Petition Calling on XXL Mag. to Fire Editor Surpasses Signature Goal

Just before 10:00am this morning the petition calling on Harris Publications to fire XXL Magazine editor-in-chief Vanessa Satten reached its goal of getting 1,000 signatures.

By Jorge Rivas Feb 15, 2012

Just before 10:00am this morning the petition calling on Harris Publications to fire XXL Magazine editor-in-chief Vanessa Satten reached its goal of getting 1,000 signatures. At the time this story was published the petition had more than 1,200 signatures.

Petitioners are calling on Satten to be fired after XXL magazine and rapper Too Short published a video about the ‘birds and the bees’ that encouraged middle-school-aged boys to "turn girls out."

"Push her up against the wall" and "take your finger and put a little spit on it and you stick your finger in her underwear and you rub it on there and watch what happens," Too Short told viewers in the video published last week.

A social worker and mother of a teenage girl who signed the petition to get Satten fired offered some insight that’s on point:

As a mother of a teenaged daughter, a former investigator for sex crimes against children, and a current social worker working with low-income, high-risk children, I take great offense at so-called instruction regarding teen male-female relationships. Given the high rate of HIV and other STD infections among teens, issues with low-self esteem among both genders, and lack of appropriate "at home" role models, his statements are irresponsible and lacking in basic common sense. As a woman, I am saddened and appalled by Ms. Satten’s decision to publicize thie rhetoric. Let me be clear in stating that while I am a believer in the first amendment, I am also a believer in being responsible for your statements. Her irresponsibility to not only the audience she serves but to the community at large is intolerable.

Satten has apologized and said she was unaware her team was producing and publishing the controversial video but critics still want her held accountable. Some also say her apology is "too little, too late."

"The recent apologies just might be more disturbing than the controversial video in question," wrote Demetria Irwin on The Grio.

"The problem with both apologies is that there is no acknowledgment of the dangers in normalizing sexual aggression/violence against girls. I’m not sure if young boys would actually listen to Too Short or even know who he is (though he is reminding us just in time for his new album release), but the fact that XXL would give such irresponsible advice a platform is troubling to say the least," Irwin said.