Abercrombie settles discrimination suit: $40Mill

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by ClassyLady
How could you not know that something like that would be offensive? Do you think that Abercrombie would have released a t-shirt that had stereotypical caricatures of black people advertising fried chicken or watermelons? Hell no! If you wouldn't do it to Blacks or Latinos, then why would you do it to Asian Americans.

Sometimes I really think that some people will do something offensive purposely just to see if a minority group will complain. Maybe, the Abercrombie execs thought "I wonder if Asian Americans will complain about this. If so, then we get free publicity. No problem. If not, we sell racist t-shirts. No problem."

By the way, I have never liked A & F's clothes and I will never buy them. If they think that I will pay $100 for some jeans that look like they've been worn for thirty years, they must be downright mad, I tell you, mad!

You may be on to something in your second paragraph. I've read accounts about the perception that Asian Americans are "model minorities" who are less likely to complain than other people of color.
Bullcrap. Bigotry is bigotry and it's unacceptable.

[AKA_Monet]

What's more if various Asian groups within their respective ancestorial countries wanna teach a harsh lesson in sheer economics to ignorant bigots like A+F, if it were me, I would boycott they asses so hard, that they'd havta declare bankruptcy!!!

Just think about it, if half the cotton/acrylic shirts are being made in the Pacific Rim, and some phone calls are made to the appropriate people in those areas, a sanction from, like the People's Republic of China, or various other strong economy based countries like Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore (and on and on) were to embargo against some textiles to the United States...Whoa, it would take several acts of Congress and the Executive Branch to make amends for some buttholes concept of marketing!!! Those idiots would be running around kissin' butt like there ain't no tomorrow and they'd NEVER pull that chit again!!! It's kinna like, put your money where your mouth is...

I'd do it if I had a connection to a country... But that's me.

[carnation]

You know what this reminds me of? When I was little--we're talking early 1960s here--Pillsbury came out with a powdered soft drink called "Funny Face" with flavors like Goofy Grape, Loudmouth Lime, and Chinese Cherry and Injun Orange !! Really! On the front were very racist drawings of a smiling Chinese "coolie" face and a leering Native American face. I was only a kid but I was very upset.

Apparently someone else was too because in a few months, they were renamed Choo-choo Cherry and Jolly-olly Orange. What were they THINKING?

[AKA_Monet]

Originally posted by carnation
You know what this reminds me of? When I was little--we're talking early 1960s here--Pillsbury came out with a powdered soft drink called "Funny Face" with flavors like Goofy Grape, Loudmouth Lime, and Chinese Cherry and Injun Orange !! Really! On the front were very racist drawings of a smiling Chinese "coolie" face and a leering Native American face. I was only a kid but I was very upset.

Apparently someone else was too because in a few months, they were renamed Choo-choo Cherry and Jolly-olly Orange. What were they THINKING?

And you know, back in that day, they'd probably had some "blackfaced" character, like "Blackberry Pickin' Punch", but MLK with the marches and boycotts were in full swing!!!

On top of that, the US just finished the Korean War and was getting into the Vietnam War. From what I understand, my uncle was a Vietnam Vet, there was a massive American cultural shipments to Saigon. And if Pillsbury was shipping their crap there at that time, it's no wonder "they" quickly changed those names... It woulda given the Communists more fodder to bring down the ugly capitalist Americans--otherwise spelled as:

Power to the people, I say!!!

[chscrew144]

Originally posted by ClassyLady
By the way, I have never liked A & F's clothes and I will never buy them. If they think that I will pay $100 for some jeans that look like they've been worn for thirty years, they must be downright mad, I tell you, mad!

i just didnt like em cuz they overcharge so that some kid can act like he;s cool cuz he paid a shitload for something that he coulda gotten for half the price. The most I spend on clothes is 30 US on my dress pants.

