Student 'girlcott' protests Abercrombie t-shirts

[GutterRat]

Story

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.

 

[Ginny]

The bigger joke is on the people that spend 25 dollars on a wrinkled t-shirt that looks like it just came out of the dirty clothes... or $60 jeans that are torn everywhere......all for the sake of having A&F on their body.

Where's the brain for people that do that?

 

[revelations12_12]

The bigger joke is on the people that spend 25 dollars on a wrinkled t-shirt that looks like it just came out of the dirty clothes... or $60 jeans that are torn everywhere......all for the sake of having A&F on their body.

Where's the brain for people that do that?

I love your avatar.

 

[GutterRat]

The bigger joke is on the people that spend 25 dollars on a wrinkled t-shirt that looks like it just came out of the dirty clothes... or $60 jeans that are torn everywhere......all for the sake of having A&F on their body.

Where's the brain for people that do that?

I used to LOVE A&F Cologne. I went in last year to buy another bottle of it & on the wall were pictures of mostly naked men & women - but they looked like barely legal kids - walked out and haven't been back. They set a very poor example for kids/teens.

 

[k]

Was just reading about this in the paper, and the messages the shirts send is horrible, especially the "Do I make You look Fat?" shirts. Of course, this is the beauty of freedom of expression. We are free to reveal many things about our priorities.

 

[BeautyForAshes]

Well first, let me say that I am glad to see high school students (female no less) actually doing something positive and productive. Its so rare today that kids actually care about anything, so I have to give these girls props.

Secondly, A&F is on the same list as Hollister - stores that sell expensive rags.

 

[Bushido216]

The campaign, conceived three weeks ago during the group's monthly meeting, went national Tuesday morning on NBC's "Today" show.

I'm not sure if the author of this article should be shot or given an award for this sentence.

 

[3girls2dogs]

What makes me angry is that the same girls who wear that shirt will be the ones who are crying and asking: "Why won't anyone look past my breasts and take me seriously" the very next day.

 

[k]

What makes me angry is that the same girls who wear that shirt will be the ones who are crying and asking: "Why won't anyone look past my breasts and take me seriously" the very next day.

What makes you think it would take that long? Actually, it must be very confusing for young women in our culture, not to exclude men, but women have different hurdles to overcome. They need to be autonomous and not ashamed of their sexuality, and that is where the paradox takes hold.

 

[I <3 Abraham]

What makes me angry is that the same girls who wear that shirt will be the ones who are crying and asking: "Why won't anyone look past my breasts and take me seriously" the very next day.

I dont think that the girls wearing the shirts are too interested in being taken seriously IF they are over the age of 16. If they aren't over 16 they might think the shirt is just sassy, not realizing the full message they are sending.

 

[Thirst_For_Knowledge]

What makes me angry is that the same girls who wear that shirt will be the ones who are crying and asking: "Why won't anyone look past my breasts and take me seriously" the very next day.

Most likely not. The girls who are wearing that shirt probably want attention to be brought to their breasts. I'm close friends with a lot of girls like that. They wear the clothes because they like being looked at as a sexual object. They certainly don't care if guys think they're smart. Their brain doesn't get men to buy them things.

 

[Billy Batson]

Story

those girls are dumb. girlcott? that is retarded. here's the reason:

Etymology: Charles C. Boycott died 1897 English land agent in Ireland who was ostracized for refusing to reduce rents

courtesy of merriam-webster online.

 

[wanderingone]

those girls are dumb. girlcott? that is retarded. here's the reason:



courtesy of merriam-webster online.

Not an advocate of word play I take it?

 

[k]

those girls are dumb. girlcott? that is retarded. here's the reason:



courtesy of merriam-webster online.

At least those girls are doing something positive, and to call them dumb seems pretty harsh.

 

[Mr.Pious]

If they aren't over 16 they might think the shirt is just sassy, not realizing the full message they are sending.

Their parents know what it means though, and if you are under 16 you more than likelly don't have a job or the money to shop at AF

 

[Chajara]

I'm between a rock and a hard place here. On one hand, I hate these stupid name brands (and the popped-collar "I'm richer than you" prep look they's gotten so popular) with a viking passion and the mere sight of someone in a shirt like that makes me want to kick someones teeth in. At the same time, when people wear these shirts I know who to avoid when I want to seek out someone else's company for an intelligent conversation.

I once saw a girl at my high school wearing a shirt that said "I ride bareback." I did a double-take, my mouth hung open. But sure enough, that shirt did indeed say what I thought it did, and it did indeed imply that the girl wearing it had promiscuous sex without a condom. She might as well have been wearing a shirt that said "I HAVE HERPES." or "I HAVE THE CLAP."

I think I died a little inside when I saw it.

 

[Billy Batson]

Not an advocate of word play I take it?

like reading my mind.

 

[Billy Batson]

At least those girls are doing something positive, and to call them dumb seems pretty harsh.

i'm not belittling their cause -- just their ignorance of the actions such as "girlcott" which is dumb. it shows an indiffrence and/or ignorance to the root of the word.

 

[Billy Batson]

I'm between a rock and a hard place here. On one hand, I hate these stupid name brands (and the popped-collar "I'm richer than you" prep look they's gotten so popular) with a viking passion and the mere sight of someone in a shirt like that makes me want to kick someones teeth in. At the same time, when people wear these shirts I know who to avoid when I want to seek out someone else's company for an intelligent conversation.

I once saw a girl at my high school wearing a shirt that said "I ride bareback." I did a double-take, my mouth hung open. But sure enough, that shirt did indeed say what I thought it did, and it did indeed imply that the girl wearing it had promiscuous sex without a condom. She might as well have been wearing a shirt that said "I HAVE HERPES." or "I HAVE THE CLAP."

I think I died a little inside when I saw it.

i don't think anything of it when i see people wearing shirts with odd little phrases on them. the point of them are to stand out to do a double take or to make people laugh.

you shouldn't judge based on someone's attire. it becomes a game to wear things that out does the next person. a game of shock, if you will.

and so what if people like to dress trendy. it's human nature to want to conform though it is an american construct that we should each be individuals and dress alike. where the two thoughts collide and decided to become friends, i'm not sure, but it's mostly american.

in the end, people will dress the way they feel most comfortable. (a&f have very comfortable clothing) and besides, it's only clothing.

 

[BeautyForAshes]

I'm between a rock and a hard place here. On one hand, I hate these stupid name brands (and the popped-collar "I'm richer than you" prep look they's gotten so popular) with a viking passion and the mere sight of someone in a shirt like that makes me want to kick someones teeth in. At the same time, when people wear these shirts I know who to avoid when I want to seek out someone else's company for an intelligent conversation.

I once saw a girl at my high school wearing a shirt that said "I ride bareback." I did a double-take, my mouth hung open. But sure enough, that shirt did indeed say what I thought it did, and it did indeed imply that the girl wearing it had promiscuous sex without a condom. She might as well have been wearing a shirt that said "I HAVE HERPES." or "I HAVE THE CLAP."

I think I died a little inside when I saw it.

That's almost as bad as the shirt a girl was wearing at my nephew's b-ball game this week. It read ...."MILF in training"