Can you see me naked now? Cell phone giant wants skin
Virgin Mobile donates clothing every time 5 people watch you undress
Posted: July 14, 2008


"Gabby W." performs striptease for Virgin Mobile's charity drive
One of the largest cell phone companies in the nation is asking young people to perform videotaped stripteases to music and broadcast them across the world for charity.

Virgin Mobile's "Strip2Clothe" website displays the campaign slogan, "You take off yours, we donate ours" and "Somewhere someone out there needs clothes more than you." It promises to make a clothing donation to homeless youth every time five people watch the striptease videos.

The website asks that there be no cursing or full nudity. "Think bathing suit, not birthday suit," it says. However, several entries feature young women dancing in bras and panties.

Virgin Mobile is testing the campaign along with National Network for Youth, or NN4Y, a Washington, D.C., lobbying group for more than 150 organizations to benefit young people who live on the streets. Among popular companies sponsoring the drive are American Eagle Outfitters, StandUp for Kids and Thread.

Under its "Why are we asking you to strip?" section, Virgin Mobile states:

When Virgin Mobile first learned that there are over 1 million kids in the US without a place to call home, we were stunned. Homeless kids are different than homeless adults – they haven't had a chance to live their lives yet. It turns out, most of these kids have been forced from their homes because of circumstances beyond their control. Maybe it's an abusive dad who can't live with his son's sexual orientation. Whatever the case, some homeless kids manage to make it through school, but others are less fortunate, resorting to begging or prostitution just to get ahead. ...

So what's this got to do with you taking off your clothes? The truth is, someone out there needs clothes more than you do. And by making your video, you send a message to the million homeless kids out there – letting them know that you're aware of their situation and care enough to help out. ...

You take off yours, we donate ours. Simple as that.

So far, the company has received more than 56,000 donations.

Many charity organizations across the country are criticizing the campaign, saying it exploits youth rather than helping them survive difficult living conditions. Some NN4Y groups expressed outrage at the campaign, saying they were never consulted about the project, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Some said they were angered at the concept of asking young people to perform striptease dances as a way to provide clothing to the homeless.

According to news reports, Rebecca Lentz, spokeswoman for Minnesota's Catholic Charities said it's "distasteful and inappropriate and exploitative. We never authorized this nor were we ever approached to be involved."



Victoria Wagner, chief executive of NN4Y, said the campaign is being re-evaluated.

"It's unfortunate it's become so explosive," Wagner said.

NN4Y representatives said they are discussing the controversial nature of the drive with Virgin Mobile and expect to have a decision tomorrow on whether to move forward with the striptease campaign.

According to the Star Tribune, Virgin Mobile, which said it mandated "good taste" rules to keep striptease videos "fun but not salacious," appears to be intent on defending its campaign concept.

"(We) believe that promotion (of the site) will result in thousands of new clothes being provided for those in need," spokeswoman Jayne Wallace said in a letter to the NN4Y.



The campaign has created a firestorm of Web criticism and petitions against the drive. Bloggers posted the following comments about the program:

What brain dead marketing "exec" came up with this? Is there no common sense left anywhere?
The last thing we need to be doing is promoting sexuality in our children even further. Whatever pedophile marketing egghead came up with this one needs to have their head checked and computer scanned.

Whoever thought this was a good idea has probably had very few of them.
Getting children to disrobe for charity? What moron came up with that idea? Next they are going to come out with the "Bong Hits for Drug Addicts" campaign. Take one bong hit and we will treat one drug abuser.

Note: Concerned individuals may contact the following representatives: Daniel Schulman, chairman of Virgin Mobile USA; Jayne Wallace, Virgin Mobile communications; Erica Bolton, Virgin Mobile investor; Victoria Wagner, National Network For Youth chief executive officer; Mishaela Duran, NN4Y director of public affairs.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=69596
http://www.strip2clothe.com/about



What are your thoughts?!?

I saw that when I watched the new sxephil video on youtube!

I think it is awesome :D

OH I'm going to sign up my 3 dd's.......!!!! Imagine, their images out there stripping so someone can get a free t-shirt :rolleyes

WTH were they thinking??? :lame

Just donate the clothes....why make someone strip for it....oh the pedophiles will be out in droves downloading THOSE clips.....:suspect

Hey whatever helps charity.

why can't they just donate clothing? Why make people strip for it. That's just well that's just dumb

LOL!!!! I'm wondering why the company can't just donate clothes, myself, without having people do a striptease show. I think it's a bunch of CROCK!

please i would make half this world pour acid in their eyes.

