Why Victoria’s Secret ‘What Is Sexy’ List Is Wrong

Victoria’s Secret, yes, the lingerie line, just published it’s 2017 #WhatIsSexy list and it is kind of offensive. Why? Because the winners are pretty much all the following: WHITE. BLONDE. THIN.

That’s cool. We don’t mean to say that women (and men) who fall into all of those categories can’t be sexy. Of course they can. But excuse us – folk who DON’T tick all of those boxes can be sexy too, only for some reason they don’t seem to have made the cut.

The list, which includes categories such as Sexiest Actress and Sexiest Sense of Humour, was created by the underwear brand, which then supposedly put it to the public to suggest which celebrity should win the category. This was achieved by the deeply scientific process (Ahem – not) of using the hash tag #whatissexy on social media.

 

Who knows how valid that process was, but like we say the ‘winners’ are predominantly twig-sized, Western, blonde babes. Where are the African Americans? The Chinese? The South Americans? The list goes on.

Yes, there’s a nod or two towards ethnicity with women such as Vanessa Hudgens (she’s half Filipino) taking out a category and Chrissy Teigen too (she’s half Thai). But these are women who while of multi-cultural makeup, still look Western and also, fulfil the slim-hipped, thin-thighed babe Western culture ideal.

 

Where are the curvy girls and women? Why no Ashley Graham? Or Iskra Lawrence? Why no black skin? What this brand has done has created a list that perpetuates the stereotypes we would so dearly like to see disappear. And it seems a shame if nothing else.