Victorias Secret Fashion Show: How The Lingerie Company Forgets Lingerie Is …

Unlike the Sport’s Illustrated, “Swimsuit Edition” — which is an excuse for scantily clad women to be shot by art photographers, in some of the most stunning locations in the world, in the most innovative fashion designers’ latest work — the Victoria’s Secret annual fashion show is an excuse for scantily clad women to be on old people network, CBS, wearing a big box-retailer’s itchy Agent Provocateur knock offs.

And unlike the iconic luxury lingerie brand, whose marketing caters to women’s fantasies of feeling sensual, with product placement videos featuring self-pleasure, or even female dominance and unapologetic sexuality, the Victoria’s Secret branding is about angels. The Madonna-whore complex is the most banal of sexual complexes, where, as Freud describes, women must exist either as saints, or debased prostitutes, and serves the mixed-message, middlebrow ad campaign well.

The women are coquettish in feathered wings and garters, telegraphing to the audience that they are the ultimate stereotypical male fantasy, a fallen saint. Don’t worry, though, we can put this on TV and not call it smut because they’re angels, pure, devout, existing to serve. The hour-long special is even taking it one step further this year, with both CBS and VS donating to hurricane Sandy relief efforts as, “a thank you to the National Guard members who are based out of the Lexington Avenue Armory that has been home to the show for years.”

Although there are some female National Guard’s people, the majority who serve are men. Again, the underlying bias comes through that the company is aiming their advertising at men. While this may seem like an obvious assumption, if you stop to consider whom lingerie is for, it’s not. Men are not the primary purchasers; women are. Men don’t wear lingerie; women do. The logic would then be that women are purchasing lingerie to please men.

This is such an outdated concept, and it’s at the heart of the show and the brand. The idea that female sexuality is taboo makes lingerie buying about men. Yet, in studies of female sexuality, it’s been concluded that women are turned on by an essentially narcissistic version of erotica — by feeling themselves to be sexy, by fantasizing about themselves in sensual roles.

This year’s fantasies include, “Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio wearing the $2.5 Million Fantasy Bra made with more than 5,200 precious gems, including sapphires, rubies and diamonds, in 18-karat rose and yellow gold.” This is anecdotal, but I don’t know many women who play their lady harp while imaging being covered in heavy sharp objects. Other vignettes this year include, “Pink Is Us,” and the circus. While lion tamers may have whips, a tent that smells like manure also doesn’t factor high on the list of women’s daydreams.

While there clearly is a price point difference between high-end unmentionables like A.P. or La Perla, who clearly design with women in mind, if you want inspiration and accessories for role-playing on mall budget, try Cosabella instead.

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Woman accused of stealing lingerie from adult store, police say

WATERVILLE, Maine — A Waterville woman with a lengthy number of theft convictions on her rap sheet is facing more charges after a theft at an adult store, according to police.

Rachel Rogers, 31, who has “at least 10 convictions for theft and forgery since 2003,” according to Waterville Deputy Chief Charles Rumsey, is accused of two counts of felony theft after stealing two different lingerie items from the Treasure Chest 2 on Sanger Avenue Monday evening.

Officer Tristan Russell was sent to the location around 5:30 p.m. Monday after it was reported a woman had stolen lingerie from the store, Rumsey said Tuesday. After reviewing surveillance footage, Russell was able to identify a suspect stuffing merchandise in a sweatshirt as Rogers, as the officer has familiarity with the suspect, according to Rumsey.

After Russell went back to the police station to start his investigation, it was reported Rogers had returned to the scene of the crime and had concealed another lingerie item in her sweatshirt, Rumsey said, but this time, she didn’t get far.

Russell detained Rogers while she was paying for what Rumsey described as a novelty item, and after she was detained, procured the second lingerie item she had concealed to the officer.

Rogers was placed under arrest and charged with two counts of felony theft, Rumsey said. She was also on probation for a theft conviction earlier this year.

A probation hold was placed on Rogers and she was brought to the Kennebec County Jail, where she remained Tuesday, a jail official said.

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