The Box Store
Well, Christmas is over. But during the months previous to it, I’m sure that you all, at one point or
other, visited a box store. You know, those humungo stores that are contained in big boxes: Wal-Mart, Target, Borders, etc. I hate most of these stores, mostly because I don’t like to shop, but also because they are extremely immodest.
A simple walk through Wal-mart will easily tell you why. Women’s undergarments are displayed prominently next to every major pathway. Even if that is not enough, large posters are placed near these displays, with models showing just exactly how these clothes look on an extremely thin figure.
Even when one isn’t in the women’s department, semi-clothed women are visible on numerous product labels, from shower related products to swimming pool accessories to even some cold medicines.
Just yesterday I went into a “Dicks Sporting Goods” store, looking for some new “slush shoes”. Since the store sells sports products (say that five times fast), the stereotypical “jogging woman in sports bra or tight, sweaty t-shirt” was present everywhere, making *boot shopping* a temptation infested ordeal.
Borders Bookstore, which I adore visiting (I love books, and I love browsing bookstores) has become one big land mine. Scantily clad women are seen on romantic paperbacks, and other books show even more than that. Browsing the magazine rack for Star Wars Insider (yes, I’m a nerd) is now impossible due to the celebrity gossip genre of magazine, which prominently displays grossly immodest clothing. Even Best Buy, my other favorite store, is now scary to walk through. Movie and CD covers are becoming increasingly immodest.
Why do these stores display such prominent immodesty? The only explanation I can see is a simple one: sex sells. Advertisers realize that if they display a sexually appealing image within their advertisement, people will buy it. Its a sad thing to see and understand, but its true in today’s society. Those of us who are trying to stay pure are falling like pheasants to a hunter within these stores – forever sentenced to walk through them staring at the floor.
I guess this really isn’t an instructional post, just an observational gripe. Am I the only one who feels this way?
Foy Lyndström
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I hear you, Foy! I haven’t noticed this as much at stores, although I don’t doubt it’s there…I’m just normally focused on getting 2 weeks worth of shopping done with a 2 year-old.
I get *so mad* though with this in ads. My husband and I like watching T.V. episodes on Hulu at night, but they have some of the most risque commercials on there sometimes…for things like cable service and (men’s) shaving cream! Sex does sell, and our society is not about self-control; so skin and innuendo make such good advertising because men are never encouraged “not to look”…more like, “go ahead and look, you can’t help it!”. It’s the one thing that’ll grab their attention faster than anything else. What better thing to use in advertising! Grrr.
I’ve watched TV shows through Hulu for several months and a frequent basis, and hadn’t seen anything that bad, until today, after reading your comment. The “(men’s) shaving cream!” commercial played itself a ridiculous number of times, making the watching experience exceptionally awkward, and eventually resulted in me turning off the show.
I tell you – we guys are trying. We’re trying hard. But good gracious – its extremely, Extremely, difficult.
Foys last blog post..Aha!
I have been thinking of this very thing increasingly over the past few busy shopping weeks. I hate it. As a young woman, even I find it extrememly embarrassing to be bombarded with these images. I detest shopping for undergarments because of their prominant display in stores. Its disturbing to think people have to do that in order to sell their product. Sadly, such is the world we live in…
Oh, I know you are trying!; I didn’t mean to come across as saying you all aren’t. I really respect my brothers in Christ for what they do to stay pure. Society is not making it easy for men (or women, for that matter) to stay pure, even in Christian settings. But ah, that’s another post topic.
I didn’t think that you were accusing me at all; I’m just saying that it is incredibly difficult.
Foys last blog post..Aha!
It’s even tough as a woman not to stumble from all this visual bombardment. I remember, when I first ventured into the land of womanhood, how embarassing it was for me to purchase undergarments or feminine hygiene products with a male cashier. I’d have rather stood in line for an hour to have a female cashier. I’d put those items in the bottom of the basket and quickly cover them with the other things I was purchasing. Now, I know I shouldn’t be embarassed that I have to buy certain products, but when did I become so at ease with certain products? And as a woman, risque ads and packaging cause me to stumble in more ways than one. I don’t have to see a scantily-clad man to take my mind to the wrong place. Plus, now I have this image in my head I feel like I need to live up to. If my husband thinks I’m beautiful, then why do I need to try to look like someone else?
I love that Dove is doing self-esteem workshops for young girls because of the hype in the media about being the perfect body image. But even Dove has risque commercials, and America thinks it’s admirable because these are women of every size and shape.
“But even Dove has risque commercials, and America thinks it’s admirable because these are women of every size and shape.”
It seems as though larger women ignore modesty more than thinner women. They seems to believe that the increased skin makes up for the increased weight. It works against them, however, and turns more people off than on.
