Abercrombie & Fitch altertheiradvertising

NINA SCIMENES SPORTSEDITOR NMS722@CABRINI.EDU

Censorship is an issue that is touching many different areas of popular culture. Abercrombie and Fitch has been proving time and time again that sex sells, but what is more crucial is who buys these products. Advertisers have been targeting a younger market with extreme marketing tactics.

A&F went to campaigning extremes with their mag-alog. This magazine was more than just a catalog; it acted as a magazine as well. All of the appalling publicity and the countless complaints from parents forced A&F to change their marketing tactics.

Howard Stern is not the first to be criticized for his editing decisions. Radio and television are both mediums that are not easy to get away from, but are not as visible as clothing is to other people. The bottom line to both issues would be the customer gets the final say in buying into the sarcastic humor, or revealing clothing. A&F give their customers a choice too, allowing their consumers various clothing options to decide on.

The latest A&F catalogue that was sent through the mail this spring season was the first of a new type of divided advertising. There are now two different magazines, rather than one large one. The catalogue that displays the clothing products has a minimal arrangement of sexy models with barely-there clothing on. Instead, there is a second magazine that only has photographs of models. The styles of the photographs are not as provocative as the photographs back in the fall catalog of 2003 that portrared women in a disgraceful manner with nudity. shows that had to abide by the Production Code. but talk shows as welt. Manysingers on the "Ed Sullivan Show" were only taped from the waste up. Many people remember Elvis appearing on the Ed SulHvan and being broadcasted from the waste up. Elvis may have been the first one edited .on Ed Sullivan's show but not in television history. one of these ··objectionable" topics on each show.

A&F is a clothing store that is targeting a young market. The sizes run small and mostly all high scholars consider the clothing a staple in their wardrobe. A recent New York Times article written by Robin Finn helps prove that advertisers were aware of exactly what they were doing with the pornographic quarterly catalog; making money in the business "sex always sells." It's just the way it's packaged and presented that change the mood, but the message is still not clear. All of a sudden everything is lily white, and everybody's into this goody-two-shoes thing; is a product of the moment," Sam Shahid, a New York Art director, said.

The reason the media took the subject of the censorship for A&F seriously is because of their young target market.

Teenagers wear these types of clothing to be considered well-dressed and fit in with the latest fashion designs. No matter how they market it, the teenagers will have no objections and still sport the sexy clothes. The demographic group that showed the most complaints were the parents of teenagers.

The first person to be cen~ sored on television was Eddie Cantor in 1944 on NBC. Cantor was a controversial artist for his time. Two of his hit songs were considered risque, one of them being "Making Whoopee."

Not tQo tong after the Smothers Brothers battle over what should be censored and what should not be censored led to the beginning of tn<Wie rating. Following the new rating system came changes in censorship on television.

On today's television there are can be seenpeople sleeping in each other's beds. Whether it is two people in a platonic relationship, like Dawson and Joey from "Dawson's Creek.'' or a romantic relationship, like Ross and Rachel from "Fri:endst today's society sees nothing wrong. with this type of behavior.

The PrQduction Code even affected the way relationships on television were portrayed. Most pe()ple laugh when they hear the •rule about keeping one foot on the floor when kissing, but the Pl'Qdu<:tion Code enforced this idea on old television shows. ff anyon~ hi.IS seen MTV's "The RealWorld"we all knowno one keeps one. foot on the floor in the·realworld.

It wasnot only family tr these "objectionable" topics sound all too familiar it is because this is whatviewers see jll$t about every Saturday night on the variety show ":SaturdayNight Bive.' .. "The Weekend Update" seen on ''SalutdayNight Live" does stories tun of at least

For this particular broadcast Cantor was suppose to sing "We're Havfug A Baby. My Baby and Me." Censors originally wanted Cantor to pick another song but Cantor refused. In order to fix the problem engineers cut the sound fe.ed and taped Cantor from the waste up only.

Sexual content is not the only thing that is cen.soredon television In the late 60's and early 70's there was an on going b.attle between censors and the Smothers Brothers about to{!ics appearing on their varie show. Some of the objectionable" content censored was drug references. interracial marriages and the ridicule of religions.

The major change that has sustained the longest is the idea that after a certain hour was considered primerime television. The Supreme Court made the FCC enforce offensive. indecent or obscene language to be broadcast at a time where children would most likely not be present. This idea led to a debate over family viewing hours which resulted in lower r~strictions of late night programming.

By the 1990s adult shows such as '•NYPD Blue'' were broadcasting partial nudity and select curse words. The television ratings now seen in the top corner of televisions is a result of these broadcasting changes.

Since society has changed and many people now have access to cable channelssuch as HBO and Showtime, which broadcasts many graphic and controversial shows. Shows such as "Queer As Folk" and "The Sopranos" deal with many "objectionable'' topics al)d are cons.idered • very graphic. As more •shows like these develop the natural effect wiD be, more rules and regulations. from the FCC. However.it will be what soci~ ety accepts and does not llccept thllt will heavily influ• ence these rules and regulations and what i,s finally broad.casted.