Taking a walk in the mall is now hard to do without seeing half-naked guys and girls pawing each other. “Wait now,” you say, “Isn’t that what security guards are for? Kick those hormone-overwhelmed kids out of the mall!” Well what if those teens were actually blown-up photos, advertising for Abercrombie & Fitch? Students are perhaps attracted to the offer of sex when they see an underwear-clad gorgeous guy with a glitzy gal, wrapped up in each other’s inferred ‘romance’ on advertisement posters. Or maybe the youth of our nation is being drawn to the appeal of washboard abs and tiny tummies. Whatever the reason—it isn’t because the clothes are of commendable condition and sensible sizes. <P>
The morals of this large chain outlet are at an all-time low, targeting 13-17 year olds with their attractive models. Sure they may claim that their aims are at an older ‘more mature’ audience, but with themes such as half-dressed football players, it is obvious that Abercrombie & Fitch’s fans are young adolescent girls too naïve to see they’re buying into the hype. It is thoroughly ironic that Abercrombie & Fitch's own published numbers show the company’s last year annual sales peaked at $827-million with sales up 18%. And their biggest market? 7 to 14 year olds (GASP!), and 18 to college age young adults.<P>
The silliest thing is that, as teenagers, we constantly insist on rebelling from our parents—however, when it comes to clothing or attitude we flip ourselves upside down to be one of the norm. Why not buy a nice blue tee shirt and a pair of pants from Old Navy or the Gap? Oh no, we have to be like everyone else; we have to buy the itty-bitty fifty dollar sweater that barely covers our mid-drift and practically screams ‘I’M AN ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CONSUMER!’ <P>
Yes, there <i>are</i> coalitions and alliances rallying against this store that sells sex over shirts. The American Decency Association (ADA) claims “Abercrombie & Fitch targets teens at the most vulnerable point in their lives utilising images of young bodies, mostly unclothed, some partially nude, some totally nude, many in sexualised poses.” In fact, in 1999, A&F was called into court to account for distributing pornography to adolescents. While understanding the dispersal of pornography to minors is illegal, A&F continued to top the prior catalogue with its Summer 2002 Quarterly Catalogue. This ‘clothing’ catalogue is so questionable it comes with an XXX rating. Nudity, shirtless women frolicking about, and a man seemingly in bondage are just some of the disturbing images in the summer issue of the Abercrombie and Fitch quarterly.<P>
Abercrombie & Fitch has even proceeded to offend certain Asian-American families, causing a whole school in Los Angeles to protest and demand that the racist slanty-eyed caricatures be immediately removed. Yet, the majority of our student body still models shirts, pants, belts, and underwear with pricey tags stating ‘A&F.’<P>
There is a huge and obvious difference between decency and immoral smut, and Abercrombie & Fitch balances precariously between the two. It’s high time our generation turns away from such filth and starts buying from stores that deserve profit. Next time you visit the Valley Plaza mall, try resisting the urge to buy from a store that promises sex in exchange for cash. If everyone pitches in, maybe then A&F will get the picture that <i>their</i> pictures are tasteless and uncalled for.
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Written for my high school newspaper.