Breaking News: American Apparel CEO Dov Charney is still a total creep

Or, could it be that consumers were so taken by Charney's pro-fair labor stance that his predatory behavior towards women could be glossed over? That certainly was the case for me. I've purchased from both the company's "Legalize LA" and "Legalize Gay" lines, because the statements aligned with my own beliefs. But did I think about the fact that wearing these shirts in public also meant that I was supporting a man who had built his empire on the exploitation and terrorization of his non-factory employees? The answer would be an embarrassingly passive "no."

Even after I hearing personal horror stories from former employees of American Apparel -- situations involving Charney going so far as to defecate in front of a woman he had just hired -- I still shopped there. My guess is that the moral issues behind the company didn't so much as cross the minds of most consumers anyway. A disconnection between what we buy and its origins seems like a fairly common mindset, especially in a time when a company like the socially-conscious TOMS is the exception, not the rule.

As these lawsuits unfold, it will be interesting to watch how the American Apparel empire weathers the storm -- or ultimately falls. While Charney fights back under the premise of extortion, we will continue to stare at the private areas of the underage-looking women in his advertisements who are also on the end of this lawsuit. But will it matter if Charney wins or loses? Or will we buy the tube socks he peddles regardless?

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