Reaction to Abercrombie CEO's exclusionary marketing

[shostakovich]

Okay, I think we can all agree that the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, is a jerk, yes?

Here is one bloke's reaction to the CEO's recent statements - he has decided to give A&F clothes to homeless people on Skid Row in LA:



But... I don't really feel like this is any sort of solution at all.  It's basically saying "Ah ha, Mike Jeffries!  You didn't want your clothes to be worn by "undesirables?"  Well, we're going to  put them on society's most undesirable group - the homeless!  Take that!!" 

Does anyone else feel squicky about this, or is my PC showing?

[MWOS]

I am squicked.

[karmasabiotch]

squicky

[TrickyBob]

Yah I kind of had a moment of "way to use homeless people as a way to get back at A&F". In that homeless people aren't just props that happen to be on the street, they're real people and some down on their luck due to uncontrollable circumstances. There's no need to use them as a prop.

[lilybug]

Eh, I understand the sentiment. It doesn't mean that you or I or the people handing out the shirts think the homeless are undesirable, it means that jerkface CEO will think so. It's all about making HIM squicked, right?

ETA, However, I definitely agree that there are better ways to make this point.

[fluffaluff]

Meh..I didn't get that. I thought it was kinda cool. So does Heath.

[Deleted]

aww, look at the douche fighting douchiness with douchiness.

[lilybug]

May 15, 2013 11:52:37 GMT -5 Que? said:

May 15, 2013 11:49:27 GMT -5 lilybug said:

Eh, I understand the sentiment. It doesn't mean that you or I or the people handing out the shirts think the homeless are undesirable, it means that jerkface CEO will think so. It's all about making HIM squicked, right?

ETA, However, I definitely agree that there are better ways to make this point.

Except he won't be squicked, because he's a billionaire who doesn't live in the real world. Homeless people aren't shopping in his store, nor are they being photographed and judged by their peers based on their clothing. He cares about what 13 year olds think, that's it. He's not hurting from this, if anything, he'll get more sales from stupid kids who want to believe they fit his criteria. Any attention he gets is good attention.

This is true and unfortunate. But I think the intent of the guy handing out the clothes was more retaliation and less exploitation. I know intent doesn't count for much, though. Like I said, I'm not cheering him on, I just don't think he's a terrible person for doing this.

[pillowpants]

How about in order to make a statement you just not shop there instead of putting money into his pockets and using another person to make your point?

[rex]

I can't get it up for this whole a&f thing. It's not surprising in the least.

This guy is doing nothing except exploiting homeless people and giving a&f more publicity.

[TrickyBob]

I'd rather go into the store myself, squeeze my fat ass into all their clothing, and leave the stretched out pieces of cloth behind for them to deal with.

THAT would even be a better thing to do than to use homeless people.

[thebamker]

why don't we just cremate all the homeless people and dump their ashes in A&F stores? Seems simple to me. right toledo ?

[shostakovich]

May 15, 2013 11:55:11 GMT -5 cville said:

aww, look at the douche fighting douchiness with douchiness.

Right.  There was something about him basically setting the shirts and pants down *on* the seated homeless men and women that made me kind of ragey.  Yeah, don't have a conversation with them, guy - just put down the statement piece and run like hell.

[DotAndBuzz]

May 15, 2013 11:59:44 GMT -5 TrickyBob said:

I'd rather go into the store myself, squeeze my fat ass into all their clothing, and leave the stretched out pieces of cloth behind for them to deal with.

THAT would even be a better thing to do than to use homeless people.

Or if the moms of these teenagers decide to "get cool" and start borrowing their kids shirts and wear them when they are chit chatting with the other moms/kids at soccer practice.  As a teenager, there was nothing that could dissuade me from doing something more than my own mother doing it.