Top Stories of 2003: Decency Advocates Claim Victory as A&F Pulls Explicit Catalog, Ceases Publication
by Rusty Pugh and Jenni Parker
January 2, 2004
(AgapePress) - A frontal assault by pro-family groups against a major clothing retailer has apparently worked, as Abercrombie & Fitch announces plans to permanently discontinue its pornographic catalogue.Groups such as the American Decency Association, Focus on the Family, the American Family Association, and Citizens for Community Values have lobbied A&F to stop using blatant pornography in its quarterly catalog, masquerading it as a way to sell clothes. For these family values advocates, the retailer's apparent agreement is welcome news at last.
Just before Thanksgiving -- when A&F pulled its "Christmas Field Guide" from stores -- the company was still insisting that another issue with the usual nudity and sexually suggestive content would be forthcoming in January. But now A&F says the 2003 Christmas issue of its "magalog," which features numerous pornographic images and sexually-themed articles, will be the last to be produced.
A&F recalled the 280-page holiday catalog and issued a statement saying the company "believes it is time for new thinking and looks forward to unveiling an innovative and exciting campaign in the spring."
Bill Johnson, president of the Michigan-based American Decency Association, says he is thrilled at the announcement that the explicit catalog will no longer be produced. He says if A&F truly has pulled it from stores and is drawing back from its pornographic marketing strategy, "it would be a great victory for the Christian ministries across this country" because he feels certain A&F's move resulted from "immense pressure that we were able to bring to bear -- not just one ministry, not just two, but the ministries all across this country."
According to WorldNetDaily, the retailer claims its racy catalog was removed not due to pressure from the pro-family groups, but in order to make room on their shelves for a new perfume -- a reason that sounds suspicious to many of the leaders involved in the boycott. Maryam Kubasek of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families says she believes all retailers are "vulnerable to public opinion," and she says she doubts A&F is immune.
And Bill Johnson insists that A&F would never have made such a drastic marketing decision during the Christmas season if the boycott had not been effective. Either way, he says he is encouraged by the news and feels it is a victory for citizens who are against obscenity.
Johnson recently told CNN/Money, "American people are making it clear that they were troubled over Abercrombie's practice of marketing pornography in the catalog, and the company has finally recognized this fact."
A&F's November sales were down 13% compared with last year's, marking the fourth straight year of declining revenues for the company.
