I generally don’t buy into the whole “slippery slope” theory of life. You know the theory, where people are afraid that if we “let” gay people get married, then before you know it, people will be marrying their turtles, their horses, their coffee makers or their jobs…wait, scratch that last one. These are the same folks who will tell you that if we put any kind of regulation on gun sales and ownership then the next inevitable step is that the government will take away all of our guns, impeding our ability to defend ourselves against F-16’s, artillery, tanks and submarines…because you just have to know where to aim your .44 to take out the tank rolling down the street or the Stealth Bomber flying overhead, right?
This week however, I read a story that’s now everywhere that made me cringe and immediately think, “oh boy! that’s a slippery slope!”
Michael Jefferies, the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch has gone public with his belief that he doesn’t want overweight or ugly people wearing his product line. The store does not sell items over a certain size for women because he doesn’t want any “fat chicks” who “aren’t cool” as walking advertisements – and as we all know, fat = uncool, right? They do sell some larger sizes for boys because, well, football players are cool.
This blatant exclusionary policy is frightening to me. I’m sure in his world, I’m sure that neither Brooke nor Katie would not qualify to wear his brand. Ultimately, the whole “you’re not cool enough” to be seen in our clothes is really sad more than anything else. Seems to me that Michael Jefferies may be trying to make up for a rough childhood maybe? Perhaps Jefferies felt the sting of exclusion as a kid and now is doing whatever he can to surround himself with the very people who rejected him in high school? I don’t know. Maybe not, but I will say this to Jefferies – watch out for that slippery slope man. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You look like a first year medical student did your facelift with a hatchet…not exactly the face of someone a company that pushes young, beautiful and thin would want as their CEO. How long before they realize YOU don’t fit into your own policy of young, thin and beautiful? You don’t even fit into one of those categories. It’s a slippery slope dude…just sayin’.
It’s a slippery slope dude…at least I hope it is.
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