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CNN Live Saturday
Abercrombie & Fitch Releases Risque Catalogue
Aired November 30, 2002 - 17:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A holiday catalog is getting naked, or just about naked. Abercrombie & Fitch is doing it again, shocking consumers with its latest grab for attention. Last time it was thong underwear for children. CNN's Ed Lavandera had to blur out some of the video you're about to see.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I'm shocked.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You want to look at this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've never seen anything like that before.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Pictures are supposed to be worth 1,000 words but when we showed people the new Abercrombie & Fitch Christmas clothing magazine words were hard to come by.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got to be kidding me. This is another level.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God, he's hot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
LAVANDERA: Six dollars, anyone older than 18 can buy the magazine billed as 280 pages of sex and Christmas fun.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my goodness. OK it's pretty wild.
LAVANDERA: A clothing catalog with only a little emphasis on clothing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, Andrew go stand over there. That is wild.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are they selling clothes if they don't have any clothes on? LAVANDERA: Out of 102 pictures showcasing clothing models, 37 photos celebrate the virtues of not wearing clothes. Abercrombie & Fitch says this magazine is targeted to college students and celebrates what the clothes maker calls "a youthful and spirited yet responsible lifestyle," not everyone agrees.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know I really couldn't continue to look at it with a clean conscience, to be honest. It's not a catalog. It's pornography.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they're sending the wrong message to teenagers because that's a teenage store.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And so that's the type of example that they're setting, so I don't think that's right at all.
LAVANDERA: Most people we talked to were stunned that a clothing catalog would take such a bold chance but a few weren't bothered by it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't really look like they're trying to sell clothes but I'm sure they probably are selling a bunch.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have certainly seen worse on TV, so I'm not offended.
LAVANDERA: One of the first photographs in the catalog is of Santa Claus, a reminder to all who touch this magazine that Santa knows who's been naughty.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I kind of like it but let me go back to the guy with the bow.
LAVANDERA: And who's been nice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where do you put in our wish list?
LAVANDERA: Well, I don't have his phone number. Ed Lavandera CNN, Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 30, 2002 - 17:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A holiday catalog is getting naked, or just about naked. Abercrombie & Fitch is doing it again, shocking consumers with its latest grab for attention. Last time it was thong underwear for children. CNN's Ed Lavandera had to blur out some of the video you're about to see.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I'm shocked.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You want to look at this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've never seen anything like that before.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Pictures are supposed to be worth 1,000 words but when we showed people the new Abercrombie & Fitch Christmas clothing magazine words were hard to come by.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got to be kidding me. This is another level.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God, he's hot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
LAVANDERA: Six dollars, anyone older than 18 can buy the magazine billed as 280 pages of sex and Christmas fun.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my goodness. OK it's pretty wild.
LAVANDERA: A clothing catalog with only a little emphasis on clothing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, Andrew go stand over there. That is wild.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are they selling clothes if they don't have any clothes on? LAVANDERA: Out of 102 pictures showcasing clothing models, 37 photos celebrate the virtues of not wearing clothes. Abercrombie & Fitch says this magazine is targeted to college students and celebrates what the clothes maker calls "a youthful and spirited yet responsible lifestyle," not everyone agrees.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know I really couldn't continue to look at it with a clean conscience, to be honest. It's not a catalog. It's pornography.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they're sending the wrong message to teenagers because that's a teenage store.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And so that's the type of example that they're setting, so I don't think that's right at all.
LAVANDERA: Most people we talked to were stunned that a clothing catalog would take such a bold chance but a few weren't bothered by it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't really look like they're trying to sell clothes but I'm sure they probably are selling a bunch.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have certainly seen worse on TV, so I'm not offended.
LAVANDERA: One of the first photographs in the catalog is of Santa Claus, a reminder to all who touch this magazine that Santa knows who's been naughty.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I kind of like it but let me go back to the guy with the bow.
LAVANDERA: And who's been nice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where do you put in our wish list?
LAVANDERA: Well, I don't have his phone number. Ed Lavandera CNN, Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
