because I am beyond TV, but because I get sucked into the TV vortex!!!), I had no idea that this type of lunacy still existed.
My take on it is that the Land Bryant woman is real, claiming her sexuality and proactive vs. the Victoria's Secret women who wait to be fantasized about-and waiting for someone to claim them....
My heart hurts.
unreal. I don't understand why networks are afraid of larger women. I mean look at the progression of the leading ladies in all the tv shows. Look at what the old 90210 cast looks like compared to the new one. The new cast looks like they haven't had a meal in years. Sadly that is what todays teenagers aspire to look like. I wish they they would promote a healthy body image versus one that most women can never achieve. So frustrating.
Personally, I do see the lane bryant as a bit more sexy. I mean, the Victoria's Secret is so flashy-flashy that you can't really look at them for a long time and they all are so slim with barely any curves that they look like mannequins. I get that it's supposed to be sexy but I'm only feeling that because I feel like its expected of me.
The Lane Bryant one has only one woman there, and the fleshiness of her body seems more sensual since she has more curves. She seems like a real person who you are seeing. And the fact that she's actually going out to meet someone in underwear and a trench is a blatant indication that she's meeting the guy just for sex. The Victoria's Secret models just look like some random girls running around for a magazine spread in non-reality. So from my viewpoint it makes sense. She's literally putting it on to go for a booty call. I liked the vid though.
It is definitely a size issue. The Victoria's secret commercial was much more risque than the Lane Bryant commercial. And has anyone seen the Kate Moss commercial for perfume? She is simulating masturbating with a rose! Which is also false advertising, lol.
I think the Lane Bryant model was so much hotter than any of those Victoria's Secret models.
One more thing. It seems to me that Victoria's Secret ad was aimed more at men.
I know why the banned Lane Bryant commercial? Because people cant handle too much sexy Double D's
Double D's is too SEXY for TV....VS small like NEGATIVE A Cup is like guys flat chest! Ha HAaaaaaaaaa
vistoria secret was aimed for men. Not women. Its ads like that, that little girls see every day. I think its completely wrong.
I can only say that the best way to respond to this is buying elsewhere, anywhere but Victoria's Secret.
Because every time we buy there we are sponsoring this message.
THINK OF IT.
I'm in the UK and I've never seen these before. The first ad was cute and I didn't realize she was supposed to be plus sized. She looks slightly larger than me and I am not plus-sized. I am UK size 14 (US 12) so I guess she's a US size 14. Is that plus-sized?? The second ad was really boring like a Bond film. Definitely aimed at men. In the first ad she seems to be in a relationship and in the second ad they are dancing round the streets in underwear. I would have expected people to be more offended by that. We have a lot of nudity on UK TV. I don't really notice unless it's a hot guy in tiny trunks like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxXErJInSDU
and he's English btw :)
that was crazy! i totally watched both videos, and it's unbelievable that they would censor the lane bryant ads... TV is already out of control these days. When I was a kid you couldn't even say B*tch on tv! Now this... and I hate how there is such a double standard for women!!! I guess I've been really fired up these last few months for women's rights etc. this just makes me really mad... thanks for posting it though, always good to know about stuff like this
They're both equally sexy. I don't get why the double standard?
Here's the thing... to me...the model from Lane Bryant is WAY sexier than the Vicky's chicks. But that's just me, and if you air one you air the other no questions asked. Lane Bryant can't help the fact that their models ooze the sexuality! ;o)
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