It was inevitable I suppose. Many of the more vocal critics of American Apparel come from the nether regions of the political spectrum. They make it a point to take a company that successfully runs its business in an undeniably progressive manner, to task for not being sufficiently progressive.
How is American Apparel progressive? Twenty percent of their garments are produced using organic cotton with plans to increase that to 80%. A significant part of the factory’s electricity comes from a massive array of rooftop solar panels. American Apparel employees receive wages and benefits that are significantly higher than those enjoyed by others in the industry, even when compared to Union shops. Employees can also get free bicycles with which to commute to work. I could go on and on.
And how is American Apparel not progressive? They’re not unionized. American Apparel offered to allow the employees to vote on unionization but the Union refused to accept the offer knowing that they would be trounced. The mostly Latino work force work hard for their money and are not exactly clamoring to give up a chunk of their pay check to a union that couldn’t possibly give them any more benefits than they already enjoy. They are also distrustful of a labor movement that has traditionally sought to exclude Latinos from the labor market. Their ads are too sexy. Uh… these people have clearly not opened up a fashion magazine in a long time. It’s the nature of the beast and even within that context, American Apparel’s use of real men and women as models flies in the face of Madison Avenue’s preference for impossibly thin, enhanced and airbrushed depictions of beauty. Dov Charney, head of American Apparel, is a sexual predator. All but one of the lawsuits against him have been dropped and NONE of the lawsuits ever even alleged that Charney sexually propositioned anyone. We could go on and on but feel free to read more about this company on Jewlicious or read the report on the company at knowmore.org.
But now the campaign against American Apparel has gone up one more notch. Now progressive and right-thinking individuals have to boycott the company because, according to the Dissident Veteran for Peace blog:
CEO and owner Dov Charney is a Zionist. AA has opened a Tel Aviv store this year in violation of the international boycott and divestment campaign against apartheid Israel and apparently plans to open more…
Obviously this blogger hasn’t read about how that whole divestment thing is like… totally over. Even our unidentified blogger, we’ll just call him or her DVFP, recently failed to have Veterans For Peace adopt a resolution that called for the organization to support a one-state solution to the Israel / Palestine conflict and that until such a solution is implemented, that Israel be completely isolated and that it be subject to boycotts and divestment.
DVFP is a total hardliner who supports Hizballah and is unashamedly completely anti-Israel. DFVP’s stance is harsh and unforgiving. American Apparel has over 120 stores worldwide and the existence of one store in Tel Aviv makes Dov Charney, who hasn’t visited Israel in over 15 years, an evil Zionist. The existence of that one store justifies imperiling the jobs of 5000 mostly immigrant employees. Wow.
Unfortunately, DVFP does not abide by his or her own standards. The intel chip used in the computer that DVFP uses was developed in Israel. Blogger, the platform used by DVFP is owned by Google and Google has a major R&D facility in Israel. But the very worst act of hypocrisy committed by DVFP involves the theft of MY Zionist bandwidth. DVFP links directly to a photo on Jewlicious – meaning that every time someone visits the Dissident Veteran for Peace blog, they are pulling a photo from our server, thus using our bandwidth at our expense! That’s not a nice thing to do, and, as I am about to demonstrate, it’s also a very stupid thing to do.
Here is a screen cap of the Dissident Veteran for Peace blog post as it originally appeared:
The image in question is of American Apparel Employee Dan Abenaim flanked by two American Apparel fans. They were both female members of the IDF serving in a combat unit. One was from Toronto and the other was from San Francisco. Abenaim was in Jerusalem scouting locations for another store.
Now here’s what the bandwidth stealing blog looks like now:
The graphic in question states: “I heart Israel. Dissident Veteran For Peace is a Bandwidth Thief. Having Opinions that are different from ours is fine. Using our photos without our permission, that’s ok too. But stealing our Zionist bandwidth? That’s not cool. Shop at American Apparel.” This went up at 3:30 am EST. I wonder how long it will take the stupid, hypocrite to figure it out. Sleep well DVFP!
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Great prank, btw. I’m sure you’ve struck a great blow in the defense of clothing distributors everywhere. Way to save the world.
