W.Va. governor angry over Abercrombie T-shirt that spoofs state

 

By the Associated Press

 

March 22 2004

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Bob Wise sent a letter to Abercrombie & Fitch on Monday demanding that the clothing retailer stop selling a

T-shirt that spoofs the state with the slogan, "It's All Relative in West Virginia."

 

Wise said the T-shirt depicts "an unfounded, negative stereotype of West Virginia."

 

"I write to you today to demand that you immediately remove this item from your stores and your print and online catalogues," Wise wrote. "In addition, these shirts must

be destroyed at once to avoid any possibility of resale and proof be given thereof."

 

Abercrombie & Fitch spokesman Tom Lennox said the T-shirt, which features the slogan on an outline of the state, has been selling well at $22.50. He could not say

how much it would cost the company if the T-shirts were destroyed.

 

"We love West Virginia. We love California, Florida, Connecticut, Hawaii and Nebraska too. Abercrombie & Fitch was born and raised in the USA, and we honor all 50

states in the union," said Lennox, director of investor relations and corporation communications for the New Albany, Ohio-based company.

 

Wise called the T-shirt an "offensive item" that "subjects our youth to unsubstantiated and false impressions of West Virginia."

 

"Indeed, such a depiction of West Virginians undermines our collective efforts to communicate a positive representation of the spirit and values of our citizens," the

governor wrote.

 

Some residents also said the T-shirt was offensive while others found it amusing.

 

"I find it highly offensive. I can't understand how it is acceptable for Abercrombie & Fitch to make a profit off of a horrible stereotype of West Virginia," said Joe Jarvis

with Wisdom Radio in Bluefield. "In other states, people see us as uneducated, inbreeding hillbillies, and that is why I am irate."

 

Caroline Moore of Charleston said the T-shirt didn't bother her.

 

"This shirt, the shirt itself, doesn't offend me. It covers more than most of their stuff," Moore said.

 

Choski Harman, a student at Concord College in Athens, said she bought the shirt because she thought it was funny.

 

West Virginia is not the only state that is spoofed on an Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt. Another shirt's slogan is "New Hampshire. 40 million squirrels can't be wrong."

22.50 for a tshirt

 

ahahaha

22.50 for a tshirt

 

ahahaha

Damn straight Crimson. I'll stick with my 5 dollar shirts from Kohls made from probably even better fabric.

 

I do like that New Hampshire thing though, gonna have to say that to my girlfriend, considering she's lived there her whole life.

22.50 for a tshirt

 

ahahaha

What's worse is that they are blatently stealing items from http://www.cottonfactory.com/store.asp

 

I've bought stuff trough them for them past couple of years.

 

-- I had a guy offer me $50 for this one a couple years ago in a bar -- I took his money.

 

I recently saw Paris Hilton wearing this shirt. And it's clear that the cast of the RW/RR challenge have found this site as well -- Alot of them are sporting simillar shirts.