Anthropologie’s head buyer Keith Johnson heads to South Africa tonight on “Man Shops Globe.”
I didn’t get a chance to address this last week but many national outlets gave their take on the show. Suffice it to say they weren’t exactly kind. As Racked put it, “Professional TV critics made the same observation [Effortless Anthropologie did], only less gently.” To which I say, what, I’m not a professional? Kidding, kidding.
In fact, the critics were pretty savage! I was genuinely shocked by how visceral the reaction to the show was. Writers took the opportunity not only to bash Anthropologie’s methods (buy low, sell high) but also Anthropologie items and shoppers.
Some of the lowlights…
“But none of them really gets at the dopey banality that is Anthropologie’s other big problem. Anthropologie is boring. Anthropologie is thinking that France is pretty. Anthropopologie is a knee-length floral-print skirt paired with embellished flats.” – The New York Observer
“Because if the world weren’t so filled with tacky, impermanent things, then we wouldn’t thirst so terribly for big, heavy, meaningful furniture flown in from Paris. If the world weren’t littered with Styrofoam cups and vertical blinds and stained wall-to-wall carpeting and other tacky junk, then we wouldn’t be so hungry for that meticulously branded, fully sanctioned and approved, carefully designed, obscenely expensive imported French junk.” – Salon
“In other words, Anthropologie is a world populated by women who want to be the actress Zooey Deschanel — bangs, wide eyes, fresh flowers in their bicycle baskets, their beds spread with bird-motif sheets, and an artisanal bun always in their oven. But we’ve all walked around in an Anthropologie store, which is corporately owned by Urban Outfitters (Johnson is the life partner of Urban Outfitters’ CEO). Its loveliness can bring on a conflicted case of consumer envy along with a case of shopaholic hives.” – Washington Post
Jezebel also has a solid roundup. While it’s fleetingly tempting to respond to the above in kind, instead I’ll just say that these articles and their comments represent the counterpoint to my sometimes blind devotion. It’s too bad these articles hid valid points in banal and repugnant arguments.
Among the valid points:
It’s kind of gross when you think about the markup. To which the pro-capitalism response is: of course the items are marked up! How else do you make money? Yet a fair-trade deal would be much more appealing to the class of incomes that shop at Anthro. Theoretically we can afford to pay a little bit more.
This is basically a 30-minute ad for Anthropologie. No argument here.
Knowing where this stuff comes from takes the magic out of it. I disagree with this point but it’s still valid. Some people would rather think every piece is one-of-a-kind and comes from a artisan working away in a locked room with raw hands and a tortured soul. Far be it from me to deny that perception.
Will you be watching tonight?
Yay Roxy for getting quoted on Racked. *I'm* impressed. It's gigiofca here. I decided to use a different name for this post. *lol*I'll have to see if my On Demand has the show. Now I'm curious. Esp w/the political aspect as discussed on Racked.
I saw bits of the show online. It's pretty similar to other shows on Travel Channel, for example. I don't see any reason for those terrible reviews. Looks like someone has something personal against Anthropologie!The worst thing I read about Anthropologie was that "the owner is a right-wing republican who has donated heavily to people like Rick Santorum" (I am quoting exactly what I read). That really made me sick. But this has nothing to do with the stores, amazing clothing and wonderful staff. I also read managers confessing that they were required to break furniture and expensive articles that did not sell to protect the brand. That didn't make any sense to me, specially now, seeing all the effort to find pretty things around the world, just to destroy them if they don't sell. BUT… I absolutely have nothing to do with how they want to run their business, so I am only grateful for the unique clothing that they sell and how much happy they make me when I get to wear them!I think I will, once in a while, take a look at parts of the show that they have online.But your blog is way more fun than the show!!!!
I wanted to like it, was looking forward to it, but found it a little…lacking. He seems like a very nice guy, but 1) I hate haggling. I don't even like watching other people haggle, and 2) without knowing what the budget is, there's no suspense there. Lots of pretty things, though.
Congrats on the plug! I thought the show was okay; it would have been better with more background on the stores and their budgets, plus his travel route and an item list. As an Anthro fan, I found it slightly lacking too. Perhaps to make their reviews more interesting certain reviewers are using the Antrho brand as a symbol for what they see is wrong in the capitalist system. I say that's just phooey. We don't have to have something wrong with our lifestyles or culture in order to like fun spaces and pretty things. I mean – that's just silly.
Oh but I DO want to be Zooey with cute bangs and flowers in my bicycle backet. Wth is wrong with that Washpost?!I haven't seen the show, no sundance channel here
LOL "Emma." The wonders of the Internets…Anon, that is how I felt as well. It's one thing to not like a store. It's quite another to go after the people who shop there…Dorrie, you nailed it. I think I keep watching for the pretty things.Diana Draw, I think you are right but it's still eye-roll worthy. Silly writers.Shannon – ha! Personally I didn't really like being compared to Ms. Deschanel though I have nothing against her. There are far worse people they could have drawn parallels to. I think the eps are available online, I'll double-check.
I think they knocked down the validity of their statements by bringing politics into the reviews. Suddenly all those "professionals" became the Fox news channel, but in reverse. You will not change anyone's mind about something if they can tell you have your own agenda. That just makes you manipulative and sad.
It seems like the reviewers were trying to say that Anthro is pretentious w/o good reason. I could maybe see that but I found the reviewers themselves to be wildly pretentious…since when is it a sin to shop at the mall, especially if you've picked the most original and beautiful store in the mall? I don't have the time or patience to have my entire wardrobe and home come from vintage stores and flea markets. Even if I did, I would not wear it as a snobby badge of honor. And having 120 locations makes Anthro a relatively small chain. It's not like it's Wal-Mart…although who cares anyway! Plus I think it's undeniable how uniquely and creatively each store is arranged. Give Anthro some credit for that.
Wow. I'm not sure why that kind of poo is being directed at us anthro shoppers, specifically. I don't actually think that liking Antro wares makes me a pretentious poseur, but I suppose that reviewer can think what he wants! Congrats on getting quoted, lady!! A very well deserved shout out.