Abercrombie & Fitch Pays The Situation To Stop Wearing Its Clothes

Aug. 17, 2011

By Ryan O'Connell info

Ryan O’Connell is a 25 year-old writer based in the East Village, New York.

Read more »

Typically when a celebrity wears a designer’s clothing it’s seen as being mutually beneficial. It’s an exchange that’s as old as time— designers lend their clothing to an influential name so that their frocks can be photographed by the press, seen by millions of people, and hopefully bought up by their fans. It’s the best promotion someone can get!

In the case of Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino and clothing label Abercrombie & Fitch, however, the opposite is true. Releasing a hilarious press release last week, a spokesperson for A & F urged the Jersey Shore star to actually stop donning its clothing on episodes of the reality show, explaining that it causes “distress” to fans of the brand. They said:

We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino’s association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans. We have therefore offered a substantial payment to Michael ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino and the producers of MTV’s The Jersey Shore to have the character wear an alternate brand. We have also extended this offer to other members of the cast, and are urgently waiting a response.”

Abercrombie & Fitch
Brand Senses Department

You know things are bad when clothes that are sold at a mall don’t want to be associated with you. They’re like, “Naw, dawg, Can you not? Try Anchor Blue.” Question to A & F though: If you don’t want someone like The Situation to wear your clothes, who do you want? Michelle Obama? Actually, you know what? I don’t care. As long as you keep on producing those homoerotic Quarterly’s, we’re good. TC mark

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  • http://twitter.com/galette_rois Julian Galette

    As if the situation is worse than all the other douches that rock A&F (not that only douches rock A&F, obviously) – he’s just more public.

    This is a bad move on their part.

  • clare

    Yes, please stop wearing the clothes of a company whose president is obsessed with youth and preserving the image of the “all American male”. Oh yeah and he looks like this: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bQ0SqifjNcg/TNmsu4IiGRI/AAAAAAAAevA/t6ZEZpke8Rw/s1600/mike-jeffries-plastic-surgery-5.jpg

  • clare

    Yes, please stop wearing the clothes of a company whose president is obsessed with youth and preserving the image of the “all American male”. Oh yeah and he looks like this: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bQ0SqifjNcg/TNmsu4IiGRI/AAAAAAAAevA/t6ZEZpke8Rw/s1600/mike-jeffries-plastic-surgery-5.jpg

  • SisterRay73

    It causes “distress” to fans of the brand? Aka the rich white parents who buy the stuff for their suburban kids? I don’t get it.

  • Guesty

    they should be paying out a lot more

  • Chels

    I find this to be fucking glorious 

  • a.

    As someone in the PR world, I have to say kudos. This is quite the stunt.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=612928768 Samie Rose

    He doesn’t look human.

  • Anonymous

    I’m just a simple bumpkin, so I’ve never even watched the show before, but I hear a lot about this “Situation” fellow. I hear that he wasn’t treated very well by his father. I hear that he went to Trousdale Lounge without a shirt on, and apparently that place is a fine dining establishment that embraces the “no shirt, no shoes, no service” philosophy. 

    It seems to me that people make fun of this poor guy quite a lot, but it also sounds like he provides us with more than enough fodder. And now every time I walk by an A&F store I will think of this poor, misguided lad. In my mind he is now MORE associated with the brand.  It makes me feel sad. Now A&F makes me sad, too.

  • Chels

    Everyone has problems, no one’s feeling ever get tip-toed on… unless, your sitting with those who love you. Even then, there is no guarantee.

  • klaus

    Stop stealing Brandon Scott Gorrell’s essay topics.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1363230138 Michael Koh

    Yeah, I saw this on Twitter and thought it was absolutely stupid. 

  • Neste

    Who committed the stunt? A & R or the Situation? 

  • Neste

    He’s doing a terrible job at preserving that image.  The times have changed since the 60′s.  The majority of his models should either be Latino or African American. 

  • Neste

    The situation should have known better than to think he was part of the demographic of drunk white guys at Dave Matthews’ Band concerts. 

  • Anonymous

    ta.gg/55j

  • Anonymous

    I don’t know if anyone remembers, but A&F had a major class action lawsuit filed against them less than 10 years ago for racist hiring practices. I haven’t viewed any of their quarterlies in years but let’s just say as a gay black guy, I hardly ever saw another black model in that publication as well as in the stores. 

  • http://profiles.google.com/driftpunk Ben Lever

    You know the funniest thing? Some other brand (Gucci maybe?) has done the same thing with Snooki but with a different tactic – instead of paying her not to wear their stuff, they gift her their competitors’ stuff.

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