I feel that the opposite is true. Women with slimmer figures can wear lower cut shirts, but it doesn’t draw attention as much as a fuller-figured woman.
Anna Graces last blog post..So Much More Than a Baby
“Women with slimmer figures can wear lower cut shirts, but it doesn’t draw attention as much as a fuller-figured woman.”
I agree with that; all I am saying is that it appears on the surface (in other words: “It seems as though”; not it is for sure, but it seems as though) that many fuller-figured women care less about modesty than slimmer figured females.
Why is it that my posts inspire debate?
Of these two catagories, you are much more likely to see slim women in bikinis at the beach, short short skirts, and tight clothing; whereas larger women tend to try to hide their size with oversized clothing. Since society has said slimness is equal to beauty, slim women flaunt their “beauty” (aka skin) where larger women try to hide their “non-beauty”. So I think most of the time, modesty is more prevelant (accidently or on-purpose) among women who feel that they are large and un-beautiful.
I actually can see both sides of this one. When I was in the mall looking for shoes a lady came in that I was sure was going to have a wardrobe malfunction with her top. She seemed to believe that because she was larger, and that meant that many parts of her body were larger, that she should “show off her best parts.”
Dove, with its great commercials on photoshop, etc., has tried to make bigger women feel better about their body, and I’ve seen larger women wear things that really make them look repugnant and are definitely immodest. I’ve also seen women with a belly wear belly shirts, and larger women in bikinis on beaches.
However, I think that, in general, Erin has a point as well. I think that if you take the average woman of different sizes you are more likely to find women that are skinnier are the ones that are in the bikinis, that are flashing what they have, etc. That’s why any nude or semi-nude scene in a television show or a movie means the model has to go on some crazy diet– not plump up.
You are so right in how risque stores & their adds are. I have decided not to walk the mall with my young daughters anymore. I’m appalled by the storefronts of Victoria’s Secret – apparently they don’t know what a secret is. I really feel for all the Mothers out there with little boys who are being visually attacked with all this stuff.
I won’t shop at Victoria’s Secret. It’s not that their products aren’t quality, it’s that I don’t want my money going into things like the fashion show and the commercials.
As far as larger women wearing belly shirts, bikinis, etc., these are all types of clothing we’ve already agreed are immodest on any size woman. Belly shirts and bikinis are culturally pushed onto women in general, not women of a certain size. So is it just that we notice the immodesty more readily when we find it visually offensive and if we find it visually neutral or appealing, it stays in our subconscious instead of us actually noticing it?
Anna Graces last blog post..So Much More Than a Baby
At one time I got my wife stuff from VS– but did it online, and didn’t like getting the magazine in my box. There are ways to advertise without subjecting people to seeing sexual images, but with VS it’s their strategy. The weird part is that they believe that they don’t do enough of it. I’m certain they’re marketing to guys, not girls.
I think you’ve hit on something important in your last statement, Anna Grace. I think that we’re much more tolerant of immodesty when it comes from someone that “wears it well” than when it’s someone that makes them look ugly. We’ll put up with more because it is attractive, and there’s a tough lesson in and of itself!
I think VS is marketing to both genders, because you know women constantly compare themselves to other women and the idea is “you’ll be this hot if you wear this bra.”
Anna Graces last blog post..So Much More Than a Baby
I agree a bit more with M. I think they market less to the “I’ll be this hot if I wear this bra” than the “She’ll be this hot if she wears this bra.”
I’m not sure the magazines are really targeted at women. I mean, when the mean dress size in the U.S. is 14-16, and the models are at least 12s, I would think that the magazines would frustrate most women. The last time my wife went into VS (by herself while I had the kids elsewhere) she walked right out. It creeped her out to have that many men in there, looking at the underwear and probably visualizing what their girl (or her!) would look like in it.
LOL! I’m with your wife on that one! I was in there alone the other day, and got completely freaked out with the number of men (some even in their 40’s) hanging around. Ugh!
What I can’t get is that a lady from our church showed up to Sunday School with her stuff in a Victoria’s Secret “SALE” bag– all letters really big. I mean, if you’re going to buy from there, go ahead, but don’t broadcast to everyone where you’re going to shop for underthings?!
Yeah, I don’t like having men in intimates departments or intimates stores. And I’m not saying that they don’t advertise to men… I’m just saying I think they advertise to both sexes.
Anna Graces last blog post..So Much More Than a Baby
In a way I think you’re right– but the advertising is different. For the guy, it’s setting an unrealistic expectation about what a particular piece of undergarment will look like on your girlfriend or wife. For the girl, it’s telling her what she has to wear to feel sexy– or look like to be sexy. Neither is that healthy.