The kids' Santa train at the White Flint shopping mall in Bethesda, Md., is giving the tots an eyeful, taking them past a storefront display of "SEXY" lingerie, according to a consumer who complained to the shopping plaza's owners.
Rebecca McMurry called the situation, "Marketing of Evil, Washington suburban style," after she expressed her concern to the owners of the White Flint Mall, without getting satisfaction. She was referring to "The Marketing of Evil" book by David Kupelian, WND's managing editor, which outlines the campaigns responsible for selling sex and violence agendas to the American public.
"I am shocked! This evening my husband and I visited White Flint Shopping Mall and while strolling through window shopping we were greeted by a sleazy display of near pornographic sado-masochistic sexist mannequins in the display windows of Victoria's Secret," she wrote to Mark Lerner, of Lerner Enterprises, the mall's owner.
A toddlers' Santa train takes the children past a display of lingerie |
"It was bad enough for me to be humiliated by the scene, but what about the children, Mr. Lerner? We watched as the little train carried them by those windows. Is this the image that you want to be projected for your mall?" she wrote.
The Lerner company did not respond, but the mall manager, informed of the complaint by another store, suggested McMurry contact the Victoria's Secret store itself, or the chain's corporate headquarters.
McMurry responded: "White Flint started out 25 or so years ago as an 'upscale' mall but time and fortune have not been as good as we would have desired. Now things have reached a disastrous low when you have a 'porn shop' on the main level."
WND contacted the Victoria's Secret store, and was advised to contact the corporate headquarters. Messages left there were not returned.
But the issue remains for McMurry and her family, who have promised not to shop at the mall again unless changes are made.
Store's front window proclaims its "sexy" products |
"This is just so awful," she told WND. "Here it is Christmas, and kids are on that train going right by several of the windows, display windows with these provocative mannequins."
"I told them I wasn't going to go back to the mall," she said. "Of course, they don't care."
The manager for the mall, Desharri Bell, told WND Victoria's Secret is a "store within our shopping center. They have merchandising as all of our tenants do."
She said the store is relatively new to the mall, and said the mall takes seriously shoppers' concerns. She said the mall "would as a landlord work with the tenant on this issue," but so far wasn't aware of any changes.
But she declined to comment on the appropriateness of a children's train ride adjacent to the revealing display.
"I can't speak to that, but we work to bring a solid group of tenants that can be enjoyed," she told WND. "We've got a number of people who enjoy visiting the Victoria's Secret store."
The mall's website suggests children "Ride North Pole Express!" from now through Dec. 24.
"Tickets are $1 (cash only) and are sold at the Train Depot, Lord & Taylor Wing, Level One. Children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult; adults must be accompanied by children."
McMurry described how the train starts near the Lord & Taylor store, then moves throughout the mall, passing several times in front of the Victoria's Secret lingerie promotions.
"If I was a mother with a child, I'd be putting my hands over their eyes," she told WND.
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