The Catholic League, which led the fight against the latest Calvin Klein jean ad, is delighted that Calvin Klein, Inc. is withdrawing its offensive “kiddie porn” ad. The statement by Calvin Klein in today’s New York Times, though not an apology, is nonetheless an admission of guilt. It was Catholic League vice-president Bernadette Brady, along with New York City Councilman Noach Dear, who first called for a boycott of the jeans.
The controversy began when the New York Daily News ran a front page story on the ad on August 18; Catholic League president William Donohue was cited in the piece. Immediately following the Dally News article, the Catholic League issued several statements to the media, making its case against the vulgar ad campaign.
Catholic League president William Donohue offered the following comment:
“The decision to withdraw the Calvin Klein jean ad makes good sense, but it should never have been launched in the first place. There is never any defense for sexually exploiting adolescents. The Calvin Klein comment that the ad ‘has been misunderstood by some’ is without foundation. It is precisely because the public understood the intended message of the ad that Calvin Klein, Inc. had to pull it.”
The Catholic League is the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization. It defends the right of Catholics—lay and clergy alike—to participate in American life without defamation or discrimination.
