The Media Research Center is not done slapping around clothing retailer J. Crew for not being heterosexual enough.
In a May 3 MRC Culture & Media Institute article, Matt Philbin declared that CMI “was onto something” with its ranting last month about how a picture of a boy with pink toenails in a J. Crew ad was “transgendered child propaganda.” How so? Because J. Crew has used an actual gay person in an ad!
No, really:
A May 2, 2011, online story places ‘J. Crew at Center of Gay Economics With Openly Gay Model.’ The company’s May 2011 catalog ‘features employees as models, including a gay designer with his boyfriend, who are described as ‘Happy Together.”
Although J. Crew didn’t comment, ABC’s report noted that ‘gay advocates applaud what they say is a strong message.’
Philbin concluded: “So J. Crew is consciously angling for the ‘LGBT’ market, but there’s no agenda behind marketing materials featuring a little boy with hot pink toenails?”
Philbin doesn’t explain why gay people, perceived or otherwise, are not allowed to be depicted in advertising.