Abercrombie and Fitch posters spark controversy

[karrie]

A poster of three young men in a field holding up their pants - one of them showing the upper part of his buttocks - greets customers at the Abercrombie and Fitch clothing store in West Edmonton Mall.
That same poster recently became the centre of controversy in Virginia Beach, Va., where cops confiscated it with another that showed the profile of a topless female with her hand covering one breast.
Matt Faiazza, manager of the local outlet, was surprised to hear about the controversy.
He said he has not heard about the Virginia case where a store manager was recently charged with obscenity after he failed to take down the posters following numerous public complaints.
The City of Virginia Beach prohibits the display of obscene materials visible to youth. The charge was dropped yesterday.

FULL STORY

 

[karrie]

LOL.

 

[Andem]

 

[Brat]

That's the picture!?!

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with that.
I've seen alot worse.
The way kids dress these days, with the baggy pants and thier underwear hanging out, you see more ass crack then that. I find that more offensive then that poster.

 

[CDNBear]

That's just obscene!!!

 

[Andem]

Abercrombie has always sold sex. Cute boys, attractive white suburban girls.

 

[CDNBear]

Abercrombie has always sold sex. Cute boys, attractive white suburban girls.

How much do they go for Andem?:lol:

 

[Praxius]

The laws the laws as many say. Apparently there were complaints and they didn't take it down and were charged. Pretty simple to me.

But exactly why were they dropped?

 

[Praxius]

....."No, I haven't got any complaints about that poster," said Faiazza.

There had been complaints before about other posters in the store, but Faiazza didn't specify which ones. He also said no one has objected to the poster depicting the topless woman.
"The marketing images in question show less skin than you see any summer day at the beach and certainly less than the plumber working on your kitchen sink," a spokesman for the Ohio-based company said in a statement yesterday.

That's very true, but there's no law against a plumbers arse or a girl at the beach in a skimpy suit.

They knew what would happen, and it worked. Attention.

But it didn't explain why the charges were dropped though. I'm sure for obvious reasons, but what's the official reason?

 

[CDNBear]

The laws the laws as many say. Apparently there were complaints and they didn't take it down and were charged. Pretty simple to me.

But exactly why were they dropped?

Because the posters are not obscene.

 

[missile]

The ads brought the staid company's image back before the buying public &that's the whole point of such publicity. The more controversary has probably brought in many customers.

 

[Praxius]

Because the posters are not obscene.

Is that your personal answer or the offical answer from the courts?

 

[CDNBear]

Is that your personal answer or the offical answer from the courts?

No it's the most logical, I can see why you would have difficulty understanding that.

It's like when I was charged with hunting on posted land and tresspassing. I was charged, because the MNR does not get into land disputes.

I presented a copy of the town survey, to a Justice of the peace, acompanied by the landowner that gave us permission to hunt on his land.

This took place long before any court date could be set.

Guess what, the charges were dropped.

It's actually quite simple. Police officers sometimes interpret laws, and shouldn't. True they must make a judgement, and more often then not, they will lay charges to end or appease a situation, but that in no way means that a law was infact broken.

The appliction you just witnessed is called critical thought, based on life experience, knowledge and research.

 

[karrie]

okay, here's that link I botched earlier.

http://www.improveverywhere.com/2007/10/17/no-shirts/

 

[Scott Free]

I don't see how that's a very good add for clothing!?! It doesn't look like the models like wearing cloths and they don't seem to fit. I thought maybe they were heading to a swimming hole?

That's what went through my mind anyway when I saw the picture but then again, I'm probably not in the target demographic.

This is just another add in a long line that in context of the product they are supposedly selling don't make a damn bit of sense.

 

[Praxius]

No it's the most logical, I can see why you would have difficulty understanding that.......

.....The appliction you just witnessed is called critical thought, based on life experience, knowledge and research.

Read again:

....But it didn't explain why the charges were dropped though. I'm sure for obvious reasons, but what's the official reason?

I wanted to know the offical reason nothing more. I did not want your personal view, or anybody elses for that matter. If you don't know, then don't respond. I could have easily said the same thing, but I wanted to know for my own personal interest the official reasons why.

It's not a complicated question. If you do not have a link/quote, then don't respond with something which is not the answer.

 

[Praxius]

okay, here's that link I botched earlier.

http://www.improveverywhere.com/2007/10/17/no-shirts/

Unfortunatly I can not view the link you supplied where I currently am.

 

[CDNBear]

Read again:



I wanted to know the offical reason nothing more. I did not want your personal view, or anybody elses for that matter. If you don't know, then don't respond. I could have easily said the same thing, but I wanted to know for my own personal interest the official reasons why.

It's not a complicated question. If you do not have a link/quote, then don't respond with something which is not the answer.

In kind, then don't post if you don't want people to reply.

Grow up.

 

[CDNBear]

A city official later said the charge would be dropped.
“The marketing images in question show less skin than you see any summer day at the beach. And certainly less than the plumber working on your kitchen sink,” the company, based in New Albany, Ohio, said in a statement.

Link

However, prosecutors said that they were unable to bring a case.

Deputy City Attorney Mark Stiles said that, while the images might be technically in breach of the nudity section of the city's local code, they were in line with the other standards upheld by the law. For prosecution the images would have to appeal to "prurient interests", lack any redeeming artistic merit and be offensive to "prevailing community standards".

Link
Does that make you feel any better.

It sure does look alot like what I said. No need to thank me, just learn something.

 

[jenn]

Has anyone here ever shopped at Abercrombie and Fitch? We took our boys to west Ed Mall for their back to school shopping spree in August... imagin 100.00 for a tshirt that has frays like it is 10 yrs old..lol.. or a plain jane tshirt that says Abercrombie and Fitch on it for a mere 35.00.... It wouldn't surprize me if the person<s> making the complaints were their own employess just to get the attention to get the shoppers in...