[carnation]

I found it! I finally found a nostalgia website that has the pictures of the original and racist Funny Face drinks! I tried to copy it here but couldn't so if you want to see them, go to http://theimaginaryworld.com/drinksgrid.html


The originals are on the left--note that 2 years later--the picture on the upper right--the names had already been changed.

Blackberry Pickin' Punch? OMG!!! That would be so terrible!!!

[Dionysus]

Originally posted by chscrew144


i just didnt like em cuz they overcharge so that some kid can act like he;s cool cuz he paid a shitload for something that he coulda gotten for half the price. The most I spend on clothes is 30 US on my dress pants.

Yep, when I went to high school if you worn A+F it was as sign of class. I didn't worry about paying a sh*tload for the clothes, I just got mom and dad to pay for it.

Now, in college it's BeBe's, Express, and Structure. Which is even more a sh*tload of money.

[strobelitehoney]

)

Originally posted by Honeykiss1974
The spokesman stated that "These graphic T-shirts were designed with the sole purpose of adding humor and levity to our fashion line. " ??????



WTH?????????

At the expense of *eh um clearing throat* Asian americans.

(was that politically correct or what )
I want to see t-shirts of white people on a t-shirt that says,
"You can't get whiter than this." looking like jed clampet
If they are gonna poke fun, they may as well start with their own race.
just remember, *Not all people are ignorant.*

[AlphaGam1019]

A&F should definately market this shirt. lol

African Americans and Native Americans (not to mention Asians/Asian Americans) have been subjected to this kind of stereotyping for eons--


http://www.ferris.edu/news/jimcrow/c...e/homepage.htm
http://www.jerrydj.com/Racism/

[Honeykiss1974]

Originally posted by AlphaGam1019


A&F should definately market this shirt. lol

African Americans and Native Americans (not to mention Asians/Asian Americans) have been subjected to this kind of stereotyping for eons--


http://www.ferris.edu/news/jimcrow/c...e/homepage.htm
http://www.jerrydj.com/Racism/

Thanks AlphaGam for posting these links. They are REALLY informative. I have always though that using Redskins, Braves, or Indians as mascot was so very wrong, especially since I (and quite of few african americans) have a native american heritage as well. I will be joining the petition to get rid of these mascots.

TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!!

[QueenGreen]

People bought the shirts in order to sell them on ebay... someone told me that the design team asked the token Asian guy in the office if the shirts were "ok" OF COURSE he said SURE in order to keep his job.

Also, someone else told me that they intentionally make their men's clothes larger than average and their women's clothes smaller than normal (so a 10 is more like an 8)... this further ingrains the JACKED UP body images they are feeding to us with their advertising (where all the men are big and "manly" and all the women are tiny and adolecent looking and ALL the people are white).

My friends and I are boycotting Abercrombie.

[nikki25]

Originally posted by Honeykiss1974

"These graphic T-shirts were designed with the sole purpose of adding humor and levity to our fashion line. Since some customers have been offended by their content, we are pulling these shirts from our stores," he added.

It doesn't sound as if the Abercrombie people have a diversified staff, nor regular contact with its Asian customers. Had they hired a representative group of Asians in their design team and had some focus groups with their Asian clientele, they may have been able to avoid this debacle all together. Racial and ethnic sensitivity is always key!

Perhaps Abercrombie and Fitch will learn what other companies have had to learn the hard way: if you want to target a particular part of the market, hire more representatives of that group.

[Riley]

Originally posted by carnation
I found it! I finally found a nostalgia website that has the pictures of the original and racist Funny Face drinks! I tried to copy it here but couldn't so if you want to see them, go to http://theimaginaryworld.com/drinksgrid.html


The originals are on the left--note that 2 years later--the picture on the upper right--the names had already been changed.

Blackberry Pickin' Punch? OMG!!! That would be so terrible!!!

I do not know if anyone waches food unwrapped....but they did a special on nostalgic foods and funny face was one of them. The original displays, toys and drink packets are worth a lot of money today. People are deeping into collecting them.

[AKA2D '91]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/11/16/ab....ap/index.html