American Apparel Accused Of Promoting ‘Underage Porn’ With Latest Campaign

The latest American Apparel advertising campaign has been met with uproar, after critics accused it of promoting “underage porn.”

The company’s UK account uploaded various new images to its website and Instagram account that immediately provoked outrage. The pictures in question were to advertise mini-skirts and they featured a number of school girls bending over and exposing their underwear, while it also showcased their legs and derrieres too.

These pictures have since been taken down, but not before they went viral across the internet.

You can find a (decent) picture of the scandalous skirts below; we will not be showing the original image.

As you can imagine, users across the world wide web immediately started to declare their disgust at the promotional technique. One user said that American Apparel’s back to school skirts fuelled Lolita fantasies across the world and was evidence of “rampant sexism.”

Others then added that it was “gross” and “unnecessary,” while another noted, “The American Apparel website is just porn tbh.”

A children’s charity yesterday declared that the advertising campaign was a disgrace, while they also asked parents not to buy the items of clothing for their children.

Kidscape’s Peter Bradley explained to the Daily Mail: “It’s something we find abhorrent. It’s about using underage pornography to sell products and the sexualisation of children, which cannot ever be justified. A School Days campaign is aimed at children under the age of 16. Would the company’s board members let their daughters wear these miniskirts? I would like to see parents not allow their daughters to buy such clothes.”

Of the above image, Bradley stated, “It’s a provocative photograph, verging on soft porn. How can it in any way be connected with ‘School Days’?”

Even a British Member of Parliament, Caroline Nokes, who is the chairman of a parliamentary group that focuses on body image, has commented on the controversy: “The images used by American Apparel are completely inappropriate, especially when used under the strap of School Days. The images serve only to objectify and sexualise women and I feel American Apparel are being extremely irresponsible with their desire to be ‘controversial’.”

Over the last few months American Apparel has been at the center of a number of controversies. The company’s founder, Dov Charney, was sacked backed in June for his inappropriate use of company funds and his role in disseminating nude photos of an ex-employee.

Other campaigns of theirs have been accused of being “racist,” while they’ve also been labeled “sexist” and “sleazy” too.