Victoria's Secret Rape Culture Analysis

Victoria’s Secret Promotes Rape Culture
In 2012, the internet was shocked and excited to learn that Victoria’s Secret had launched a new line of consent-¬themed underwear. Instead of a thong reading “SURE THING,” these panties carried messages like “NO MEANS NO” and “ASK FIRST.” To add to the excitement, they were modeled by a beautiful women of curve and color. The realistic model stands with her hip popped out wearing a matching bra and panties while covered in just a black t-shirt that says love. Her stance reads flirty with on hand pulling the bottom of the shirt down while the alternative hand yanks on the collar. Her eyes are cast downward with a dallying smile. Next to her the words, “PINK <3’s CONSENT” are displayed while below a paragraph
Though they are a woman-focused company, VS has never taken a stand on any women’s issue. In fact, their current designs seem to lean more toward rape culture than consent. Their PINK brand, marketed at high school and college-¬aged women, sports thongs with the slogan “SURE THING” printed right over the crotch. Young women across the country are wearing underwear with “SURE THING” literally printed over their vaginas. One can think of one circumstance where a vagina is treated like a “SURE THING”: rape. PINK is specifically marketed towards younger and younger girls, and like the rest of Victoria’s Secret, PINK is selling a specific brand of sexuality (Magdalena, 2012). VS PINK has co-¬opted the idea of sexual freedom and twisted it into an image of sexuality in which the female is not really in control. The “SURE THING,” “YES, NO, MAYBE,” and “NO PEEKING” underwear promote the idea of limitless availability, or on the other hand, leaving the choice up to the partner. The brand teaches girls to be coy instead of vocal and makes it seem uncool and unsexy to say no and mean it. By reinforcing that sex is about an image, that looking good is more important than feeling good, PINK promotes rape