Abercrombie and Fitch: Tshirts Degrading to Women

[Kyla]

I think this is just stupid. I shop at A&F. I wear their tshirts, I think they are really funny! If people don't want their kids shopping there, tell them not to. Tell them you don't want that clothing in your house. Give your child some discipline. Sheesh. I didn't start shopping there until I was 18 because I knew better. I got the fear of god (not meant as a religious thing) drilled into me when I was little and I knew my parents wouldn't appreciate me wearing that stuff. I think the real issue here is that a lot of parents just have absolutely no control over their kids anymore.

*prances off in her "Don't call me a cowgirl til you see me ride" tshirt*

[Ismenia]

Thanks for the additional information, Dal! I had no idea HOW sleezy they were! If I am not mistaken, Abercrombie and Fitch was bought out by The Limited Corporation some time back. I read in one of those articles they were based in New Albany Ohio, which is where The Limited is based. I won't be shopping there anymore either. Not that I did anyway, but my neice won't be getting any A&F Xmas gifts from there this year!

[Ismenia]

Originally posted by Kyla
I think this is just stupid. I shop at A&F. I wear their tshirts, I think they are really funny! If people don't want their kids shopping there, tell them not to. Tell them you don't want that clothing in your house. Give your child some discipline. Sheesh. I didn't start shopping there until I was 18 because I knew better. I got the fear of god (not meant as a religious thing) drilled into me when I was little and I knew my parents wouldn't appreciate me wearing that stuff. I think the real issue here is that a lot of parents just have absolutely no control over their kids anymore.

*prances off in her "Don't call me a cowgirl til you see me ride" tshirt*

I totally agree with you Kyla that parents need to control their children and set limits. But I think some of these companys are purposely targetting young age groups, and that doesn't set well with me. An adult can go and do what they please, in my book. (Well within the law and all) But when young children are being manipulated this way, it just makes me angry. And obviously this company has other issues that make it not very reputuable.

[Darion]

In response to Gillan, the reason this scares me is because it's another sketchy way of legislating common sense. Instead of saying that employers are not allowed to discriminate based upon race, gender, et cetera, they are in effect being ordered to have at least X% minorities employed at their business. There is a difference.

This just smacks of the fiasco years ago (might have just been a New England thing) involving police and fire departments lowering the minimum test scores for and giving favorable placement to minority applicants so as to make for a more diverse (and less skilled?) force. In that kind of scenario, everything suffers except political correctness.

I understand that having a stupid dispatcher isn't the same as having a stupid cashier at A&F, because God knows there are enough of both and harm is minimal. And yet, in the end I believe everyone pays the price once you get that idiot Sergeant/Captain or Regional Director of Marketing/Loss Prevention because you were muscled into being diverse.

[Darion]

I totally agree with you Kyla that parents need to control their children and set limits. But I think some of these companys are purposely targetting young age groups, and that doesn't set well with me. An adult can go and do what they please, in my book. (Well within the law and all) But when young children are being manipulated this way, it just makes me angry. And obviously this company has other issues that make it not very reputuable.

I find it kind of comical that you say "targetting young age groups" like it's Marlboro or Camel. What about Baby Gap? Don't they target kids? Jesus, we'd better start a petition!

Your parents -can- make you get rid of something they deem inappropriate and there will not be so much as a single nicotine fit. The issue is more that people are too lazy to do anything about it. I have a hard time sympathizing with someone who says that their child is being coerced into wearing offensive clothes by the big, mean, faceless corporations. Ground them, for God's sake. Better yet, STOP GIVING THEM MONEY! I didn't have a dime of my own in my pocket until I turned 16 and could work legally in Massachusetts. This made it exceptionally hard for me to purchase fascist regalia as a ten year old.

[Leshrak]

Originally posted by Darion
Ground them, for God's sake. Better yet, STOP GIVING THEM MONEY!

Amen.

[Valec]

I'm not shocked by their slogans, but that people will dish out a lotta money for them. $50 for a t-shirt? Are you on really cheap drugs? I thought, when I went shopping reciently in the States, "I'll get an ambercrombie shirt. I love the vintage look and they have them". I got in there and holy crap, like I'd pay that much for a t-shirt. The hoodies were like $125. If you're willing to pay that much then you'd damn sure better like the slogan. They make the Gap look like a dollar store (which is scaaarrry). There's my opinion, though a bit off topic, I just had to point out that if people are paying that much then they must really want the slogan. They dish out the $$, they wear it, oh well. They're rich, they don't have to be PC (yes, there's sarcasm there)

[Gillan]

Originally posted by Darion
In response to Gillan, the reason this scares me is because it's another sketchy way of legislating common sense. Instead of saying that employers are not allowed to discriminate based upon race, gender, et cetera, they are in effect being ordered to have at least X% minorities employed at their business. There is a difference.

