"I d*n't need to see that!"

hey, remember that Armani Exchange ad that i liked so much? well, i liked it even more up close and larger than life; i saw it filling the entire A/X storefront window the other day as i strolled down Walnut Street.


apparently not everyone likes this sexy ad campaign as much as i do. a socially conservative group called One Million Moms had this to say about the ad (ridiculous punctuation theirs):

A|X posters are appalling

OMM typically focuses on issues that air on television, but there is one other issue we cannot ignore any longer: fashion designers using scantily dressed models in advertisements who have recently put their focus on threesomes or same-s*x couples. This is not okay!

Malls, where teens hang out, have retailers whose window displays poison our children with 10-foot posters that are nothing but soft p*rn. In particular, Armani Exchange has recently displayed Valentine's posters with partially dressed "couples" holding one another. These couples consist of two men, a man and woman, and two women. The women are scantily dressed while it is questionable if the men have any clothes on at all. Two of these models are used a couple of times to represent bis*xuals. If it could get any worse the text written is "SHARE THE LOVE."

okay. normally i'm all for moms protecting their children and not leaving that job up to the FCC or Obama or the rest of us. in fact, normally i'm a big fan of moms in general. i have one. i like her. i think i'll keep her. i like my friends' moms. moms are just good things to have around.

but in this case, i'm quite skeptical. in fact, i don't think this is about children as much as it is yet another homophobic tirade championed by a bunch of Christianists.

why would i say such a thing? because One Million Moms isn't just a group of caring, concerned mommies. it's yet another arm of the American Family Association. if you don't know already, the AFA is one of the most politically powerful and outspoken groups to fight against pretty much every attempt to pass pro-LGBT legislation, especially same-sex marriage equality. the group promotes, above all, conservative Christian(ist) values.

and by "above all," i mean above notions of equality and justice. above basic protection from discrimination for everyone. above the US Constituation. yeah, this group places Jeezus first not only in their hearts and souls, but in national politics as well. separation of what and what?

they don't hate just homos, though. they also hate jews and muslims! anti-semitism? bigotry? FUN! sign me UP!

long story short, sometimes it's really NOT about protecting the children. sometimes it's just another avenue to remind the world that everyone, save for god-fearin' Jeezus folk, is going to hell in a handbag. a gorgeous Armani handbag.



oh, wait, this is just Armani Exchange, so... we're all going to hell in a tight muscle-accentuating t-shirts and heavily structured euro-chic jeans.


hat tip: Towleroad.