Previous | Close Window | Next
ABERCROMBIE & FITCH, 2003
Acrylic on canvas, 20 x 24 inches
In April, 2002, retail clothing store Abercrombie & Fitch, introduced a new line of T-shirts depicting smiling men with slanted eyes wearing conical hats. The T-shirts carried slogans such as "Buddha Bash" and "Wok-n-Bowl." Asian-American groups responded quickly, complaining that these images and phrases were blatant examples of racial stereotyping. Protests began at Abercrombie & Fitch stores nationwide.
After instructing all stores to remove the T-shirts, a spokesman for Abercrombie & Fitch said that the company felt that the shirts would be especially loved by the Asian American community and would be seen as cheeky, irreverent and funny. He said that he was surprised by the hostile reception the merchandise received.
Previous | Close Window | Next
This page: http://etc.lawrence.com/galleries/shimomura7/2517_hires.html