I think it is horrible. Who the heck would come up with that bright idea? and I agree with Jayo the pedephiles must love this new "charity event."

I think it's all about the ratings. They know the girllovers and pedophiles and assholes will be flocking to see the videos, so they're getting free publicity at the expense of hundreds or thousands of sons and daughters.

ummm why as parents are we letting our minor children strip for the PC? I would think this contest is geared towards 18 and over not 17 and under. (which would be illegal BTW) I think if there ARE minors stripping on camera then this would be a parenting issue, not the evil company mad my child do this sort of issue.

I'm sorry, I must be missing it, I've read the article and can't see where it says minors and children... can someone please quote it for me? I'm losing my mind here

for people 18 and over in swimsuits or underwear? Eh....why not? Yeah, they could just donate the clothes, but I'm sure there are adverts and things on the pages that help offset the cost to help them be able to get MORE clothes to give to these people (in my perfect world, this is how it works)
For kids 17 and under....not cool! NOT COOL AT ALL!
I'm assuming that you can't just post the videos and that they are run through the company or something first? To check for nudity and other things?

LMAO....Twaty, the signature makes the losing my mind post soooooo much better!

LMAO....Twaty, the signature makes the losing my mind post soooooo much better!

That's my expression nearly every time I post. Just imagine me typing with THAT expression.

I'm sorry, I must be missing it, I've read the article and can't see where it says minors and children... can someone please quote it for me? I'm losing my mind here

I am losing mine too then because I would think this is an 18 and over dealio.

I'm sorry, I must be missing it, I've read the article and can't see where it says minors and children... can someone please quote it for me? I'm losing my mind here

Because since it's the web, it's almost impossible to confirm actual ages...

I'm sure a bunch of high schoolers are getting a kick out of it. Even if the site requires one to enter their year of birth, that can be easily be falsified.

AND that would be PARENT FAIL not company fail.

Yeah but how are they going to keep the 16 year olds out of it? 15? Mature looking 12? They can put a billion questions, but short of verifying your age via SSN, there's no way to keep people out of this contest.

That's my expression nearly every time I post. Just imagine me typing with THAT expression.

Oh geez! Now I'm going to laugh EVERY time you post! No matter what you post....just picture me giggling in the background. Not pretty!

AND that would be PARENT FAIL not company fail.

:agree

AND that would be PARENT FAIL not company fail.

You can't blame the parents forever. My mom is completely computer illiterate, so I took it upon myself to let her know when my (then 14 y/o) sister was posing in suggestive positions and posting her pictures online. Should my sister never be allowed to use the computer? My mom has tons of blocks put up, but it's still not enough to keep my sister from doing what she wants at the library or her friends' houses. She knows what she's doing, knows it's wrong, but she chooses what she wants to do.

You can't blame the parents forever. My mom is completely computer illiterate, so I took it upon myself to let her know when my (then 14 y/o) sister was posing in suggestive positions and posting her pictures online. Should my sister never be allowed to use the computer? My mom has tons of blocks put up, but it's still not enough to keep my sister from doing what she wants at the library or her friends' houses. She knows what she's doing, knows it's wrong, but she chooses what she wants to do.

Where is the PC your sister uses is it in the kitchen the family room or her bedroom?

She can not control what she does else where but in her own home she can. I still feel it is not the companies fault if young people break the rules.

Another thing she can do is talk with the parents of the kids your sister hangs out with, if the parents do not control PC use then she can say her kid can't hang there but the other kid is free to hang at her home. (where she knows her daughter while be properly supervised while on the PC.) I find it hard to believe she could perform a strip tease at school though.

AND last YES if she abuses her privilege of using the PC then by all means take it away from her unless she is doing school work on it.

Oh wow! Are you serious? I would not strip for charity. I respect myself too much for that. Now I do care about helping the needy and I do whatever I can in my community to help but I don't strip. I'm sorry just hearing about this ticks me off just a little. Why can't people simply donate money or send clothes. I just don't see the point in striping even if it is just a tease.

I don't see anything wrong with it. :dunno Not that I would do it though.

But when I was at university, they did a nursing student auction to raise money for the hospital. We were bought by other members of the student body and were given tickets to a movie and a gift certificate to dinner for a date. I got the top bid. $245 :teehee :tyty

I don't see a problem with it. It's not even full nudity, just to a bathing suit.