ROFL. Wow, personally I don’t see what the big deal is over any of this. I’ve never even heard of American Apparel, or Veterans for Peace. In my opinion, if you worry about this type of thing, and get involved in this kind of conflict, you need to find a hobby. Fast.
ciao belle ragazze questo e il mio contatto occhi blu e molto bello il zebbi
yay!! we (jewlicious we) made it to american apparels blog… check it out
Sorry, Jobber, but it cannot be a coincidence that most of your posts elicit hostile replies. I conceded that there are plenty of eating/drinking establishments on the namal. One of my favorite restaurants in Tel Aviv is in the area. I’m sure you’re right to say there are clothing stores there, but no one I know or know of goes there for shopping. Most people I know go there in the evening, if at all. As for the suckitude of tourist spots, to each his own.
I love (pretty much) all of Tel Aviv. The namal has its attractions, but I would call it neither new nor “hot.” If anything, I would have expected American Apparel to open in south Tel Aviv.
And I’m no dude.
Since Middle felt it important to put me down in terms of Middle’s olam Ha moosagim, Middle’s yardstick for success in life, I should point out just that my formative years, when a person begins climbing out of adolescence, and beginning to make their way in the world, in these years the late teens and twenties, I was living the Zionist dream in Israel, primarily in Jerusalem. So while all, I repeat, all, of my childhood friends, attained the type of success as Mr. Charney, some a little less, a couple even more, who was fortunate to grow up in a strong urban center, indeed a rag trade center, as I have worked in some garment places on St. Urbain, area, I think they are still there, who I understand was able to start several businesses prior to entering the rag trade.
Please do not construe that I am taking anything away from Mr. Charney as I know there are many in that area who didn’t do so well in this trade, since I did work there for a couple of months in the past. It had to do w/ pleating skirts all day was my job. I had to fight w. the ultra Orthodox to listen to rock music, they would turn off the radio, I would turn on, etc… they were extremely pious and did not want to hear a woman’s voice singing.
So then after that, I was struggling to live in Israel, which at that time was going through a severe Depression. I am taking nothing away from Mr. Charney and only wish that a place in the respectable ranks could be found for me, but to answer middles crass comment, no, I do not do the type of turnover that impresses you middle. All of friends from childhood, who own companies, do in fact ask my advice on business issues from time to time, and in fact I can tell you that on one occasion I have saved someone from jail time, who I demanded run some sick scheme by me, and I told him that he would get caught eventually, not for a year or 2, but at some point. and in fact his cohorts did, and they are sitting in jail as we speak.
However, to my credit, I place a strong emphasis on visiting Israel and make 2 trips a year to her, and I have to accomplish this by taking on small part time jobs in my weekend and nights, work, that I am certain would turn your stomach and you would not do, and rightly so, but in my case, this is how I can afford to pay, as you know there are many many expenses beyond the flight cost.
I have many friends from those years in Israel who also moved back to the USA and they rarely visit. I don’t see how you can pass up on at least an annual visit myself.
And in fact, I am also sending my kids, independent of any free Birthright tour, on individual trips to Israel, in the next couple of years. So of this I am proud.
go there any evening Ofri, people gather to watch the sunset, to have dinner, a drink, there are hot chicks handing out VIP passes” for clubs, pizzarias, there are a few clothing stores there already dude.
it is not a stale tourist area, when I was there earlier this month on a nightly basis I saw mostly Israelis there.and there is nothing wrong with a tourist area lichatchila, look at for example the city of Amsterdam, it is a highly tourist area, yet it is a highly respected shopping area as well.
Bots, boys, relax, Ofri, Ihave been to both places extensively this month, the Namal area is very hot, there are already clothing stores. I am only suggesting, what is irritating you and middle to be so abrasive at my idea?
I was at the store on DC alot as I used the internet cafe next door on a daily basis. So I am qualified on that basis, and that basis alone, to make an observation. Why should we discuss anything, if a poster is going to be attacked, for making an observation, an intelligent observation? what kind of people are you if that is all you can do, at least CK and Laya, inject a sense of humor, may I ask that we stop attacking posters who make an observation about Tel Aviv and what areas of town are better than others?
Laya, I am not familiar w. that term, p something?
Jobber, I don’t know how much time you’ve sepnt in Tel Aviv, but your assessment of what is “hot” could not be further off the mark. The namal is probably the stalest, most touristy part of the city and is maybe good for the bars/restaurants on the beach and picking up hookers, but not much else. No one that I know of really goes there for shopping.
Clearly you haven’t been to Dizengoff Center on a Friday. The tragically unhip still flock there en masse. I happen to like Dizengoff (particularly the little local fashion designers’ market on Friday) despite the fact that it’s horribly unattractive and kind of weirdly planned. And anwyay AA only has a street entrance and is not even part of the mall per se, so I don’t see the problem.
