i've never heard of american apparel, but what annoyed me more was the writer's insistence on pretentiously deriding the quality of the photographs before h/she ever got around saying what really annoyed him/her was the way AA was up front about using sex to sell their clothes -- a complaint that could be lobbed at any of the thousands of other companies that do it a little more subtly, although i guess the titties they use are photographed under better lighting. i mean, doesn't abercrombie hire guys to walk around the store while wearing only a pair of ripped up shorts?

i guess i don't understand why this crosses the line or why the author passes half-judgement because the owner had consensual relationships with some coworkers -- like that never happens anywhere else.

of course, i also don't understand why anyone in the northeast would shop anywhere else but H&M

yeah, it was stupid to talk about the amateurnish of the photos. who cares? and i don't care if they're up front or not about using sex. but i'm still just creeped out by the ads; it's just a visceral reaction. am i supposed to find them sexy? maybe i'm a prude, but i just find them weird and suicide-girl-ish. yeah. i'm a prude.

He's as exploitive of his employees as any other of a million assholes out there. He just happens to give them a great dental/vision plan. What bullshit.

I'd walk around in nothing but board shorts on Fridays for dental/vision coverage.