Oh, yeah, well what do you expect from a company called "Virgin" that presents its product with the help of naked people on commercials?

Sounds right on the money to me. :rolleyes

Jamie is right. If it's legal then only 18 and up are posting videos.

And most of them would be posting footage of them stripping on YouTube anyway. Might as well clothe someone else.

All I have to say is...my big, fat, pregnant ass will be half naked on there, y'all can tune in:lol

If you're so up in arms about people wearing more than some bikinis cover, you have bigger problems than a charity drive. :rolleyes

All I have to say is...my big, fat, pregnant ass will be half naked on there, y'all can tune in:lol

If you're so up in arms about people wearing more than some bikinis cover, you have bigger problems than a charity drive. :rolleyes

:lmao SO very true!

ummm why as parents are we letting our minor children strip for the PC? I would think this contest is geared towards 18 and over not 17 and under. (which would be illegal BTW) I think if there ARE minors stripping on camera then this would be a parenting issue, not the evil company mad my child do this sort of issue.

:yes

Yeah but how are they going to keep the 16 year olds out of it? 15? Mature looking 12? They can put a billion questions, but short of verifying your age via SSN, there's no way to keep people out of this contest.

I lurves you Kiwi, but are you saying that all these fun sort of things should be done away with because some people's kids will try anyway? Kids are drinking and I don't see anyone bringing back prohibition...

Ya know what I'm saying? I agree, kids should step away from the webcams...but the promotion is in good fun, charities are benefitting, and I don't see why a few bad apples have to ruin everything all the time. :(

All I have to say is...my big, fat, pregnant ass will be half naked on there, y'all can tune in:lol

If you're so up in arms about people wearing more than some bikinis cover, you have bigger problems than a charity drive. :rolleyes

woot!

I see no problem with this... they screen all the videos before posting anything for others to watch... they aren't trying to get minors to do it... people already take off their clothes on the internet... it makes SENSE (the phrase "I gave him the shirt off my back" I believe was the inspiration for this)

I see nothing illegal or horrible. They don't even want full nudity!

I think it is wonderful... people need clothes.

Because since it's the web, it's almost impossible to confirm actual ages...

I'm sure a bunch of high schoolers are getting a kick out of it. Even if the site requires one to enter their year of birth, that can be easily be falsified.

That is true of any site on the entire internet. You're going to hold one site accountable and not Myspace, Facebook, Amateur porn sites, etc?

Yeah but how are they going to keep the 16 year olds out of it? 15? Mature looking 12? They can put a billion questions, but short of verifying your age via SSN, there's no way to keep people out of this contest.

I truly understand your point, but the same happens in the porn industry as well. And in legitimate video enterprises. Look at Girls Gone Wild. They have a HELL of a suit on their hands because the one chick was like a week shy of 18 when she went topless. As long as they are TRYING, then I see no problem with it. Kids are going to do stupid stuff if they really want to, and we all know there are those teenage attention wh*res who want the world to see their asses. Myspace isn't regulated, and that stuff is all over it.

Yea I'll donate clothes the way I always have....
By donating clothes!

Sir Richard Branson is the founder of Virgin Mobile, and he is just THIS weird. When the company first opened in Britain, he advertised with glass-walled 18-wheelers in which he placed nude models. In the US, nudity being more taboo, he first advertised with models wearing "naked Richard Branson suits." This is the same guy who is working on public flights to outer space. He is extremely forward in his publicity campaigns, so this doesn't shock me at all. It's a genius way to get publicity for both his company and his charitable campaign.

Do I agree with it? Well, I don't have any more problem with seeing women in bras and panties than some of the things I see them in on the beach. If it makes people more aware that there are some out there who have nothing to wear, then it's cool, since women run around half naked in public all the time anyway. :D

:shock I wish I was living on a different planet somtimes. And this is one of those moments.
Ok, so I guess it's ok to expose yourself to the world as long as it's for a good cause??????? What the hell is wrong with these people?

I think they should be donating something better than just donating a few pairs of clothing for stripping.

If they were gonna donate housing, or some serious money, I'd maybe strip though.

For pete sake they aren't naked they are about as exposed as they would be in a public swimming pool.

Thats gross!!!! I'd never do that...just donate the clothes.

For pete sake they aren't naked they are about as exposed as they would be in a public swimming pool.

:yes