GQ Sends ‘Soft-Porn’ To Outraged Lands’ End Customers
Looks like Lands’ End’s deal with Condé Nast wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. Lands’ End had signed a one year deal agreeing to distribute issues of different magazines to their customers, but now customers of the the conservative clothing brand are outraged after being sent the new GQ issue, which featured a “soft-core porn” cover.
GQ is part of the Conde Nast brand, and is usually a magazine marketed for men, but apparently their “racy choice” for the July issue didn’t jive with customers of Lands’ End. The issue features “Blurred Lines” video model Emily Ratajkowski, who showed off a bikini and nothing much else, as she appeared tousled for the GQ issue. This was just too much for some customers to handle, and now the clothing company has issued an apology.
Edgar Huber, the chief executive of the conservative clothing brand has sent out an e-mail in the wake of the controversy.
“I would like to start by extending my most sincere apologies. We are aware that you have received or will be receiving shortly the July issue of GQ magazine with a suggestive cover.”
Following the GQ “soft-core porn” cover customers immediately took to the company’s Facebook page to complain about the inappropriate nature of the issue.
“I can understand sending magazines as special promotions but GQ is obviously turning into a porn magazine. I see nothing okay with sending porn. I might not be a mom yet, but as a self respecting woman, I can tell you that the last thing I want to see is a naked female. Absolutely disgusted.”
The comments page on Lands’ End’s Facebook page is an eyeful. Now conservative moms are fighting with those that deem the GQ backlash to be ridiculous. When one woman suggested that moms are overreacting to the issue, another Facebook user took this up to task.
“I don’t want that in my in box, didn’t ask for it, don’t want it. I have kids in the house. If you want to look at naked pictures, knock yourself out, but we don’t. Not wanting GQ delivered when it was NOT ordered is hardly “obtuse”. And there are unclothed women everywhere, how exactly has it made the world “kinder” towards women? Women are raped every few seconds in this country. You may want to get your facts straight before posting such tripe.”
The company spokesperson Michele Casper released an additional statement in hopes to lessen the backlash.
“In the future, we will work more closely to assess content to make sure it is aligned with our well-known, long-held company values and those of our customers.”
[Image via GQ magazine]
