Jennifer Berger on About Face and American Apparel

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• About Face
• Jennifer Berger
• American Apparel
• Dov Charney
• Advertising
• Feminism
• Feminist

[iwantcandy2]

Good interview, good point. Ugh, I am never shopping there. Sell me clothes that make me feel good about myself and comfortable, not slimy and worthless and over-sexualized. I don't know if it's just me, but the volume is really low, and it makes it a little hard to hear, even on full volume.

[feministfrequency]

@iwantcandy2 yup, sorry about the volume issue, hopefully it will be resolved with future videos.

[schneefritz]

There is no capitalism without sexism.

[feministfrequency]

@schneefritz Then maybe there shouldn't be any capitalism.

[AmandyChan]

I was just talking about this with my friends the other day. There was a billboard for American Apparel with a naked woman lying down with a blanket over her crotch area and her arms covering her breasts, and my comment was "I don't get it. Aren't they supposed to be selling clothes? She's not wearing any!!" I kept trying to argue that it was objectifying, but my friends are like "Well, it catches your attention." And they just kept insisting that. Personally, it makes me want to NOT shop there.

[rozax740]

From dainty women eating chocolate, to burly bushmen surrounded by these dainty women, the advertising industry in general is over-sexualized. My husband and I don't miss having cable (stereotypical poor college students), and it's sort of a slap in the face when we see this sort of thing on billboards.

[schneefritz]

@feministfrequency i absolutely agree with that.

[suziew]

I love that you let "slime bag" slip into your otherwise academic explanation (at least until that point). :-) Thank you for this video.

[Vihrea]

Also I have to admit that I buy their stuff pretty frequently, and this is because of their sweatshop free waysI know the legitimacy of that claim is quite debatable but it's a huge improvement over factories in say China, Bangladesh, or Indonesia. Also their stuff has a lack of labeling and branding - though I do know because of this their clothing is just as recognizable. I am also confused why they both have these explicit ads and claim to be eithical and payers of much more ideal wages.

[Vihrea]

Yes start at American Apparel but also recognize companies that are pulling things that are arguably much worse; like an bus stop ad for Buffalo where three women are lined up (basically spooning each other) while a male model passively stands next to them, almost implying that it takes no effort whatsoever to score a lay - even three. As if the women are part of a three person sex-train rolling into GetinHisPantsville station.

[realjamicus]

I mean, yeah, I agree with the basic idea of not doing this kind of thing in advertising, and alot of those images you can definitely only read one way, but I don't think the whole 'our children are seeing this!' point should really be stressed that much. I mean for a start, kids can see a million times more explicit just as easily, and making judgements about what parents should be showing their kids isn't really the point here, is it? 'It makes women feel weird' was a good way to say it.