October 16, 2012

Gap removes "Manifest Destiny" t-shirt

Over the weekend, the Gap seemed blissfully unaware of the PR nightmare it was suffering in the "Manifest Destiny" t-shirt controversy. But on Monday, it finally responded via Twitter:



The Gap sent a similar response to people via e-mail:I wanted to update you that the “Manifest Destiny” t-shirt by Mark McNairy, offered through the GQ partnership, will no longer be sold in Gap stores or online. We value all customer feedback, and wish to emphasize that it was not our intention to offend.

Kind regards,

Edie Kissko
Gap Inc. spokesperson
As someone wrote:To those who sigh and roll their eyes thinking that standing up and speaking out is a waste of time...THINK AGAIN.Battle not over yet

But people investigated and found the shirts still on sale in some stores.

Gap's Colonization clothing line



Also, the Gap was selling related t-shirts online. These seem to be part of an "American Frontier" collection, with slogans such as "Onward," "Roam Free," and "Exploring East-West." These might not be a problem by themselves, but next to the "Manifest Destiny" shirts, their messages are suspect.



For more on the subject, see McNairy "Hurt" by T-Shirt Criticism.

2 comments:

BUGS said...

According to the AngloFile, sales of the "Manifest Your Destiny!" course CD's and DVD's have gone through the roof since the GAP/GQ story broke. Commercials on late-night TV featuring a Tony Robbins-like spokesman promise results beyond belief: "Visualize God telling you that everything is yours!"; "Visualize becoming more authentic than authentic!"; "Visualize making Nature more productive!" and "Visualize finding gold on other people's property and use it as justification to take it from them!". Testimonials from actual customers swear that the course has changed their lives: "I just finished the Manifest Your Destiny course, and I already feel strong enough to wipe out a whole nation!" Although spokesmen for both the GAP and MaDe, Inc. deny any relationship between the two companies, shoppers certainly are making a connection. Not to be outdone, Manifest Destiny Bus Tours has also reported an increase in reservations since the first tee shirt stories appeared.
- Report filed by BUGS

dmarks said...

"Manifest Destiny Bus Tours has also reported an increase in reservations...."

I wonder if they are as successful on white man's land...