Abercrombie and Fitch Thinks They’re Turning Japanese

March 3, 2005

Clothing manufacturer Abercrombie and Fitch and entertainment giant Warner Brothers Studios have been known to use the same marketing techniques to sell their racy flicks and relaxed yet dressy wool sweaters: scantily clad models, the art of seduction and most recently a desire to “nip the nips.” In regard to the latter, Warner Brothers produced the 1944 cartoon Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips -- A&F allegedly refuses to hire or promote Asian Americans and other ethnic minorities. These charges were cemented in the minds of activists after the popularity of the WB cartoon surpassed America’s love for Tokio Jokio (WB 1943), You’re a Sap Mr. JAP (Paramount, 1942) and Scrap the JAPS (Paramount, 1942); and the powers that be at Abercrombie and Fitch refused to find a spot for the appropriately named William Hung in their soft-core-porn clothing catalog.

In response, employees filed a lawsuit against the clothing manufacturer claiming that A&F hires a disproportionately white sales force, favors white employees for the best positions and discourages minorities from even applying for jobs.

Jennifer Lu, a student at University of California, Irvine and former salesperson at the Costa Mesa location told CBS News’ 60 Minutes that A&F is “dominated by Caucasian, football looking, blonde-hair, blue-eyed males: skinny, tall.” Just think of it as the “Michael Jackson type” - only post puberty. One a side note: researchers at 60 Minutes believe they have uncovered an internal Abercrombie and Fitch memo that will serve as the smoking gun, titled “Asian Americans and Hiring: Resurrecting the Great Wall.” However, while CBS News typewriting experts are still trying to confirm the authenticity of the documents – Dan Rather says he’s as sure as a double-knot tied in wet rawhide.

While seemingly insignificant, the result of this lawsuit (and quick settlement) produces ramifications that go far beyond which flavor of the rainbow gets to saddle up for a casting couch audition to see who gets to ring up your jeans: ‘civil rights’ activists now want to dictate what you can or can not find to be physically attractive. In addition to paying $40 million to applicants and employees who charged the clothing giant with discrimination, the settlement requires A&F to include minorities in their marketing materials, including posters, shopping bags and catalog. In other words, activists aren’t upset that the company isn’t hiring minorities, because they are: as Kathy Lee Gifford taught us buff, Midwestern, fair skinned frat boys aren’t the ones putting the clothes together in sweatshops. They’re upset that minorities aren’t the face of the brand.

But whether we want to admit it or not, in addition to selling t-shirts and flip flops, clothing companies also sell an image. When it comes down to it, the difference between a pair of jeans at Abercrombie and Fitch and American Eagle is about the same as the difference between Mary Kate and Ashley Olson. You buy one or the other because you identify with the company’s image or you think it’s desirable and attractive and aspire to attain that lifestyle.

For the sake of argument, let’s assume that the allegations are true and Abercrombie does disproportionately hire athletic, white, male, attractive models and sales clerks. What is wrong with that if that’s what their customers want? After all, if you’ve ever shopped with women or gay men you know that what is on display behind the counter can be just as important as what is on display in the window. And all of us are discriminatory to various degrees when it comes to determining what we find to be attractive. Ellen DeGeneres discriminates against men. Bill Clinton discriminates against pretty girls. Robin Givens discriminates against the sane. Everyone discriminates against Sandra Bernhardt. Why should we force a company to present an image that its research says is not what their customers are interested in?

Jennifer Lu says tough luck: “I am now very excited about the policies and programs Abercrombie must implement that came about as a result of this lawsuit. I am looking forward to seeing a more diverse Abercrombie; one that actually reflects the look of America.”

Every company is not supposed to ‘reflect the look of America’ or even to appeal to every person – they just need to please their customers. You wouldn’t expect Hooters to make Leonardo DiCaprio their spokesman any more than you’d expect Lane Bryant to do the same with Calista Flockhart.

In fact, Ms. Lu is damned lucky that the goal of every entity is not to ‘reflect the look of America.’ According to the Los Angeles Times 57% of University of California, Irvine undergraduates are of Asian descent, while Asians only make up about 11% of California’s population. If the Abercrombie rules applied to UCI, their numbers would be 46% out of whack – with Lu in the overrepresented majority. The samurai sword can cut both ways.

This is the beauty of the free market – a corrective mechanism infinitely more efficient than meddling extortionists could ever hope to be. If enough customers think A&F is racist they will start buying their pants at a company that they find to be more ethnically diverse. This revelation would be a windfall for Banana Republic – a company practically named after the United Nations.

John Phillips

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