This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Vanderbilt chapter.
A couple of weeks ago Victoria’s Secret hosted its annual fashion show and per usual, the media ogled over all the amazing “outfits” and beautiful models. I love Victoria’s Secret, but seeing the photos from this year’s fashion show plus all the controversy behind the scenes males me wonder why ‘it’s still such a great success. I’m not just talking about the “anti-“feminism nature of the show or just the longstanding health concerns when it comes to lingerie models… I’m talking about the combination of everything Victoria’s Secret has been questioned about, but refuses to change. When did it become normal to watch nearly naked women strut down an aisle on national television? When did we decide that ignoring the fact that Victoria’s Secret had to find a new headline performer last minute due to a racial controversy was okay? When did we accept Victoria’s Secret’s unwillingness to promote healthier lifestyles for their models?
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is more than a fashion show because it symbolizes American media, not because of the way it portrays women or the mass viewership it garners every year. It’s symbolic because it is the perfect example of a society that has acknowledged certain things as not being okay (like anorexia, racism, or sexism) but quickly gets over the fact that major businesses still promote such unacceptable behavior because the people within the society like what those businesses have to offer (like lingerie and women in lingerie, in the case of Victoria’s Secret). Like I said, I love Victoria’s Secret products. But I also won’t ignore the importance of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in this day and age, and neither should you.