Abercrombie & Fitch, Michael Jeffries Only Wants The Beautiful People: Duh

Maybe you've heard, maybe not since in the scope of world affairs it isn't important or shocking, but Abercrombie & Fitch is in the middle of a media firestorm.
Abercrombie & Fitch refuses to sell clothing larger than a size 10/L (as they have done forever) because CEO Mike Jeffries (who looks like a scarier Bruce Jenner - yes, scarier) only wants "good looking people" to wear his brand -- coming from a 2006 interview with Salon. You may be thinking what I was thinking when I heard this news - how is this anything new? They've been doing this for years! He said this years ago!
Well a Philadelphia-based writer recently penned a letter about how she was bullied in high school by kids who wore Abercrombie & Fitch - um, bitch please, weren't we all? Anyway, here's the abridged version:

A Note to Michael Jeffries, CEO, Abercrombie & Fitch.

Mike,

I write to you in response to the recent media outburst surrounding your unfortunate decision to further declare the exclusions that exist in your soft-core porn clothing store, Abercrombie & Fitch. I read your statements, your comments, your beliefs and I’ve let them sink in for a few weeks. In fact, I initially decided not to respond at all since I have always chosen to not shop at your store anyway. The fact that your store doesn’t make or sell clothing higher than a size 10 or a “L” is actually news to me. I think your store, quite literally, stinks.

Now, I worked at Guest Services inside of my local mall and I had to deal with the customers who complained about the abundance of musky stench that infects the sinuses of each passer-by, but I did not write you then. I heard that you were targeting girls as young as eight years old in your campaigns over the years, sending them your pornographic catalogs and full-knowingly attempting to engage them into becoming sexual, “cool” teens who would shop at your store, but I did not write you then. But when you specifically called out my plus size ass in your latest statements, Mike, I’m ready to write.

You see, I told you, I’m polite to the point where it makes me uncomfortable to just call you “Mike” (but I’m over it). I know I’m polite because I’ve met impolite people (this is you). I think back to high school, where I attended a “well-off” private, Catholic, college preparatory school. I think of the kids who, when they weren’t wearing a uniform, sported your clothing. I regret to inform you that “cool” doesn’t exactly come to mind, but “expulsion”, “bully”, “pretzel thrown at me at lunch”, and “harassment” actually do. They were ALL on the football team and I bet you, Mike, find them to be cool.

You see, it was the kids wearing your clothing who thought they were so unstoppably “cool” (because you told them they are) that they could therefore harass girls all throughout our class-- girls of all different shapes and sizes. They thought they could write derogatory comments across one girl’s driveway at home, and they were expelled. They thought that they could call the girls at home at night, plaguing them with hurtful words and hysterical laughter, and they were suspended.

I’m 27 years old, Mike, and I received a social media message from one of these bullies just last year, with a wink face… that’s it, just a wink face. It was a cruel reminder, a hurtful flashback.. a wink is all it takes to tell me, almost TEN YEARS after high-school graduation and the last time we saw each other, that he still is teasing me, he is still mean, he is still a bully, he is still SO COOL, and he wanted me to know.

When I re-visited your outrageous commentary today, I discovered the long list of rules that you require that your private jet flight attendants fulfill.

I can’t say I won’t buy your products because, as I’ve said, I never did and, secondly, you’ve excluded me from being able to do so anyway. I know there is currently a young all-American man who is clothing the homeless by donating his A&F clothes because your claims sicken him too, Mike. I know there are a bunch of moms, fully disregarding the former money spent on your clothing, rallying up mounds of their kids’ clothes that display your A&F tags, and ridding of them.

And I’ve got news for you, Mike… in the world, girls with huge hooters are INCREDIBLY cool, and they may require an “XL”.

