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Abercrombie pulls 'racist' Asian theme T-shirts
Did you notice how CNN put racist in quotations? Pheh.
SAN FRANCISCO, California (Reuters) -- Clothing maker Abercrombie & Fitch said on Thursday it was pulling a new line of Asian-themed T-shirts after Asian-American groups complained they were a blatant example of racist stereotyping.
The shirts, which retail for $25, hit the shelves this week and carry caricatures of slant-eyed Asians in conical hats along with such slogans as "WONG BROTHERS LAUNDRY SERVICE: TWO WONGS CAN MAKE IT WHITE" and "WOK-N-BOWL -- CHINESE FOOD AND BOWLING."
"It is not and never has been our intention to offend anyone," Abercrombie spokesman Hampton Carney said.
Amabelle writes:
by them marketing these t-shirts to their target audience, they only perpetuate the stereotypes placed on asians... that we're laundry cleaners, that we make good take-out food, that we carry rickshaws on our backs... well, ok, the last one's probably not a stereotype of asians here, but i think it's definitely a stereotype of asians in asia.
And someone retorted on a message board:
You need a racist mind to see racism in these T-shirts. Of course, most of these 'activisits' are self-appointed saints who would never admit to any impurity in their perfect souls. But the reality is that most people do not see racism in them and think they are funny; perhaps they don't have the racist mind that the activists have.
Only racist people see racism? I'm so flabbergasted at the ignorance. It's the lack of awareness and lack of understanding that racism stems from. The unwillingness to learn and the unwillingness to listen that forces individuals to think that racist pictures are acceptable and funny.
I first heard about it on Wednesday, and I didn't think much of it. But when I saw the shirts, my face flushed. I had the feeling I would never see a similar A&F shirt with an African-American slave working on a plantation field for a Caucasian owner, with a cute clever slogan like "Black to the Eighteenth Century", or better yet-- have that photo coupled with a black homeless bum and say "Where has their work ethics gone?" It is offensive. Period. Having carricatures of Asian people with slanted eyes (and my eyes are beautiful-- so FUCK YOU) working in industries such as fast food restaurants and laundry services is equally disgusting.
Someone suggested (tongue in cheek) of making the following shirts, and why not, bastards:
"Honkey. Family reunions are easy when your family tree runs straight."
"Whitey. 300 years of racism and ignorance can't be wrong."
P.S. And just noticed Kat wrote about Jewel's new video, "Break Me". http://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?journal=katlynel&itemid=40441
Did you notice how CNN put racist in quotations? Pheh.
SAN FRANCISCO, California (Reuters) -- Clothing maker Abercrombie & Fitch said on Thursday it was pulling a new line of Asian-themed T-shirts after Asian-American groups complained they were a blatant example of racist stereotyping.
The shirts, which retail for $25, hit the shelves this week and carry caricatures of slant-eyed Asians in conical hats along with such slogans as "WONG BROTHERS LAUNDRY SERVICE: TWO WONGS CAN MAKE IT WHITE" and "WOK-N-BOWL -- CHINESE FOOD AND BOWLING."
"It is not and never has been our intention to offend anyone," Abercrombie spokesman Hampton Carney said.
Amabelle writes:
by them marketing these t-shirts to their target audience, they only perpetuate the stereotypes placed on asians... that we're laundry cleaners, that we make good take-out food, that we carry rickshaws on our backs... well, ok, the last one's probably not a stereotype of asians here, but i think it's definitely a stereotype of asians in asia.
And someone retorted on a message board:
You need a racist mind to see racism in these T-shirts. Of course, most of these 'activisits' are self-appointed saints who would never admit to any impurity in their perfect souls. But the reality is that most people do not see racism in them and think they are funny; perhaps they don't have the racist mind that the activists have.
Only racist people see racism? I'm so flabbergasted at the ignorance. It's the lack of awareness and lack of understanding that racism stems from. The unwillingness to learn and the unwillingness to listen that forces individuals to think that racist pictures are acceptable and funny.
I first heard about it on Wednesday, and I didn't think much of it. But when I saw the shirts, my face flushed. I had the feeling I would never see a similar A&F shirt with an African-American slave working on a plantation field for a Caucasian owner, with a cute clever slogan like "Black to the Eighteenth Century", or better yet-- have that photo coupled with a black homeless bum and say "Where has their work ethics gone?" It is offensive. Period. Having carricatures of Asian people with slanted eyes (and my eyes are beautiful-- so FUCK YOU) working in industries such as fast food restaurants and laundry services is equally disgusting.
Someone suggested (tongue in cheek) of making the following shirts, and why not, bastards:
"Honkey. Family reunions are easy when your family tree runs straight."
"Whitey. 300 years of racism and ignorance can't be wrong."
P.S. And just noticed Kat wrote about Jewel's new video, "Break Me". http://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?journal=katlynel&itemid=40441
