American Decency Association » 2008

Penney’s ad fliers. Not a big deal?

February 27, 2008

Personal note:

In a world (including amongst Christians), the pressure is to conform to the standards of this world – to be dumbed down to accept today what yesterday we didn’t find acceptable. So for many that means we are to “forsake the smaller arenas”
Click here

Fellow believer that’s not what God is saying to me. I hear Him saying to me through His Word and by His Spirit – “keep on keepin’ on. Walk by faith not by sight.”

This individual means well I’m sure. However ….

He wrote:

Bill:

You’re losing it, dude. These types of ads have been appearing in newspaper fliers for years now. It’s only recently that they are in color; before they were mainly black and white. Ad’s like this have also appeared in daily newspapers for quite some time – I’ve seen them in the NY Times and various Philadelphia papers. And those ads have been bigger. No one complained about them. As have no one ever complained about the Sears catalog when they used to publish those which was before the internet. They had pages and pages of pictures like the Penney’s ad you posted. They’re here and get used to it.

I’m not some young adult who has had no moral upbringing. I’m only slightly younger than you (I’m 56) and was baptised Catholic. But I’ve seen how religion has tried to control people and their lives so I kind of give organized religion a pass. I have not forsaken the Lord, just what has grown up around his teachings.
J.S.

—–

My response to J.S.

Dear Friend:

The Bible says be not conformed to this world [Romans 12:1-2]

I’m a fool – J… I think I’m in good company “For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who perish, but to those who believe it is the power of God.”
[I Cor. 1:18]

“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” [I Cor. 1:25]

Your friend -
tilting at windmills? Let God be the judge.
Bill

—————–
Here is J.C. Penney’s response letter to those who took the time to write them regarding their recent erotic ads in the newspaper.

Thank you for contacting us on line.

We understand your concern for respect of modesty and family values and sincerely regret the distress this has caused you. The JCPenney Company was founded on the philosophy of bringing high quality, good value merchandise to every customer while at the same time providing the selection of apparel and products they desire. Our advertising department has felt that to adequately display most items of clothing we must show them, on a live model, as they are worn, so that our customers can get a true concept of how the item will fit and appear. Underwear, leotards and costumes, we have found really need to be shown “on body” so that our customer can see clearly how the garment will fit. This has meant that divisions within the JCPenney Company have used models to best display garments, as they will appear on the human form. We felt we would not be serving customers well if we disregarded their needs. However, you too are a valued customer and your opinions and needs are equally important to us.

While we can not tell you at this time that we will never display those items on body, we can tell you that our advertising department will carefully review your comments. As one of the country’s major retailers, we will continue to be responsive to our customers’ needs as well as their concerns.

Thank you for writing and please continue to share your opinions with us. We value your input and continued patronage.

JCPenney Corporate Customer Relations
jcp.com
Every Day Matters

Contact:

J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc.
Myron Ullman III – Chairman and CEO
6501 Legacy Drive
Plano, TX 75024-3698
Phone: 972-421-1000
Fax: 972-431-1362
Email: jcpcorpcomm@jcpenney.com

====================
Some of you are familiar with Dr. John Piper, Pastor of Bethlehem
Baptist Church, Minneapolis. [Perhaps some of you will want to forward this onto J.C. Penney]

John Piper wrote a letter to the editors because they kept putting advertisements of scantily clad women on the second page of his local newspaper.

Here is part of what he wrote.

As a fourteen-year subscriber and reader of your newspaper, I am writing to express the persuasion that your sexually explicit ads that offten turn up in Section A are increasingly offensive and socially irresponsible. The effectiveness of catching people’s attention by picturing a woman in her underclothes does not justify the ads. The detrimental effects of such mercenary misuse of the femal body are not insignificant. The harm I have in mind is described in the following nine persuasions.

1. This woman could not go out in public dressed like that without being shamed or being mentally aberrant. Yet you thrust her out, even in front of those of us who feel shame for her.

2. This portrayal of a woman sitting in her underclothes at a table with a cup of tea disposes men to think of women not as persons but mainly in terms of their bodies. It stimulates young boys to dwell on unclothed women’s bodies and thus lames their ability to deal with women as dignified persons. I have four sons.

3. The ad stimulates sexual desire which in thousands of men has no legitimate or wholesome outlet through marriage. In other words, it feeds a corporate, community lust that bears no good fruit outside marriage, but in fact many ills.

4. The ad makes sensibilities callous so that fewer and fewer offenses against good taste feel unacceptable, which spells the collapse of precious and delicate aspects of personhood and relationships.
See:
Click here

For further information:

Penney’s ad fliers. Not a big deal?
Click here

A mall employee’s complaint and JC Penney
Click here

Disclaimer:
The pictures below are strictly for the purposes of documenting the concerns regarding the nature of images displayed in a newspaper flier recently. This is only one page of a number of others containing such displays.

Click here
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American Decency Association
Bill Johnson, President
P.O. Box 202
Fremont, MI 49412
ph:231-924-4050
fax:231-924-1966

http://www.americandecency.org

Filed under: Advertising | Tags: J.C. Penney's, John Piper

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