NY Councilman Calls For Removal of Lane Bryant Subway Ads: “The F train has gone R-rated.”
Plus size fashion retailer Lane Bryant launched its #imnoangel campaign last week with grand fanfare including a major ad campaign with images shot by fashion photographer Cass Bird that are featured on billboards and a subway train in NYC. The campaign sends a strong message of body acceptance and has inspired women everywhere to express their own #imnoangel message via social media.
Read more: Lane Bryant Wants To Redefine What Sexy Is With Their #imnoangel Body Acceptance Campaign
However, Brooklyn City Councilman David Greenfield has an issue with the subway ad, where an F train has been “wrapped” with the Lane Bryant ad. Greenfeld thinks the F train has “gone R-rated” and is calling out the MTA to remove the ads.
Greenfield spoke with local news outlet Time Warner Cable News NY1:
“These are these 10-foot huge models in their underwear and many people in the community don’t want their children exposed to that.”
The councilman says that he has received complaints from Orthodox Jewish constituents in Midwood and Borough Park, two neighborhoods that the ad-decorated F train travels through:
“Our communities are not Times Square. You choose to decide if you want to take your children to Times Square and to have them see almost-naked models. But in this particular case, these ads are running through family communities and we’ve gotten a lot of objections.”
Greenfield feels the ad is taking things too far and thinks it’s not fair for children to see that:
“I wouldn’t take my child to anything beyond ‘SpongeBob Square Pants’ and to now have him exposed to something that would be in a rated-R movie. I don’t think that’s fair to children.”
The MTA has responded, saying the Lane Bryant ads will stay put and run for another three weeks, adding:
“These advertisements are part of a campaign running in outdoor formats across the country. The ads meet the standards for commercial advertising commonly used by transit agencies in many states.”
What do you think? We want to know! Are the Lane Bryant ads R-rated? Are they lewd? Or do you think it is just an advertisement and not a big deal? Sound off below and let us know.
[Time Warner Cable News NY1]