Get with it,

Colleen Radano

Obviously this woman didn't write this letter so Mike could "get with it." She wrote it for attention because Mike will never "get with it." Why should he? People buy his clothing and he's rich enough to buy plastic surgery until his face falls off and then he's rich enough to buy a new face. (I'm picturing a skin mask a la Buffalo Bill but ... that's just me). In conclusion, he has no reason to "get with it."
Anyway, this woman needs to stop obsessing over high school bullies. I got bullied in high school - as a 6' tall woman, it was likely to happen. A lot of people got bullied in high school and are still getting bullied in high school. My children will probably meet a bully or two along their grade school career. That's life. I used to get pissed about it from time to time but realized (years ago) it's not worth it to obsess over the past.
Yes, I think it's stupid a company can profit off alienating customers but Mike Jeffries has been doing this for years and it seems to be working! Perhaps many of the customers simply like the clothing, perhaps not and it's more of a label thing. He's found the niche - the popular, thin, rich people who are obsessed with image. Too bad it's not against the law and probably won't end.
Yes, I couldn't wear Abercrombie & Fitch. First off, it's expensive. Second off, the only clothing of theirs I fit into was a mens Medium. A generous family member bought me a couple items when I was young (in mens sizes) so I could wear the label but that's about where my relationship with A&F starts and ends. I wear a size 12 shoe and a lot of well-known companies don't carry that size. Maybe they don't want Big Foot (aka me) wearing their shoes, maybe not. I don't care. I shop at the stores that carry my size.
Yes, the canine cologne stench coming out of Hollister and A&F nauseates me but I don't go to the mall enough to fall victim to this absurdness because the mall sucks. Too many people, too much hassle.
Yes, their clothing targets young girls and urges them to sexualize themselves, which is disgusting. Pornographic? Possibly, although I think this chick's idea of porn and mine are quite different. Parents need to have honest and open conversations about this type of thing when it's brought up because it's going to happen whether A&F sells slutty clothing or not.
Yes, I'm not what Mike would define as one of his "good looking people" to wear his brand. I'm too old and I'm too curvy. Cest la vie.
Abercrombie & Fitch only wants the beautiful people but think about this ... when have you seen a clothing ad with an ugly model? Maybe they all aren't supermodels but they're attractive and thin. Interesting ...
The real issue with this whole drama is teaching our children to be happy with who they are on the INSIDE. Promoting self-esteem and self-confidence. Promoting the idea you don't need an Abercrombie & Fitch wardrobe and if someone thinks you do to be cool then that someone isn't worth your time. Promote healthy choices, from nutrition to exercise to peer pressure and sexuality. Don't be who someone expects you to be, whether it's this bitter chick or Michael Jeffries, be who you want to be because that's what makes YOU happy.
Frankly, if you aren't happy with a company, then boycott them. I think it's bizarre that Chic-fi-la spends money to promote anti-abortion and anti-homosexuality causes so I don't buy their food (it's not that good anyway). That's my decision.
I can't wear A&F - the age and size factors. There's a lot of things I can't do. What can I do? Be happy with who I am and live my life. Mike Jeffries is a dickhead but face it, he's always been a dickhead and will always be a dickhead. How pathetic.

Ariel Castro pleads not guilty: Cleveland kidnapping, why pleading innocent makes sense

