Oh Hollister, you’re always raising the jerk bar for other retailers. Who could ever match the way your SoHo store refused to close despite bedbugs, threatening the safety of your customers and employees? Or how about making your ads look like they may not even feature real human beings? Also, I’m a bit salty at you for not carrying my size once I hit 125 lbs. (or apparently most other people’s) in the ninth grade. Fortunately, you’ve found a way to top even yourself by sending racist models to the opening of your South Korea store!
Okay, I’m done directing this article at Hollister; their PR department doesn’t seem to acknowledge criticism anyway.
In Yeouido, South Korea, the first Hollister store there opened last week in an event spanning the weekend of August 30 and September 2. Models dressed as lifeguards were flown in to take photos with customers and add to the average “Hollister look” of their stores here in the United States. What should have been a fun, joyful occasion for both shoppers and employees turned sour when the models began acting extremely offensively towards customers.
Writer Lee Hyung-Ju says, “Images of models making “squinty eyes” faces, flipping their middle finger to photographers, and mocking Asian pronunciation of English appeared on their Twitter accounts. Major Korean newspapers covered the scandal, as online comments called for a boycott and promised to return clothing they had bought.”
More than one model posted himself squinting and opening his mouth largely, implying that this is how they saw Koreans. When a twitter comment on one of them noted “how many Asians liked that photo,” the model responded with, “Hahahaha they ruhhvvvv itttt!”
Many Koreans are angered by these photos and have voiced desires to return any clothing purchased from Hollister, as well as a call to others to boycott the store.
These models were lucky enough to be literally flown out simply to assist in celebrating a store opening in another country, then proceeded to mock, criticize and demean the people in that country. Perhaps we’ll here more in the near future regarding some form of repercussions these models have faced, whether it’s from their agencies or Hollister itself.
Lovelies, what do you think about this scandal? Do you think the models should be punished or are people overreacting?
[via Huffington Post]
guest
The models should definitely be punished. I have never understood the fascination with Hollister.
guest
Hollister carries up to a size 11, if not higher. If you weigh 125 lbs, you probably wear a size 3, maybe even a 5, so they have your size…
Eh, it doesn’t bother me. I like their jeans & shorts and will continue to buy them, as they are the only jeans that fit me well.I sent this to my Asian friend and she thought it was hilarious.
sunflower / 300 posts
@SUPletstake___surveys@xanga - Alas, the store near me didn’t carry higher than a size 7. Due to having very wide hips, I was a 9 at the time.
@Erika_Steele@xanga - I never quite did either; all my friends growing up loved ‘em, though!
guest
hahaa this is pretty funny
guest
if size extra small is like ninth graders, then size extra large is like overgrown 19th graders.
guest
The models were reportedly fired. Of all the things to do, they did stupid stuff like that? Oh, well. They brought it on themselves.
Anyway, I never understood the appeal of Hollister. I’m a bit amused by some people who wear Hollister emblazoned on everything and walk around as if they’re the shit. Ooh, you must be sooo cool.
guest
I’m pretty sure the models will be punished career-wise – ethics aside, they did major damage to the company they were supposed to be representing, and it’ll be difficult or impossible for them to get more commercial gigs after this. I doubt other companies will want to take the chance.
guest
it’s only funny when people are in on the joke. these models obviously thought that the korean people wouldn’t understand/notice what they were doing, so they assumed it would be funny to mock them. but in this case, it’s not funny at all. it’s downright racist. if some guy did this while posing for a picture with my mom, i would want to kick that’s guys ass for disrespecting her.
sunflower / 300 posts
@PAPER__x__HEART@xanga - I totally agree. I think when other people are in on the joke, it’s usually funny (as long as they’re not hurt by it).
guest
*hear
guest
wow how jerky can people be. Not only were these people complete strangers, it’s also a different nation and culture. You can do that with your asian friends at home if they are ok with it but not when you are with people about whom you know nothing and want to win them as clients. They totally deserved to lose their job. apparently it didn’t mean a lot to them anyway.
Otherwise, I am just annoyed with this brand as you seem to be. I do the think the sizes are typically crazy small…even though it possibly depends on the region, because I know someone who is about my size and fit into an ‘S’, but I don’t even fit into ‘L’. They just don’t HAVE anything but small clothes in the stores, at least not when I was there. They had 27 inch jeans (the measurement of my waist when my bmi was 18/19) and only smaller sizes from there. Tons of 23s. I wonder if the sizes themselves are a strategy because it is a status symbol to be able to shop there. Other than my friends and myself I just saw tiny school girls in the store. Not that I’d wear anything with the brand name stiched to the front though.
peony / 1 posts
i don’t like Hollister at all, the price is way too high and the quality is not worth that much money. last Christmas i bought two Hollister tees, one from the official site and one from a site called Hollister Uk London. To my great surprise, the one i bought from the official site costs me twice the money, and yet the quality is almost the same as the one from the other site. i do hope the management of Hollister can think twice before they decide the sale price of Hollister in the UK before they make any rush decision that could hurt the brand image.