Degrading T-Shirts promote "Girlcott" against Abercrombie...

[insein]

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationw...print.story?coll=ny-hsports-allstars-features

Student 'girlcott' protests Abercrombie t-shirts

BY JIMMY GREENFIELD
RedEye

November 2, 2005

With a few words on their T-shirts, Abercrombie & Fitch lets young women send a message: "Who needs a brain when you have these?"

A group of female high school students have a message for A&F: Stop degrading us.

The Allegheny County (Pa.) Girls have started a boycott--or girlcott, as they're calling it--of the retailer. The campaign, conceived three weeks ago during the group's monthly meeting, went national Tuesday morning on NBC's "Today" show.

"We're telling [girls] to think about the fact that they're being degraded," Emma Blackman-Mathis, the 16-year-old co-chair of the group, told RedEye on Tuesday. "We're all going to come together in this one effort to fight this message that we're getting from pop culture."

Abercrombie has been a lightning rod for criticism. In 2003, a catalog containing photos of topless women and bare-bottomed men provoked so much outrage that the company pulled the publication.

Last year, after the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team failed to win a gold medal, the company sold T-shirts with the phrase "L is for loser" next to a picture of a gymnast on the rings. Those shirts were pulled from the racks after USA Gymastics called for a boycott.

While Abercrombie backed down in those cases, it show no signs of doing so this time.

"Our clothing appeals to a wide variety of customers. These particular T-shirts have been very popular among adult women to whom they are marketed," a company spokesman said in a statement.

News of the girlcott hadn't reached Tawana Clark, 20, who was applying for a job at the Abercrombie & Fitch store in Water Tower Place on Tuesday. But she doesn't think the protest will work.

"I think it's only older people that have a problem with it," she said. "Teenagers don't have a problem with it."

Clark sees the shirts as funny, not offensive.

"It's not to be taken seriously," she said.

Kristine Campbell, 20, of Lincoln Park won't wear the T-shirts. Although she's not offended by them, she doesn't think much of girls who wear them.

"It tells me that they're shallow and that's all they care about," said Campbell, who was also applying for a job at A&F on Tuesday.

"There's not much substance to that person if you have to wear something like that."

The aim of the girlcott is to convince people that the T-shirts are offensive, but young people don't care if they are, according to David Krafft, senior vice president of Chicago-based Graziano, Krafft and Zale Advertising.

"You figure they're appealing to a younger audience demographic and (young people) are going to want go for brands that are more cutting edge, or viewed as more cutting edge," Krafft said. "So it's just going to be a benefit anyway to Abercrombie & Fitch."

The attention from this boycott is likely to help Abercrombie's image, and its audience will be attracted to the controversy, said Steve Bassill, president of Libertyville-based QDI strategies, a marketing consulting firm.

"That's been their whole strategy, isn't it, to be radical?" Bassill asked. "I think that's what we've seen for quite a while from them."

Krafft says the "Today" show appearance was tantamount to free advertising.

According to Chicago-based media company Starcom USA, a 30-second commercial on "Today" costs approximately $58,000.

The girlcott girls were on for several minutes. The girlcott almost is "playing into their hands," Bassill said.

Heather Arnett, adviser for the girls' group, said it doesn't matter if Abercrombie gets free advertising. They're already a giant as far as she's concerned. What matters is empowering young women, she said, who in turn serve as examples to other young women.

"A week ago, Katie Couric knew who Abercrombie & Fitch was, but she didn't know who Emma Blackman-Mathis was," Arnett said. "A bunch of teenage girls are being interviewed by national media about what they think. And that is the news."

Blackman-Mathis admits that, at first glance, the T-shirts are a little funny.

But the more she looked at them, the less amusing they were. She's still stunned to have appeared on national TV and is hopeful the message will reach young girls.

"Worst-case scenario, I just want girls to at least think about everything that they buy," Blackman-Mathis said. "Think about the message that it conveys to themselves and other people when they wear it."

Her best-case scenario?

"They would stand up and say something for themselves and for girls."

I tend to agree with the one employee. Girls that walk around with stuff like that on their shirt or shorts tend to be looked upon as morons. If they want to wear it, let the morons wear it. If their parents let them wear it, then the parents get to deal with the reprucussions of having a moron for a kid.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Brunettes are the hottest. I like the dark dark brown hair. Almost black but not quite.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationw...print.story?coll=ny-hsports-allstars-features

I tend to agree with the one employee. Girls that walk around with stuff like that on their shirt or shorts tend to be looked upon as morons. If they want to wear it, let the morons wear it. If their parents let them wear it, then the parents get to deal with the reprucussions of having a moron for a kid.

You don't think there's anything wrong with the girls boycotting (sorry, GIRLcotting) them, though, do you?

