Despite crackdown on Victoria's Secret, Turkey's lingerie industry still in fashion
The government’s TV watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council, fined two private television channels for supposedly endangering Turkish youth’s morals by showing the annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show.
With their panties apparently in a bunch, Turkish regulators want to shove Victoria's Secret back in the closet.
The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) recently fined NTV and Star TV channels for running the lingerie maker's annual fashion show as part of their New Year’s Eve programming in a time slot when youngsters were likely to be watching. The RTUK was particularly concerned that such shows could harm children's “physical, psychological and moral development.”
The fines came after an Ankara city employee, Muhammed Mahmud Otegen, lodged a complaint with authorities, describing the show as disturbing to children and families. “This show, with Victoria’s Secret models with their outfits and dances, is inappropriate.”
But the RTUK said it was also concerned about the country's image. Before the show started, the stations had run a short commercial in which the models were shown dancing to Middle Eastern tunes and a commentator said, “Tradition continues: Victoria’s Secret New Year’s Eve fashion show.” In explaining its decision, the RTUK wrote, “The commercial, with its use of traditional tunes and models in lingerie, [made it look like] watching lingerie shows on New Year’s Eve is a Turkish custom.”
