Celebrity? Show ’em the door, please!

American retailer company Abercrombie And Fitch recently declared that they would pay reality TV star Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and his cast members to stop wearing their clothes.
Sounds weird, right? There’s more to it! The brand declared, “We are deeply concerned that Mr Sorrentino’s association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image”, adding that his “innocent” endorsement of their clothing was damaging the brand’s “aspirational nature” and that it could be “distressing” to their customers.So, can a company turn away stars from TV show “Jersey Shore”, which cashes in on its protagonists’ dimwittedness and general promiscuity? Well, apparently they can and they have many times in the past.
In 2005, Oprah Winfrey – who time and again is declared one of the most powerful woman in the world by various magazines and dailies – was turned away by a Hermes store in Paris. Tabloids were convinced that this was largely on the basis of her race. Oprah on her part instigated a boycott until the the store apologised to her.
Even Mallika Sherawat was shown the door when she tried to buy a Rolls Royce as the company deemed her too de-classe. A source later explained, “There is a process where it is decided if the person wishing to buy it is fit enough to be its owner or not. The person’s entire profile, social standing for the past few years is put under the scanner and then decided. Even test drives are given to selected people. Mallika apparently tried to convince the brand by saying she is a ‘Hollywood actor’, but things didn’t work out in her favour.” Surely that would’ve got her hissing!
In 2008, celebrated British designer Alexander McQueen openly declared that socialite Paris Hilton was not welcome at the opening of his Los Angeles boutique as she was “too superficial.” Well there are somethings even the rich cannot have, right? Balenciaga, one of the most exclusive fashion brands in the world, is so exclusive that it didn’t let even Kanye West and his fiancee Alexis Phifer into its fashion show. Kanye was later quoted saying, “I get a lot of attention, and you know, sometimes the designers don’t want anything taking the focus off the show.”
C’mon Kanye, be a sport!
When it comes to sending free dress samples, the heavier actresses are always snubbed. Both, Kelly Osbourne and Christina Hendricks have come on record saying that designers refrained from sending out samples to them. Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe was rudely snubbed by a leading magazine for a photo shoot, as she was a “joke in the fashion industry.”
Other recent famous snubs include Victoria Beckham. When pregnant Posh asked for a salmon salad with dressing on the side in a LA restaurant, they declined leading her pal Gordan Ramsay to raise a hue and cry, “The lady’s pregnant! No one is asking to be fussy... I still think that’s the customer’s prerogative... It was a sour note.” And we thought celebs had it all!