Why I Support Sophia Bush's Backlash at Urban Outfitters

By Christina Oehler on September 7, 2014

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Generally speaking, I try to avoid the celebrity controversies that go on in the media. I really don’t want to fill my brain with rumors about Kim Kardashian or Miley Cyrus because, generally, none of them will really impact my life in any way. However, as I scrolled down my Facebook feed the other day, I noticed a link to an article about Sophia Bush and her public comment to Urban Outfitters.  Urban Outfitters has been under fire for creating controversial clothes for teens (shirts that glorify depression, substance abuse and sex). One of their latest creations is a graphic t-shirt that says “eat less” in large letters across the front.

In her blog, the One Tree Hill actress Sophia Bush writes about how the Urban Outfitters company should be ashamed for encouraging mental illness. She writes that she will no longer shop at their store, and that she will encourage others to do the same. She states “To promote starvation? To promote anorexia, which leads to heart disease, bone density loss, and a slew of other health problems, not least of all psychological issues that NEVER go away? Shame on you. I will no longer be shopping at your stores. And I will encourage the tens of thousands of female supporters I have to do the same.”

As much as we can try and ignore the fact that Urban Outfitters is promoting these sort of ideas, young, impressionable teens will see these sort of ideas that are being promoted and think that they should be following them. And although school programs and other campaigns such as Dove’s “Real Beauty” try to change these sort of ideas, I believe that there is more power in such a popular figure saying this.

Powerful industries and figures are so centralized around the idea of shock value in today’s culture. Unfortunately, these ideas sell – they engage their clientele by convincing them that this is the stylish and modern way to dress, and that these sort of ideas are cool to promote.

Ultimately, I give Sophia Bush credit for taking a risk and refuting this twisted sort of style that Urban Outfitters has created. It reminds people that even though these sort of ideas may be what is popular, there are still enough intelligent people to realize and speak out against products like this.

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