New WV Tee Shirt: "Its All Relative" - Govenor Up In Arms

[matcom]

<snip>

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.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-sou--t-shirttussle0322mar22,0,2455108,print.story?coll=dp-headlines-virginia

[DarkPhenyx]

1. Oh great! Here come the Aunt Mom jokes again.

Those really piss off my Uncle Dad.

[matcom]

2. yeah but sis wife doesn't seem to mind

TOO much :D

[liberalpress]

3. Hi, my mane is Betty Lou..

... I'd like you to meet my cusband, Billy Bob

[DarkPhenyx]

5. My dad actually did almost marry a cousin.

And yes, I was born in WV. I have to agree that it is a very negative, and mostly untrue, sterotype. Come to think of it I need to berate myself for cracking the joke I did. No cookie for me today. Damn. That whole cookie curse is going to go to waste now!

Then again you get cousins mrrying all over the country. I wonder if it happens in big, more liberal, Northern cities? Mmmm, interesting question. Anyone have a good website on consanginuity statistics?

[liberalpress]

9. The only eastern instance..

...I know of of cousins marrying is a Connecticut family. Caused such an embarrasment the son had to move to Texas.

[SmileyBoy]

12. Uncle Grandpa aint got no teeth!!!

hyuck-hyuck...

[ClintonTyree]

4. I thought...........

A&F was originally a British Company. Maybe I'm wrong, I'll have to do some research.
As for the tee-shirt........I think it's funny. We've lost the ablility to laugh at ouselves in this country. I would never buy one and wear it, but I wouldn't get upset if someone else did.

[democracyindanger]

10. correct

A&F used to outfit rich Brits for India. Don't know how ownership got to where it is.

The problem with A&F is more than this T-shirt and racy catalogs. Racial discrimination in employment, and the fiasco with the ugly Asian stereotype t-shirts last year, which they never really apologized for.

Fuck A&F.

[qb]

6. Why do people give their enemies so much free advertising?

Surely they've heard the motto: "Ignore it and it will go away!"

[Florida_Geek]

7. But if a couple gets married in WV and

then moves to Virginia and gets a divorce, does it mean they are no longer brother and sister in WV :evilgrin:

[HFishbine]

8. WV Governor's Mansion Destroyed in Fire.

It took out the whole trailer park.

[CO Liberal]

11. It Destroyed The Governor's Library

Both books were burned, including one he hadn't finished coloring yet.

[SmileyBoy]

13. What's WV's version of birth control???

Branding the sheep that kick.

[ohiosmith]

14. WV sweet talk: Psst, sis...you awake?

[SmileyBoy]

15. That reminds me, where HAS Mr. Flottz been lately???

HUUUUBEEEEERRRRRTTTT...... OH HUUUUBBBEEERRRRTTTTTT.....

[spinbaby]

16. There's a bit of truth in that

I lived in West Virginia for many years. There are lots of hollows down there with names like "Hawk's Nest" that are the home to one inbred group or another. There are Melungeons in southern WV, too, although I don't think they're inclined to inbreeding--they're just interesting and mysterious.

[Cush]

17. Hey, only us Virginians can joke about West Virginia (& vice versa)

you guys take the rest of the south :-)

[spinbaby]

18. Lemme tell you about Virginia

Once when I was driving through Western Virginia (not West Virginia, Western Virginia) I heard a radio ad for a local dentist who was offering a fabulous deal: get free dentures if you have 20 or more teeth pulled.