This just smacks of the fiasco years ago (might have just been a New England thing) involving police and fire departments lowering the minimum test scores for and giving favorable placement to minority applicants so as to make for a more diverse (and less skilled?) force. In that kind of scenario, everything suffers except political correctness.

I understand that having a stupid dispatcher isn't the same as having a stupid cashier at A&F, because God knows there are enough of both and harm is minimal. And yet, in the end I believe everyone pays the price once you get that idiot Sergeant/Captain or Regional Director of Marketing/Loss Prevention because you were muscled into being diverse.

Darion I do not necessarily disagree with you, however, the situation isn't as you framed it. What happend is not that no minorities were applying it was that highly qualified minorities were applying (both to universities and even to "A/F"'s of the world) and were being shot down only because of their race. The Courts naturally said "Hey, that's lame.. by the way there's a law against this.. start by hiring X number of minorities to make up for what you did." Similar to if you get caught pissin on public property you have to pay a certain amount or do a certain amount of community service to make up for it.

The test score thing for police happend in a couple other places as well. It happend in Washington DC, California, and Texas. The idea was that they wanted to "diversify" the police force but historically minorities (for a lot of reasons - such as being deprived of that college and even HS education) scored a lot lower on the standardized tests (which were put in place in the first place to keep minorities out).

While I think some of this is very, very stupid I do not think we can just say "Hey we didn't allow your entire race to ever attain a 9th grade education for 150 years, but dont worry we'll treat you as if you did." The sad fact is discrimination still exists and the effects of segregation still last. Now dont take that to be an apologist stand point, or someone who's backing people that milk the system. Im just trying to explain my standpoint.

However, I do totally agree that parents need to control their children more and that (again) I would kill my youngest sister if I saw her shopping at A/F, A/E. or even the GAP.

[Ismenia]

Originally posted by Darion
I find it kind of comical that you say "targetting young age groups" like it's Marlboro or Camel. What about Baby Gap? Don't they target kids? Jesus, we'd better start a petition!

Your parents -can- make you get rid of something they deem inappropriate and there will not be so much as a single nicotine fit. The issue is more that people are too lazy to do anything about it. I have a hard time sympathizing with someone who says that their child is being coerced into wearing offensive clothes by the big, mean, faceless corporations. Ground them, for God's sake. Better yet, STOP GIVING THEM MONEY! I didn't have a dime of my own in my pocket until I turned 16 and could work legally in Massachusetts. This made it exceptionally hard for me to purchase fascist regalia as a ten year old.

It is much easier said than done when you are a parent. Sure I could ground them, not let them buy or wear the clothes. BUT.. Sally down the streets mother doesn't give a shit so she is wearing this Cheap Whore t-shirt, which sends a message to all the kids in her school that it is acceptable and "cool."

Ok your Baby Gap example is lame, you know exactly what I mean about Targeting them. WHY on earth would you market a t-shirt for a 12 year old that says... "Who needs brains when you have these?" across her chest! Baby gaps targets them for onesies... those I highly doubt you even know what that is.

[Darion]

It is much easier said than done when you are a parent. Sure I could ground them, not let them buy or wear the clothes. BUT.. Sally down the streets mother doesn't give a shit so she is wearing this Cheap Whore t-shirt, which sends a message to all the kids in her school that it is acceptable and "cool."

I do not accept this -at all-, and it all folds back onto parental laziness. This implies that parents are totally unwilling to restrict their children. If your mother tells you "You can't wear that, it makes you look trashy" enough, you will soon associate whatever 'that' is with trashy. So let the girls who want to look like a pack of whores look like a pack of whores, and let the rest of them get on with their lives.

Ok your Baby Gap example is lame, you know exactly what I mean about Targeting them. WHY on earth would you market a t-shirt for a 12 year old that says... "Who needs brains when you have these?" across her chest!

Your sensationalist nonsense is lame. "OMGOMGOMG they're targetting kids!" is a line typically reserved for the tobacco industry, who sells a product that is physically addictive and will kill you. Any store that sells children's-sized clothes targets children, regardless of the message they bear. I am always surprised and disgusted to find out how fast everyone is to blame "The Industry" (whatever the industry may be) for corrupting the youth of America. No matter how offensive the clothes, it is impossible for it to be the fault of the clothes that someone's children are a mess.

If the parents did not -buy- (or allow the kids to buy) the clothes, we would not even be talking about this. All other arguments fall by the wayside. The bottom line is that parents are getting more and more lazy as time goes by, and their kids are running wild. This is just something else to blame so that it's not their fault.