Comments on: Young Republicans?

By: Liz

Liz — Fri, 19 Nov 2004 14:42:22 +0000

OK, Grant, you ‘ve thrown down a challenge….I WILL go wade through the girls’ mags–Seventeen and the like, and see if the “new modesty” is really happening. I don’t think so yet, based on what I see available in Target and the like for the pre-teen set. You are hard-pressed to find everyday clothes that aren’t too sexualized for an eight-year-old.

Personally, I think A&F is again heartlessly jumping on some bandwagon….I find the company particularly smug and repulsive in their smugness.

I think the bigger deal is going to be when hip-hip sales numbers start to slide down in mostly-white areas.

By: Tom Guarriello

Tom Guarriello — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 21:04:09 +0000

Well, Grant, with a physique like mine, I’m for buttoning up as well!

By: Grant

Grant — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 13:48:20 +0000

Steve, this -is- interesting and you’re right very Beneton. Very “real,” and “authentic,” to use the terms the creative team almost certainly used to persuade the corporation to make this daring choice. And good for them. Just when you think poor Ewing might have a point, the ad world goes and finds a new play book. And it makes me think of the guy who is now doing the talk show rounds with the story of how he sawed his own arm off after a hiking accident. It’s heroism, where the hero is very much committed to their own journey and self creation (even at the cost of self distruction)–perhaps the most virulent form of individualism. I wonder if we are hearing something here? Thanks very much, Grant

Tom, nice post, thanks, I guess we are, in keeping with today’s (Tuesday’s) post, looking at a new multiplicity of options, with something for everyone. But the thing, for me, is to figure out the middle of the flock, the point that captures the most birds in the least space. And this middle points feels like it’s moving to modesty. I for one am buttoning up. Thanks, Grant

By: Steve Portigal

Steve Portigal — Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:53:08 +0000

A&F had an ad in the Sunday NYT magazine. It featured their new hero, a young man without limbs – okay, I don’t have the medical terminology clear and it bears describing – arms stopped at the elbow, legs stopped above the knee. He is a wrestler.

He and his brother were posed in what I imagined were AF clothing, with the fully-limbed boy holding the other on his back, piggy-back style. He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother?

The text told a whole story about bravery and accomplishment and all that, but the ad, especially with their brand on it, evoked a slight whiff of disabled-teen-fetish. Sort of a latter-day Benetton imagery thing.

But hey, they bleeped Marge Simpson on last night’s episode. She said “BFD” and they silenced the F. So now you can’t say F? No T, A, or F, I guess.