MrFatbooty

So I'm sure most of you guys knwo about this but here's a basic overview. Abercrombie has a policy of hiring salespeople that fit a certain "look" consistent with their advertising and catalogs.

A bunch of minority people who worked at Abercrombie got crappy treatment there through things such as receiving less hours or odd hours, crappy jobs like working in the stockroom instead of the cash register, or got fired. They feel they were discriminated against based on race, because Abercrombie's preferred "look" is for the most part white. The plaintiffs allege that by trying to enforce this look, Abercrombie is engaging in institutionalized racism.

One argument against the case is that Abercrombie is engaging in institutionalized "lookism" rather racism, and that it has the right to go for its look even if it is racism. One example given is that if Dan Rather for some reason quit his job at CBS and decided he wanted to work at BET, he probably wouldn't be given a job despite his credentials as a news anchor.

I dunno how exactly I feel on this issue. On the one hand Abercrombie does have a bit of a case in that keeping its sales force to a certain look which may indeed be racist, does indeed help them to sell more clothes. On the other hand, the people who have been discriminated on based on their look have the argument that un-pretty white people have more of a chance to make themselves get pretty and then get a job whereas minorities would probably have to be of an even higher percentile of good looks to get a job than a similar white person.

So um...discuss. Preferably without arguing too much.

Jessica

i think its stupid. if you want a job in retail, and abercrombie doesn't hire you, go somewhere else. there's plenty of retail jobs out there.

plus, they pay like shit anyway.

aux

HawtPants

i think the only thing they did wrong was cut hours and/or fire minorities. if you dont want them working there then why hire them?

you dont hire average joes/janes to model clothes on the runway because of equal opportunity employment now do you.

Grifter

AF sucks
i hate AF
i wish AF would die

RB

I understand their arguement...they are presenting an image, and they need specific people to fulfill that image. It's dirty and morally and ethicly wrong under general business practices, but thats how some shit is sometimes.

TheOtherDave™

It seems pretty cut and dried to me. By California law at least, AF is screwed. They've violated EOE laws through this distorted policy, and they should be prosecuted and punished with all due speed and vigor IMO.

And I own nothing from them, nor will I ever buy from them.

MrFatbooty

I have a pair of shorts from them that a friend of mine gave me for free because they were a birthday present someone gave him but they were too big.

supermac88

so I should sue FUBU cause I am white and there is no way in hell I can get a job there. Now a black lawyer made this comment on 60 minutes tonight. So is it just as unfair for whites not to be employed by echo, sean john, fubu and other various black clothing lines due to the fact that whites don't fit their marketing scheme? Also if you watched the article all of the people that 60 minutes showed where...

a. overweight

b. fugly

Jessica

its funny, my friend and i went to hollister, and he said, "you want to apply? you'll definetly get hired."

i would have said yes, just because all the guys there were so deliciously hot, but alas, i like my job that i have now.