Chapter 28: Oh no, I've truly become a rebel now

The series of advertisements for Victoria’s Secret bras continued to roll out.

Following the "I dreamed I was swinging in a Victoria’s Secret bra" campaign, new ads appeared with slogans like "I dreamed I was cooking in a Victoria’s Secret bra" and "I dreamed I was at work in a Victoria’s Secret bra," all featuring women dressed only in lingerie.

Though the newspapers that published these ads were lambasted and one was even burned down by protesters, the number of publications eager to carry Logan’s advertisements only continued to grow. Logan no longer needed to pay a premium; on the contrary, newspapers were now tripping over themselves to offer him discounted rates just to secure his business.

There was no mystery as to why: the American newspaper industry in 1921 was entering a golden age—all thanks to a nationwide, saliva-spraying war ignited by a tiny piece of undergarment.

After Logan "enlightened" the public through articles written under various pseudonyms, both sides seemed to have had an epiphany overnight, and the debate quickly descended into a quagmire of personal attacks and conspiracy theories.

One female columnist, writing under the pen name "Torch of the Statue of Liberty," bitingly mocked the conservatives: "You sanctimonious gentlemen and ladies, what are you truly afraid of? Is it the bra itself, or are you terrified that women have finally gained the right to define their own bodily comfort and self-expression?"

This was followed by a barrage of sarcasm, ridiculing the frantic conservatives as "colonial-era fossils" and "psychopathic enthusiasts."

The conservatives, meanwhile, grew even more radical.

They clung tightly to their ultimate weapons—religion and tradition: "The Bible clearly teaches that modesty is a woman’s virtue. This so-called 'free expression' is nothing but a shroud for indulgence and depravity! It is a viper luring men into sin!"

This led to even more direct personal attacks.

Ms. Sara, who organized the protests, was branded "a spinster who couldn't find a husband, whose jealousy has scorched her reason, and who now wants to drag all young girls down with her, turning them into playthings for public ogling! How utterly shameful!"

The women participating in the protests and Annie, the model in the advertisements, were viciously labeled "capitalist harlots." The conservatives were convinced that this so-called "gospel of health" was actually a monstrous lie concocted by capitalists in collusion with moral decay.

Strangely enough, it seemed the more absurd and bizarre the attack, the more strongly it resonated with its intended audience. Logan, the instigator, hadn't studied this phenomenon scientifically, but he guessed it had to do with matching the message to the audience's perception.

If he told a religious, conservative redneck that "lingerie parades are morally corrupt," the redneck might nod in agreement but do nothing. However, if he told that same redneck, "The arched shape of that bra is the very likeness of the Devil’s evil goat horns! Those who wear it have invisibly signed a contract with the demons of Hell," the man might well explode with rage and take to the streets with a gun to "smite the Devil."

In short, every newspaper became a smoke-filled battlefield. Both sides used ink as ammunition and pens as spears, engaging in a spectacle of the century characterized by devious angles and venomous phrasing. The editors watched with grinning faces as their circulation numbers climbed steadily.

***

On the streets, in cafes and salons, and even at family dinner tables, the fierce debate over the "Bra War" echoed everywhere. People brandished newspapers with wet ink, their faces flushed as they cited "scientific" or "absurd" passages to crush their opponents.

The battlefield quickly spilled over into the letters-to-the-editor sections.

One letter, signed "A Worried Father," dripped with despair: "My fifteen-year-old daughter, bewitched by that devilish advertisement, now refuses to wear anything but that demonic lingerie! Is this not the first step toward leading her down the path of a harlot?!"

"I shall lock her in the house; she shall not take another step outside!"

The very next day, dozens of letters signed "Angry Daughters" fired back: "Old man, clear the filth out of your brain! Our bodies and our choices are not for you to define with your vicious 'harlot' labels! What you fear is simply losing control over your daughter’s life!"

"We will find your home and rescue your poor daughter from your imprisonment!"

The intensity of these clashes left even the editors stunned.

The entire nation seemed to have fallen into a massive, nationwide shouting match fueled by words and anger. There was a clear generational divide: the younger the person, the more they supported the new style of bra; the older they were, the more they viewed it as the work of the Devil.

Naturally, the intellectual community did not remain silent.

Unlike the vitriolic bickering of the public, Logan found some interesting analyses among the discourse. For instance, one professor collected fashion magazines from the past few years, cutting out pictures of women in dresses to use as research material.

He wrote, "Although mainstream opinion insists that long skirts are the standard attire for women, trends from the past few years show that women have been seeking shorter skirts, and the industry has been quietly catering to the customers' will by designing shorter and shorter hemlines."

"The popularity of the short skirt not only highlights the elegant curves of the female form but also fuels dissatisfaction with old-fashioned corsets. Statistics show that in just the past three years, total sales of old-fashioned corsets in New York department stores have dropped by 11%..."

He concluded, "The facts prove that the Victoria’s Secret bra is a product that aligns with the collective consciousness of women!"

This was not an isolated view. The *Atlantic Monthly* pointed out that the current nationwide debate was determined by the social reality of the post-war era and was bound to happen sooner or later.

The article explained that due to the brutality of the Great War (World War I), soldiers were acutely aware that they might be healthy today and dead on the battlefield tomorrow, leading them to adopt a "seize the day" mentality.

When the war ended and these young people returned home, the social order demanded they return to the monotonous, rigid lives of the pre-war era and adhere to the moral creeds of their fathers and grandfathers—all of which only served to make the rebellious spirit of the younger generation flare up even more.

***

"So, on the surface, this nationwide debate is about a piece of lingerie; in reality, it is a revolution of the younger generation against traditional habits and social morality."

There were many similar analyses. In short—the current uproar was actually the result of the intersection of post-war disillusionment, the rising status of women, and the implementation of Prohibition, rather than just being about a bra.

After reading these analyses, Logan was astonished to find that he, who had only wanted to stir up some fun and pull a few pranks, was now being viewed as a symbol of the social transformation of America.

This wasn't right!

I was supposed to be the rebel!

However, when tobacco companies began to follow Victoria’s Secret's lead, placing ads in newspapers featuring "pretty girls holding cigarettes and blowing smoke rings toward men," the trend toward transforming habits and morality seemed unstoppable.

—One had to remember that before this, if a tobacco company had told any newspaper they wanted to feature an image of a woman smoking, the paper would have flatly refused, fearing it would bring them ruin.

Now, everything was different... or was it?

There were always some strong-willed Puritans desperately trying to stop this transformation!

And so, one day, Logan was suddenly cornered by the police.

The reason—

Pastor Edward of the Chicago Catholic Church had sued Logan and Richard in state court, accusing them of selling obscene literature!

Simultaneously, he had filed a lawsuit in federal court, accusing Logan of distributing obscene materials across the United States!

Oh no, I really have become a rebel!