April 19, 2002
Abercrombie & Fitch
Who in their marketing department saw these shirts and said "Hey this is a GREAT idea"?
SAN FRANCISCO (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.
"These graphic T-shirts were designed with the sole purpose of adding humor and levity to our fashion line. Since some customers have been offended by their content, we are pulling these shirts from our stores," he added.
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