Maybe it's because The Situation has been extra-grotesque this season with his increasingly uncomfortable/pathetic/depressing advances on Snookie (Snookie, for chrissakes!), but the popular-with-unbelievable-asshats clothier is apparently getting pretty uncomfortable with Sitch rocking its wear, to the point that, in an unprecedented endorsement strategy it announced earlier this week, it straight-up offered to pay Sorrentino money to stop.
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Not even a joke. Here's the statement from A&F's "Brand Senses" department:
"We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino's association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans. We have therefore offered a substantial payment to Michael 'The Situation' Sorrentino and the producers of MTV's The Jersey Shore to have the character wear an alternate brand. We have also extended this offer to other members of the cast, and are urgently waiting a response."
Sweet Jesus, this shit is priceless on so many levels.
But let's just start with the hilarious irony here: By creating a brand that plasters its own logo all over everything it sells, you basically market directly to the kind of assholes who desire to wear the logo of their clothing brand of choice plastered all over themselves, thus guaranteeing that your brand will be represented and associated with almost exclusively assholes. Abercrombie & Fitch, your brand has been associated with unbearable pricks for, like, two decades -- how are you this dismayed that an unbearable prick is representing your brand? But I guess that's what you get when you invite just anybody to be a walking billboard.
Weirdly, though, A&F has actually courted The Situation's endorsement in the past, at least according to The Situation: "Abercrombie & Fitch, their most popular shirt, they told me, is 'Fitchuation.'" he told New York Magazine last summer. "I mean, where did they get that from? Obviously from myself."
Well, well. For once, it seems, The Situation might not be the asshole here.