yvonne parks: Just what is Joe selling?

WHO

Hi there. I'm Yvonne, and I'm a wife, Mom of 2 and business chick. Welcome!

I started this blog 17 years ago, back when most people said "What's a Blog?" (and before Facebook!) Well, I'm still here maintaining this blog when I can, simply to continue archiving all the memories that I have invested here. :)

We moved to Ottawa in August of 2007, but I've spent the previous years of my life in a city called Winnipeg (Ever heard of it?) I've been a worship leader for over 33 years, and I often say that "I don't really like music...I just love worship"

If you like, you click on the CD in the right column of this blog, and hear clips of my album "Only One Love".

And work? I have a small graphic design company (www.pearcreative.ca) specializing in Book Cover Design and marketing materials. I love love LOVE my job!

I share my adventures with my incredible husband of 25 years (Jason) and our two gorgeous daughters aged 16 and 19.

(updated 2019)

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Just what is Joe selling?

My Mom alerted me to the latest Joe "Underthings" flyer that came in the mail. Below is my letter to them on their website. If you'd like to write them, go here. OR, email Elizabeth Margles, their VP of marketing at Elizabeth.Margles@loblaw.ca

Dear Joe Fresh,

First...I'm a 35 year old wife, business owner, and mother of 2 young girls.

My question?

How old are the models in your latest Joe underwear flyer? Under 18? Because you look like you are now peddling kiddie porn, not clothing. How irresponsible of you to show young girls giving such inappropriate suggestive looks! What about the young blonde in the "nude" underwear with a pink sweater...she looks like she's posing naked with NO bottoms on. (I had to look really closely to find her underwear) I can't believe you would put such young models in such provocative poses. They are selling underwear, not THEMSELVES!!

I was SUCH a fan of Joe clothing. My children wear ALOT of it, as do I.

However, I will now think twice. I am so outraged. I will NOT support a company that is being SO irresponsible. You are selling to families....what were you thinking?

Your creative director and marketing person should be fired.

I can understand the Victoria Secret catalog having images like this, because they don't hide the fact that they are selling sex. But Joe? Joe is family clothing...business attire...sports wear. They are selling to families. But 2 things bother me about these photos...not just the "come hither" look on the girls faces, but their age! Just what is Joe selling? Underwear? Or sex with under-aged girls?

8 comments:

Trudy said...: Good for you Yvonne, please everybody lets get with it, inform Joe's, Super store and the news.

Trudy; 1:07 p.m.
Brigitte said...: completly agree with you Yvonne this is ridiculous.; 2:28 p.m.
Ron said...: The ads have been pulled. See here.; 7:48 p.m.
Yvonne Parks said...: Ron...that's awesome!!!; 8:07 p.m.
Camille said...: I am sorry but I disagree with your opinion. First of all, these girls are at least 17, old enough if you ask me. I mean, is Joe going to start modeling their clothes with 40 year-old women who have belly rolls, are a size 12 and have legs full of cellulite? Lets be realistic, they would not sell too much stuff to the younger more fashionable people with models like that. It is just how this business goes. And child pornography? Please!! This is simply jealousy towards these girls that have nice bodies.; 9:48 p.m.
Yvonne Parks said...: Camille

I didn't even talk about how TOO thin these girls are (yet)...I didn't even touch the body image that this is representing, that is altogether STUPID, since most women (and most teens) don't look like that.

You may not have noticed the INSANE airbrushing...that took away any bumps or celulite that the girls have. In fact, since I'm in the design biz, I can tell you that they even make the thighs smaller in Photoshop. This is fabricated CRAP.

SIZE 12 is fat? Are you insane? Or do you just have a body image disorder?

But unless you are unaware...a girl under 18 is a minor. And using a minor in sexually provocative imagery is part of a larger problem in this county. In the US, they could be fined or charged for this. Hurray for Canada's lenient child porn laws...is that it?

You, as a woman, may look at the model and think 'Hmm...nice bra". A boy, or worse yet, a man looks at it and thinks something totally different. Using a child to evoke that kind of response from a man for the purpose of marketing clothing is disgusting.

Jealous? Honey...I don't think so. This has to do with MY daughters...and how society is not just using sex to sell product, but now using children to.

And THAT is wrong.; 10:36 p.m.
Yvonne Parks said...: ps....Camille...

Here is an example of less offensive, and more responsible underwear marketing...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Tx5VssO2L._SS500_.jpg; 10:42 p.m.
Roo said...: amen yvonne. this is EXACTLY the kinda thing that gets me going. it's everywhere -- malls, stores and the message is crystal clear. even to my 3 year old. most people shrug their shoulders and think, "ah well, don't want to rock the boat" or "how's my little voice gonna change the tide..."
but it does. every little voice makes a huge difference. we cannot be silent.

great post!; 9:02 a.m.