What the Church can learn from Victoria’s Secret
Never did I ever think I’d write that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could learn something from Victoria’s Secret, but. . . the Church could really learn something from the PR response of Victoria’s Secret to the song “I know Victoria’s Secret” by Jax that has become a viral phenomenon.
Jax reacting to the CEO of Victoria’s Secret response to her viral song, “I know Victoria’s Secret”Jax, previously a competitor on American Idol, wrote this song for a girl she babysits who was struggling with body image. Jax knows body image struggles all too well, and says that media portrayals of the ideal body type she saw as a teen encouraged her to develop body dysmorphia and years of eating disorders. So she wrote “I know Victoria’s Secret” to address how girls are manipulated into unhealthy thoughts and actions.
The chorus of the song reads:
I know Victoria’s secret
And girl, you wouldn’t believe
She’s an old man who lives in Ohio
Making money off of girls like me
Cashing in on body issues
Selling skin and bones with big boobs
I know Victoria’s secret
She was made up by a dude (dude)
Victoria was made up by a dude (dude)
Victoria was made up by a dude
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Jax first shared the song on Instagram and Tik Tok, and when it took off, released it as a single with her label, Atlantic. It has been streamed millions of times, is playing by radio stations, has hit the Billboard 100 chart, and is part of viral content with people sharing their own stories on social media.
While the song calls out Victoria’s Secret specifically, Jax has clarified that it isn’t about that one brand, but larger systemic issues of corporations and media that feed the idea of only one acceptable body type in order to push products to obtain the unobtainable. For her, it isn’t about the models who have been used by the system, but the impressionable young girls who are told they need to contort themselves into a single shape to be worthy of love.
When a corporation is called out by name, they can respond in various ways. They can have lawyers send a cease-and-desist letter to have the content removed (as singer Cherie Call once experienced), and if the artist will not, proceed with a lawsuit for civil damages. They can attack the character of the content creator. They can ignore the callout and pretend the conversation about systemic issues isn’t happening. They can use their immense financial resources in any number of ways to make the life for the artist challenging.
But in this instance, the CEO of Victoria’s Secret, Amy Hauk, responded on Instagram with a hand-written note thanking Jax for addressing important issues and committing to do better in building a community “where everyone can be seen and respected.” She said, “We make no excuses for the past. And we are committed to regaining your trust.”
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Brava, Amy.
Of course, this is not the first time that Victoria’s Secret has been called out for ways that they have strategically marketed a single body type that is unrealistic and unhealthy for most people. And despite recent changes with new plus-size options and broader visual representation with their models, Victoria’s Secret has a long way to go to be an inclusive, body-positive brand. But just because they have not always responded with a public commitment to change in the past does not mean that they cannot or should not do so now.
Maybe this is just a PR stunt to offer a positive public response and private legal action will follow. I hope not. But responding to criticism with grace, no excuses, and a commitment to listen and change is an excellent place to start. It will need to be followed with meaningful action, or any future response to criticism will ring hollow.
When an individual speaks out that they have personally been harmed by a multi-billion dollar organization and that they see ongoing systemic issues that continue to hurt people, it is possible for the organization to do more than ignore the issue, make excuses, or attempt to diminish or silence the speaker.
If Victoria’s Secret can publicly acknowledge problems and commit to doing better, then the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which teaches a gospel of repentance, can do so, too.
