A group of high school girls in Pittsburgh organized a boycott, or as they called it, a "girlcott," of pricy clothing retailer Abercrombie and Fitch because of t-shirts the group deemed demeaning towards women. The story has gained national attention, with the girls being interviewed by Katie Couric on the "Today Show."
The shirts were emblazoned with sayings such as, "Who needs brains when you have these," and one said "Freshman 15," with the names of 15 guys written in. While the shirts are funny in a way, we do not think them worthy of being purchased, especially at A&F's inflated prices.
The company has a long history of stirring up anger. Not too long ago they had a shirt that said, "Two Wong's don't make a white," angering the Asian community. Half-nude catalogs and verbally suggestive thongs for young girls also raised the ire of parents across America. It was also accused of discriminating against minorities in its hiring practices.
It is encouraging to see young people organizing and standing up for what they believe in. With the store deciding to pull the shirts from the sale racks, hopefully more people will hold seemingly indifferent companies' feet to the fire.