I was surfing Twitter and what to my wondering eyes did appear: "ALERT: Ariel Castro's lawyer reveals kidnapping suspect's plea." Along with most Americans, I follow this shocking case. I figured he'd plead guilty, given the circumstances, and was shocked to find he's done just the opposite.
According to an article in the New York Daily News, who nicknamed him the Cleveland Creep, Castro's attorneys had this to say:
"I can tell you that Mr. Castro is extremely committed to the well being and positive future for his daughter, who he loves dearly ... And if people find that to be a disconnect from what he's alleged to have done, then the people will just have to deal with it. We just know how he feels about his little girl."
"The initial portrayal by the media has been one of a 'monster' and that's not the impression that I got when I talked to him for three hours ... I know that family members who have been interviewed by the media have expressed that as well."
Apparently we the people want to demonize this man but we don't "know the whole story," which will be "disclosed as the case progresses." What could be his excuse for the house of horrors (also compared to conditions endured by prisoners of war) police found and what about the three young women and one child (who he fathered) who pointed their fingers at him? Are we supposed to believe these women are lying? Did they want to be chained and held captive (there were chains fixed to the walls and dog leads hanging from the ceiling)? If he was so nice why did the women suffer injuries such as bed sores, malnutrition, hearing loss, joint and muscle damage? The upstairs bedrooms were furnished with only a mattress on the floor and padlocks on the outside ...
As for the 6-year-old, this reminds me of wilding Craster from "Games of Thrones" who marries his daughters, has children with them but feeds the male offspring to the mysterious White Walkers and keeps the female offspring so he can marry them later on. In a nutshell, gross. Was he planning to rape her as well? He loved her so much he had her mother birth her in a plastic kiddie pool? If that's not love, I don't know what is ...
When I first read his attorneys' remarks, I was upset. It's unfortunate all this time and money will be spent trying someone we all know is guilty but doesn't have the stones to admit his wrong-doing -- he had the stones to kidnap, repeatedly rape and enslave those young women in a populated area (allegedly). I understand everyone is innocent before proven guilty (although this New York Daily News article has Castro signed, sealed and delivered on a one-way ticket to hell by way of lethal injection and I'm pretty close to this conclusion as well) and everyone has the right to legal counsel, but you'd think this man would make it easier on everyone and plead guilty considering the evidence.
However, I soon realized his not guilty plea makes sense.
This isn't me or you or someone sane-ish. This is a mentally sick man. He is intelligent but lacks a moral compass. Of course his attorneys couldn't tell he's mentally sick even though they spoke with him for three hours. He lived a lie for 10 years, what's three hours with two attorneys? The truth only came out because one young woman was courageous enough to attempt an escape! How much longer would those women be held if she didn't try to escape and her neighbor didn't help? Castro kidnapped three young women and probably lays the blame on them because they were the ones who got into his car -- similar to serial killers who murder/rape prostitutes because, to them, they aren't human beings. Allegedly, Castro repeatedly raped these women, held them captive with chains and leashes, abused them physically and mentally (especially the one he starved and punched in the stomach when she became pregnant with his child - apparently five times. She is being referred to as his "main punching bag"). Who knows what else he did because 10 years is a long time. Of course pleading not guilty makes sense for him because he doesn't believe he did anything wrong. He's crazy!
All I can hope for these young women is justice and the ability to salvage a future because the American public will forget about them quickly!

Door-to-door search violation of Fourth Amendment? Boston Marathon bombing, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, freedom

Haven't written a post in a while ... maybe that means there's no reason to bitch. Signs point to me being lazy because there's always something to bitch about!
The Boston Marathon Bombing Aftermath - what's the deal with people complaining about government involvement, i.e. Watertown on lock down while they tracked down the terrorists, door-to-door searches. People have been bitching and moaning about freedom and rights. Don't tread on me, give me liberty or give me death, Obama's turning the country into a Nazi state (are Jews and the "unwanted" being murdered and enslaved?) blah blah blah.
People who bitch about freedom and rights are typically cowards who have never needed to use their precious guns to defend themselves and have never been in a town where two terrorists were running around using explosives as weapons - in a standoff with police they set off bombs! Bombs! The whizzing sound of bullets, pop pop pop, the boom of shrapnel filled explosives. Is this Watertown, Mass. or Afghanistan?
People have their panties in a twist, more specifically, because the door-to-door search of the bombing suspects was (to them) a violation of the fourth amendment. The Fourth Amendment protects against search and seizure of private property without a warrant but there is an exception under critical circumstances. Terrorists critical enough for you?
Armored vehicles, tanks, heavily armored law enforcement -- what is this, "1984" or a police state?
The ACLU reported they received complaints but none from people whose homes were ACTUALLY searched. You know what? If there is a crazed terrorist running through my town - please, be my guest. Search my home because I have nothing to hide and maybe Dzhokhar Tsarnaev found his way into my home through a window or something ... who knows! I could help find him! Don't people want to help law enforcement? Don't people want to do whatever is in their power to find this man?
Luckily the brave men and women killed Tamerlan Tsarnaev and found (with the help of one Watertown resident) Dzhokhar, risking their lives while we sat at home, glued to our TVs and radios, bitching and moaning about freedom because it's so easy. It's so easy to log on Twitter or Facebook and complain and rant about liberty. How dare they lock down Watertown! How can they do that? What is this? This is the beginning of the end!
These people don't want the government and police telling them what to do, what to think, how to live but when a serial killer or terrorist is on the loose in their neighborhood -- let's see what happens then!