Incidentally, American Apparel just opened a store in my town a few weeks ago, miles away from any one of the “hot,” forever sprawling strip malls in the area. It is very deliberately located in one of the most counterintuitive spots imaginable, where the indier-than-thou downtown kids can worship at its ironically situated feet. I tease, actually I appreciate very much the attempt to revive a dying downtown area, and it will be interesting to see if the store thrives there. Jobber obviously misses the point, but like themiddle says, maybe you should just let Charney do what’s working for him.
This is important advice, Jobber. I’ll make sure that our friends here at Jewlicious find a way to pass it on to Charney. After all, what does he know from store location, his business is only generating $250 million this year. How much is yours generating again?
Sheinkin, Allenby, Yaffo. He should take a bigger risk, why not? Whatever he touches turns to gold, so you disagree, Mr. Israeli Tel Avivian Expert?
Dizengoff Center is a has been.
I am talking about the store on King George St. and DC.
It is not in that hot an area.
He could be making a big splash I think in that Port area, I don’t know if you are aware but if you take beach walking towards the Hilton and past there, there is a actual boardwalk and many exceptional walking boulevards if you enjoy sea views for a start.
In this area, it is hottest because it is very new, and there is an obvious attempt being made to make this the world class standard for this type of thing.
I would personally enjoy living in this area a few blocks away perhaps.
This is where he should move to. I believe a second store should be opened rather than a strict relo.
enjoyed your writing detailing the progressive details of AA. from what I gather, Dov Charney catches a ton of slack for his perceived relations, exploitation, and value of woman.
I dunno, I think that’s odd.
and as im sure you noticed by now, DVFP is hosting the original image on blogger now.
Not that Jobber is usually deserving of response, but I’m a little confused as to how a location in an Israeli shopping center so iconic that there’s an actual verb specifically for hanging out there (×œ×”×–×“× ×’×£) could be construed as “out of the way.”
I mean, sure, maybe the nexus of Tel Aviv hipness, such as it is, has moved on to Sheinkin, but that’s still sort of like calling a location in Rockefeller Center out of the way…
they pick their locations very carefully 😉
There’s something just so…blessed…about having a mattress shop, an AA store and then a porn shop next to each other.
You know, that’s intersting, because there’s no internet cafe next door, unless by internet cafe you actually mean porn shop. Or perhaps the mattress store on the other side doubles as an internet cafe and I never knew.
Dude their store in Tel Aviv is a little out of the way closet. I used an internet cafe right next door, they are not gettting much traffic in the store, flagship or not.
This is what i wrote on this guy’s blog
Hey there dissident-
looks like you got fucked over good. Not to turn a light issue (u being had by jewlicious) into a serious one (the conflict in the mideast) but, while you would never say it out loud, deep down inside you are an antisemite. And spare me the zionism isnt judaism bullshit. You are advocating the destruction of the jewish state. Trust me, if you were calling for the liquidation of France, Germany, Lebanon, Iran ect. i’d call you anti-french, anti-german ect.
Hope you have a successful day of hate-mongering, masturbating, and editing you pathetic blog.
All the best!!!
Adam
AdBusters. What is there to say? The magazine is a rinse lather repeat of hatred of Israel, love of terrorists, and anti-consumerism. While I agree with the anti-consumerism messages, the rest is crap. Plus the mag isn’t as creative as it used to be. Anyone who read it and takes its words as true/fact needs some help. They are all f’ing Canadian anyway, snipe all you want, but you are protected by our shadow, just like Europe.
Thanks for the hilarious spoof of our ad! I linked to your post from the Daily Update… (And made sure to copy the picture instead of messing around with your bandwith!)
That was great- one of the best posts ever.
I just checked the site (and the only thing I regret is giving that guy traffic) and your pic is still up.
What a shmuck!
Well, it’s 9:26am and your image is still there. Thanks for the Monday morning laugh 🙂
ck, i love you too.
the best thing about AA is that my ass looks great in their califonia fleece slim fit pant!
You can’t make this shit up. The only comment on that post right now:
Anonymous said…
Did you also know that Dov Charney’s uncle is the world-famous architect Moshe Safdie who designed the new Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem. The main role of this museum is to exagerate Jewish suffering in order to justify Palestinian oppression.
Sun Sep 17, 01:38:19 AM EDT
ck, I love you. That a riveting read, but the punchline was the icing on the cake.