BREAKING NEWS: Victoria’s Secret no longer caters to misogynists’ wet dreams!
A brand specializing in women’s underwear is finally starting to listen to women and cater to what they actually want for once, ignoring the ever-present and demanding male gaze. Predictably, men are losing their shit.
Victoria’s Secret has been notoriously stubborn in clinging onto their size-exclusive, transphobic fantasy world of predominantly white, 6-foot-tall, size zero, Amazonian Greek goddesses. The brand showed off its idea of the “perfect woman” in its televised “Victoria’s Secret Angels Fashion Show.” Now it seems to be turning a page, as it has scrapped the event for a new concept called the “Victoria’s Secret Collective.”
The group of seven and counting brand ambassadors aim to represent the diversity of real Victoria’s Secret shoppers, not fairytale ones. Members include: South Sudanese-Australian model and mental health advocate Adut Akech; openly lesbian professional soccer player Megan Rapinoe; mixed-race, British plus-size model Paloma Elsesser; transgender model and activist Valentina Sampaio; photographer, author, media personality, and founder of Girl Gaze, Amanda de Cadenet; Chinese-American freestyle skiing world champion and soon-to-be Olympian Eileen Gu; and Indian actress and entrepreneur Priyanka Chopra.
It looks like big brands are finally catching on to the changing times and the reality of what womanhood truly looks like, in addition to realizing that an LGBTQIA+, POC, all-size-friendly rebrand was the only way to make money in 2021.
“When the world was changing, we were too slow to respond,” CEO of Victoria’s Secret, Martin Waters, told The New York Times. “We needed to stop being about what men want and to be about what women want.” Duh!
In addition to the athletes, activists, and models repping Victoria’s Secret Collective, the business is now forming an all woman (save for one) board of directors, along with a new executive team.
Unshockingly, straight men and conservatives have found a way to make this about them. Some are tweeting (read: whining) about the latest update to Victoria’s Secret, claiming that no one is interested in a more inclusive marketing campaign. Jesse Kelly, a conservative-opinion haver, tweeted (about a subject that has nothing to do with him) “Megan Rapinoe?? Nobody likes feminists. Nobody. Even other feminists hate feminists. They’re the least appealing people on the planet.”
Apparently feminists aren’t sexy enough for Jesse Kelly. That’s too bad, because they are plenty sexy to the rest of us. And as much as some men are terrified to admit it, what women, queer folks, people of color, and plus-size people think and fight for is important and finally starting to be heard.
Literally every guy commenting on this to insult Megan Rapinoe is only further proving the need for this rebrand. Unless you wear bras, stay in your lane, my dude. https://t.co/A5T85n9xt0 pic.twitter.com/wE3hdeqJQU
— Kelley (@pbandkcg) June 16, 2021
Watching a bunch of straight white dudes lose their shit over Megan Rapinoe becoming a Victoria’s Secret brand ambassador. pic.twitter.com/xHY2Hi8txb
— Nicolette NuVogue (@NikkiNuVogue) June 16, 2021
There are people who don’t like Megan Rapinoe?! Kudos to Victoria’s Secret. Megan Rapinoe slander will not be tolerated. No one wants to look like her? PLEASE, look at her. Everyone loves Megan Rapinoe.
Plus, she’s engaged to Sue Bird. pic.twitter.com/3HjwO8Gyuc
— Mychal (@mychal3ts) June 17, 2021
Top Image: Youtube
More from BUST
These 10 Empowering and Body-Positive Women On TikTok Will Remind You to Love Yourself Every day
The Impossible Task of Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ “Perfect” Beauty and Body Standard
