Jennifer Berger on About Face and American Apparel

Recently I sat down with Jennifer Berger, the executive director of About Face, a media literacy organization, helping girls and women resist harmful media messages. They currently have a campaign against American Apparel's advertising. For more visit: www.FeministFrequency.com

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• 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.

[xxxBakeneckoxxx]

Not only this, but American Apparel is also demonstrating blatant racism cultural insensitivity to Native Americans with their "Navajo Hipster" line. Disgusting.

[YourDarkAccomplice]

@Magsterisaballer - I think you nailed it, then. Their clothing isn't even revealing. So why is their advertisement so? The answer is right there.

[dritta]

@Vihrea AA isn't sweatshop free. They sew their clothing together in the US, but the fabric comes from the same factories that every other major clothing manufacturer uses, which are located in Bangladesh, Indonesia, China, etc. They have only eliminated the (relatively small) aspect of slavery in the actual construction of the garment. Slavery exists in every other aspect of their supply chain, and sexual slavery of women is implied in their advertising in the US.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

[Magsterisaballer]

ugh I hate to admit that American Apparel is so sexist. I personally love their clothing, and quite honestly, a lot of it isn't even that revealing. I never understood why they advertise like they do...

[kittenswithbows]

Wow, I didn't know much about American Apparel before watching this, and I am absolutely shocked. Went to their web site to see "what the fuss was about" and if this was immediately obvious on their web site.

And yes it is!

The first slide show was of a woman in a baggy white top and see through pink underwear.

On the 'what's new' page you can at the moment look at 'Ashley and her bag'. This slide show shows Ashley literally wearing a bag! And nothing else...

It's just not ok.

[pruniandthegang]

I dunno, it's really hard to tell, but how is american apparels objectification any different to less raunchy perfume advert or spot cream advert objectification? I mean the whole world is about stereotypes and shallowness, and women are pressurised into being attractive and sexy more than they should, but that's separate to showing too much FLESH!

[xxxmikanbouyaxxx]

I hate American Apparel. Dov Charney is gross. I read an article where he forced a girl who worked at american apparel to do sexual favors in order to be promoted. Their clothes are over priced in my opinion too. But those advertisements are so sexist. I also heard a story where he made people who worked at americal apparel send pictures of their employees, and fire them if they aren't attractive enough. That is horrible.

[babe9305]

Really valid. I was writing about this issue in my art essay about how American Apparel advertising Campaigns are obscene and borderline pornographic yet if they were in a art gallery no one would question it as much as they would when it's being mainstreamed and targeted at insecure teenage girls. I'm really glad American Apparel didn't catch on in the UK because I don't think a lot of women would want to be objectified like that-keep that for page 3!

[BastetAsshur]

@rozax740 I've always found that image wierd, some old, fat, balding guy surrounded by young, slim, attractive women. All I ever think in response to this is "GROSS!"

[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.