 

[insein]

You don't think there's anything wrong with the girls boycotting (sorry, GIRLcotting) them, though, do you?

Nope not at all. I do have a problem with this though.

http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=4067918&nav=3w6o

Abercrombie's Racy T-Shirts Causing Ruckus
Nov 3, 2005, 08:18 AM EST

State Senator Steve Rauschenberger says he plans to introduce a resolution in the state Senate this week, calling on trendy retailer Abercrombie and Fitch to stop selling a line of racy t-shirts.

The Republican, who is a GOP candidate for governor, says the $24.50 t-shirts are "offensive" and "degrading." He says if the Senate resolution doesn't stop Abercrombie from selling its shirts - he'll lead a boycott of the stores.

The 49-year-old state Senator says he doesn't pretend to be the bellwether of what's cool but he believes the t-shirts disrespect women.

Some teenage girls across the country also are calling for a boycott of Abercrombie. The women and girls say the shirts are degrading, but Abercrombie says plenty of women are buying them.

Why must politicians pass ridiculous laws to stop businesses from selling products? Why can't he just lead his PRIVATELY run Boycott against Abercrombie without getting the Government involved? Government involvment solves nothing and usually complicates the matter more.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Nope not at all. I do have a problem with this though.

http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=4067918&nav=3w6o



Why must politicians pass ridiculous laws to stop businesses from selling products? Why can't he just lead his PRIVATELY run Boycott against Abercrombie without getting the Government involved? Government involvment solves nothing and usually complicates the matter more.

Boredom? Stunt?

 

[insein]

Boredom? Stunt?

Reelection. Pretend to care about frivelous BS.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Nope not at all. I do have a problem with this though.

http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=4067918&nav=3w6o



Why must politicians pass ridiculous laws to stop businesses from selling products? Why can't he just lead his PRIVATELY run Boycott against Abercrombie without getting the Government involved? Government involvment solves nothing and usually complicates the matter more.

True convictions?
Disgust with the debasing messages?

 

[The ClayTaurus]

True convictions?
Disgust with the debasing messages?

Abbey, if it were true convictions or true disgust, there would be a resolution every 5 minutes.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Abbey, if it were true convictions or true disgust, there would be a resolution every 5 minutes.

Ah, but that would require more work, and less junkets, lunches with lobbyists, and endless recesses.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Ah, but that would require more work, and less junkets, lunches with lobbyists, and endless recesses.

Hence the point that it isn't sincere.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Hence the point that it isn't sincere.

While I would agree that in general, cynicism about Congress is not out of line, we can't automatically assume that a specific Congressman or woman is insincere on a particular issue.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

While I would agree that in general, cynicism about Congress is not out of line, we can't automatically assume that a specific Congressman or woman is insincere on a particular issue.

True. My conclusion on this issue is not an automatic response, however.

 

[musicman]

"A week ago, Katie Couric knew who Abercrombie&Fitch was, but she didn't know who Emma Blackman-Mathis was".

I'm sorry, but my eyes began to glaze over as soon as I saw the hyphen. It's an unfailingly accurate warning to me that a lecture - from some book-smart/life-stupid know-it-all - is about to wend its presumptutous way down to my unenlightened skull. Wake me when it's over, will you?

It saddens me that a Republican could be ignorant or opportunistic enough to throw in his lot with the nanny state. You know what? I'll bet sales of the Prussian Blue CD have quintupled in the last week. These t-shirts are going to be jumping off shelves all over the country. You'd think people would be able to discern a pattern after a while.

When we, through the constitutional process, are able to rescue and restore the conservative values that most of us hold dear, garbage like this will - of its own accord - die on the vine.

 

[nosarcasm]

I assume girls can choose to wear these shirts and the messages.

Nobody is forcing them.

And to the worried politicans, stop micromanaging.

 

[Annie]

Nope not at all. I do have a problem with this though.

http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=4067918&nav=3w6o



Why must politicians pass ridiculous laws to stop businesses from selling products? Why can't he just lead his PRIVATELY run Boycott against Abercrombie without getting the Government involved? Government involvment solves nothing and usually complicates the matter more.

Agreed. I tried to rep but have to spread it. Seems to me that there are now born 100 per minute, but let them spend it.

 

[TheEnemyWithin]

If their parents let them wear it, then the parents get to deal with the reprucussions of having a moron for a kid.

And later in life the kids themselves will have to deal with the reprucussions of having morons for parents. :teeth:

P.S. I've seen A&F shirts that were MUCH worse than those three. :shocked:

 

[Johnney]

heres a clue... if it offends you dont wear it!

The Republican, who is a GOP candidate for governor, says the $24.50 t-shirts are "offensive" and "degrading." He says if the Senate resolution doesn't stop Abercrombie from selling its shirts - he'll lead a boycott of the stores.

welcome to freedom of expression