Reject modernity, embrace tradition.

It’s a funny meme that’s been circulating around in some capacity since around 2018, and it’s recently become far more popular as modern culture falls further and further into an absurd, shallow state where the truth is rejected for “my truth” and common sense is pushed out in favor of social trends. Oftentimes, you’ll see this meme paired with pictures of modern vs traditional art, structures, or even who we look to as examples to follow.

Now, we see modernity rear its ugly head and attack what we traditionally consider feminine beauty.

Case in point, Victoria’s Secret has decided to completely change up its tune and begin shedding its previous standards of beauty in order to embrace more modern sensibilities…such as ditching beauty altogether.

According to CBS News, the brand famous for its seductive, risque, and beautiful lingerie has decided that it’s now going to begin embracing a whole different image for itself. One that rids itself of the fit, gorgeous, long-legged model and adopts one that emphasizes “trailblazing” women.

Ya know, one that doesn’t appeal to the “male gaze.”

“We are creating a platform that will build new, deeper relationships with all women,”  said Chief Marketing Officer Martha Pease in a press release. “In marrying our new partners’ energy, creativity and perspectives with our network and scale, we can transform how we connect with and show up for women.”

Who are these new “partners?”

One of them is women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe. You may remember her as the LGBT activist whom I once compared to the scorpion in the “Scorpion and the Frog” parable over the fact Sports Illustrated made her “sportsman on the year” and during her acceptance speech, she proceeded to insult and degrade the rag for not being woke enough. She’s not a big fan of the country she plays for, has a lot to say about “the patriarchy” and likes to complain about the fact that she makes less money than her male counterparts between hair dying sessions.

Of course, like any good social justice advocate, she’s not very respectful toward women as she advocates for men to be able to compete in women’s sports if they claim they’re female.

Other women have been signed to rep Victoria’s Secret’s rebrand, including a who’s who of “who the hell are they?” according to CBS:

Adut Akech — Refugee, Mental Wellness Supporter, Model

Amanda de Cadenet — Journalist, Photographer, GirlGaze Founder & Equality Advocate

Eileen Gu — World Champion Free Skier, Youth & Women’s Sports Advocate, Model

Megan Rapinoe — LGBTQIA+ Activist, Pay Equity Crusader, Professional Soccer Player

Paloma Elsesser — Body Advocate, Community Creator, Model

Priyanka Chopra Jonas — Actor, Producer, Entrepreneur

Valentina Sampaio — LGBTQIA+ Activist, Actor, Model

They’ve already released some images of Rapinoe in some of the company’s products, but I’ll spare you those pictures. They’re not exactly pleasant. Regardless, you’ll have to get used to it as the New York Times reported that the days of the traditional angel-winged beauty is over. Now you get Rapinoe and whatever she and her buddies are limping to the barn with.

The bottom line is that Victoria’s Secret is no longer the top name in sex appeal and lingerie. Now it’s a political organization just like many other companies have become. Instead of attempting to improve their branding or changing products up to make it more appealing to current generations, it does what many corporations do and picked the lowest hanging fruit; political advocacy.

What’s sad about that is that it means that Victoria’s Secret is gone, and while many would say “good riddance” due to scandals it was recently wrapped up in during the #MeToo era or the fact that some social justice advocates hate it for its pushing of beauty standards they hate, the collapse of the institution marks another turning of society’s page, but definitely for the worst.

In today’s day and age, we have “body positivity,” which is the short version of “pretend being a fat slob is healthy and acceptable.” This almost seems to be a years-long backlash to the trends that preceded it that made women have unhealthy body standards revolving around thinness, but going from one unhealthy state of being to another isn’t a positive thing in the least.

Many models work out diligently and eat healthy in order to maintain the standards you’ve seen many have for generations. While trends would shift, what we considered beautiful as a species has more or less stayed the same. That’s because it’s not societal programming, it’s nature. We as people know when a thing is unhealthy and when it’s not, or when something is beautiful, and when we’re just pretending it is.

Modern politics demands we say that everyone is beautiful no matter what, but that’s just not true. Even in the eye of the beholder, beauty often falls into certain lanes of sexual viability. A woman who eats herself silly on a daily basis with unhealthy foods will soon find herself outside of that lane due to nature’s programming telling us this woman will not likely bear healthy children, or care for them well once they’re born.

Victoria’s Secret is not going to program that out of us with a campaign or change-up of business practices.

Nor will it eliminate the attraction or desire of femininity from women by attempting to redefine what femininity is. Even in their confusion brought on by modern politics, women still find themselves gravitating towards feminine things with all the feminine desires attached, at least for the vast majority.

Hopefully, another business will come along that will replace Victoria’s Secret, but perhaps society has to learn the hard way that modernity was never a good idea. Upon the collective rejection of it, hopefully, we’ll embrace tradition…or as it goes by another name, reality.