If you lived in NYC you would probably have heard about this wonderful Flash Mob event that happened a few days ago Basically, a group of guys got together to make a statement about male body image, sexuality, commercial exploitation and the results are really wonderful..
In 1985, Rolling Stone magazine ran an advertising campaign called “Perception VS reality”. On one side of the page were stereotyped images of the public that the corporate world thought was reading the magazine. There were long-haired hippies waving peace signs while standing in front of a beat-up Volkswagen van they had found in a junkyard. The ad carried a bold, one-word caption: “Perception.”
On the opposing page was a photo of well-dressed, well-scrubbed preppies standing in front of their BMW. The text claimed that the real “Rolling Stone” subscriber was middle class, with lots of discretionary income and upscale consumerist aspirations. This full-page image also carried one word: “Reality.”
In a way, you can apply somewhat the same analogy for the gay community when it comes to market perceptions. Not every gay guy has washboard abs and chiseled features. The reality is that people come in all shapes and sizes as nature intended. The extreme amount of body fascism that is presented in the gay media in the name of marketing to us is overwhelming. Billions of dollars are made off of the insecurities of gay AND straight men the world over. At some point, you have to stop a minute and think for yourself..
Besides the flesh being peddled for the sake of commerce, the reality of a company like Abercrombie and Fitch is that they pay very little to the people who make the clothing they sell. They have been sued in the past for having sweatshop conditions for their workers in the sewing factories, which are a far cry from the glamorous aisles of the local mall. It’s something to think about when you go to shell out $80 for a pair of ripped, distressed looking jeans at any store. Where were these made and by whom..