Sex Sells--Even To Orthodox Jews

Whenever I see clips of television commercials that date from the 1950's, I chuckle. They're so benign. Yes, they were provocative for their time, but they pale in comparison to the advertising of today. Modern advertising has gone beyond the standards of yesteryear to the point where I'm embarrassed to watch TV with my dad in the room.

After all, a lot has happened since my dad's youth. The liberal anti-establishment that gained prominence in the 60's and the onslaught of the woman's liberation movement created a climate of complete moral relativism. As a result, Americans clamored for sexual freedom and old sexual taboos were broken. This, coupled with the radical consumerism of our era, has led to a brand of advertising that is often licentious and at times, debasing.

Simply put, contemporary advertising is a blinding barrage of sexually explicit imagery. Advertising executives have engaged the sordid side of America's raging libido--and it's worked. That's why early American advertising looks so prudish.

Observant Jews have been inured to sexually graphic advertising, as well. Even though our tradition deplores pornography, we have nevertheless been acclimated to the amorous content of modern advertising. After all, there is no escape. It's on buses, on TV, and in magazines. We have therefore become accustomed to it.

This is somewhat understandable. To a certain extent, the Orthodox community must operate within the gamut of contemporary morality, otherwise, daily life in modern America would be impossible. To be sure, there are communities in this city that attempt to withdraw from modern American culture. But the task is too colossal to be completely effective. Nor must such a lifestyle be viewed as ideal, given Judaism's universalistic teleology. Therefore, concessions are made.

But there comes a point where our community must stand firm behind our religious principles. We must not lose our ideological bearings and ignore immoral excess. A few examples will confirm this sentiment..

Last year, I noticed a billboard towering over the West Side Highway. It was an advertisement for Calvin Klein Jeans. The billboard pictured a woman with a strident and ravenous look on her face thrusting her hand into her crotch. Truthfully, I would have been shocked had I not seen other Calvin Klein advertisements earlier that year featuring young teenagers sprawled out on bathroom floors in their underwear. The ads were appalling and bordered on child pornography.

Then there's Abercrombie & Fitch--probably the most sexually-charged clothing manufacturer in America. In a recent issue of Vanity Fair, Abercrombie & Fitch placed an ad that featured four dissolute woman playfully chasing four naked men. The men were holding Abercrombie & Fitch clothing over their genitals-- lest they appear immodest.

Examples such as these abound. But while it's a reality in modern America that "sex sells," many ads are still relatively tasteful. It's the exceptions, however, that are jarring and serve to reacquaint us with the slippery-slope of contemporary morality. Thus, a certain sense of vigilance is in order.

By purchasing clothing from manufacturers that employ prurient advertising techniques, tacit approval is given to the advertisement. That's not to say that the buyer endorses the lifestyle portrayed in the ad, it simply reveals a lack of sensitivity for Jewish values. Furthermore, the buyer provides financial support--albeit minuscule--for yet another sensationalistic advertising campaign. It's therefore unconscionable for an Orthodox Jew to purchase clothing from such a company.

Objections to such a view are to be expected. Our present acceptance of American culture will make the repudiation of any specific advertisement or company seem arbitrary and sanctimonious. But given the content of certain advertisements, a line must be drawn.

There will, of course, be different viewpoints and standards. Last year a Rabbinic student approached me, and in his pious manner advised me to stop wearing jeans. He explained that by wearing jeans I was identifying with the sacrilegious elements of our society. That, apparently, was the line that he drew. I, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea what the texture of my pants had anything to do with my religious convictions. I now know what he meant, as I probably didn't hear him correctly. He must have thought that I was wearing Calvin Kleins.