Collective Shout: for a world free of sexploitation, a grassroots campaigning movement is calling on Switchfoot to withdraw from a planned live performance at City Beach surf store on Queen Street, Brisbane this Thursday afternoon (23rd February).
City Beach, the youth retailer hosting the band, has come under fire for selling clothing with pornographic images, as well as accessories and other porn-themed items including wallets, hats, pencil cases and iPhone covers.
City Beach sells the U.S. clothing brand Two In The Shirt, more commonly known as TITS, a brand renowned for using famous porn stars as the models for their designs. The brand was nominated for an award at the pornography industry’s annual award ceremony last month. TITS brand invited fans via Facebook to come to the Adult Video News (AVN) Expo, where they could meet the porn stars featured on their clothing.
City Beach also came under fire in December after a Year 8 boy brought a pornographic pencil case to school he had purchased from the store. Despite statements from City Beach that the pencil cases would be discontinued, they remain in stores as a part of ‘Back to School’ sales. City Beach has ignored communications from former customers.
Last year Collective Shout published an open letter urging retailers to cease the sale of pornographic menswear. Signatories included child advocate and TV presenter Noni Hazlehurst, The White Ribbon Foundation and authors Steve Biddulph and Maggie Hamilton. A petition on social change website change.org has attracted more than 1400 signatures calling on City Beach to remove pornographic items from sale because of the message to young people that women are sexual objects for male entertainment, always willing and available for sex.
WA activist Caitlin Roper made a formal complaint against City Beach to the Human Rights Commission last year, arguing that openly displaying pornographic imagery in their stores was a form of sexual harassment. While sexual harassment laws prohibit the display of highly sexualized material in the workplace, City Beach refused to remove the offending clothing from sale.
After ignoring complaints, protests are being scheduled outside City Beach stores around the country. The first protest was held in Sydney two weeks ago.
Spokeswoman Caitlin Roper said Collective Shout was disappointed a respected band like Switchfoot would associate itself with City Beach.
“We have contacted the band but not had a response. It’s not too late for them to pull out. We are sure there are many stores who believe in corporate social responsibility, and who would be happy to host Switchfoot,” Ms Roper said.
For photographic evidence visit: http://porntees.blogspot.com/search/label/City%20Beach
To find us on Facebook visit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Say-no-to-porn-t-shirts/
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Petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/head-office-stop-selling-porn-t-shirts
8 Comments
Keep us posted! I can’t believe that Switchfoot would want to touch it with a 10-foot pole.
Don’t know that they are aware… if they were I am sure they would have something to say about it.
Maybe they could use their performance to talk about it and how it disrespects women. Wouldn’t that give city beach something to chew on!
I love Switchfoot and would be so disappointed if they supported a store like City Beach! Really hope they pull out, it would send a strong message that selling porn to youth is not okay.
Here’s my email exchange with Switchfoot management so far. Incredibly disappointing response from them:
Dear Switchfoot,
I’m writing because I have seen that your band is playing a special concert at a City Beach store in Brisbane, Australia on Feb 23. I’m really shocked, because this store is one of Australia’s main retailers of p*rnographic t-shirts and merchandise. These products are incredibly degrading and damaging both to those in their target market and those who are forced to view adult images against their will when these shirts are worn in public. City Beach have been publicly challenged about the way they deliberately market adult products to teenagers and children and have refused to show any corporate responsibility. There is currently a boycott call against them and there have been protests outside their stores over this.
http://collectiveshout.org/2012/01/city-beach-still-pushing-porn-to-young-people/
http://melindatankardreist.com/2011/12/how-city-beach-conditions-boys-to-porn-one-dad’s-plea-for-something-better-for-our-boys/
City Beach seems to me to stand for everything that Switchfoot does not. How can you play a show that will attract young people to a place where they are at real risk of expolitation? How can you accept money that was made selling p*rn to young people? How can you lend your name and image to what they do?
Please, please consider ‘switching feet’ AWAY from City Beach.
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Nicole,
We received your email regarding the objectionable merchandise sold at City Beach. We appreciate you bringing your concerns to our attention. Although we are not responsible for what a retailer promotes or sells to its customers, we are responsible for creating an enjoyable atmosphere for our fans. With this in mind, we have asked City Beach to remove these items during our performance.
We’ve always tried to bring our songs of hope across the globe to everyone- regardless of nationality, race, religious belief, or any other categorization. With this in mind, there are a wide variety of people with a wide variety of lifestyles represented at our concerts. That is our goal. And of course, not everyone who attends will agree with every other person there. Even the venues we play are dramatically different from night to night. If you are offended by an aspect of the venue or the crowd, we respect your decision if you choose not to attend; we hold you and your convictions in high regard. However, we believe that these songs of light were meant to shine everywhere, including the dark. Thank you again for your concern. We hope that we’ll see you the next time we pass through Australia.
- Switchfoot
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Dear Brandon,
Thanks for your reply.
Your response, however, is incredibly disappointing.
It is not the concert venue which is offensive. It is not even the presence of explicit and degrading material which is offensive. What is offensive, is the notion of a rock band with a youth following, promoting a company which unapologetically and deliberately sells p*rnographic material to Australian teenagers. What is even more offensive, is the notion that this band is doing so in the name of Jesus.
By playing this gig with the merchandise removed, you are creating an enjoyable atmosphere for your fans for one hour. But in doing so, you are losing the opportunity to create an enjoyable and safe atmosphere for them to live and grow in beyond that moment.
Please, look at the links which I have sent you. Consider the message you are sending about the acceptability of the way City Beach make their mark on the minds and bodies of young Australians. Shine your light by taking a stand, not by taking part. It’s not too late.
Sincerely,
Nicole
Hi all,
Just wondering if there was anything more that came out of the Switchfoot situation??? Hopefully positive?
Thanks
Hi Pamela,
We had a great chat with the members of Switchfoot outside the Brisbane City Beach store the other day. We were disappointed they didn’t pull out of the event but it was good to have an opportunity to talk through these issues with them. I’m in the middle of writing up our experience and will be updating the blog with it soon.
A bit unrelated but can I want to talk about the phrase “pull out” as it is used so much and unconsciously, eg “It’s not too late for them to pull out”. I’m sure this phrase has it’s roots in and is a reference to pulling out of the vagina, although I can’t actually find the evidence to back this up. Does anyone know (or care)? I find the phrase quite offensive because, if I’m correct, by using it, we’re using a literary form of female objectification, are we not? Any thoughts?
Hi Vickie,
Thanks for your comment. I’ve never heard of such an origin. The term is very common and used for a wide range of situations, most of them nothing to do with sexual acts. Other examples of phrases with the word ‘pull’ include: Pull out, pull back, pull over, pull through.