A home shopping network wasted no time rolling out its grovel game after an ill-conceived marketing promotion saw them stepping on more than one rake.
International Women’s Day may have come and gone for many as little more than another note on the calendar, but for the team at QVC, it was a chance to score some intersectional sales. Unfortunately, their inclusive diversity found equality with a rather suggestive tagline that did double duty with “derogatory language.”
In promoting a bag as their “Today’s Special Value®” product, the shopping network blasted their customers with an email subject line that read “You’ll Love This Bag Longtime,” seemingly referencing dialogue from a Vietnamese prostitute in “Full Metal Jacket” who said, “Me love you longtime.”
QVC President Mike Fitzharris wasted little time packing on the buzzwords as he issued an apology that likely did little to appease those offended, irked conservative customers and only drew more attention to the issue as one social media user wrote, “Point is, nobody but the 3 people who complained would have known. You threw yourself down the stairs dummies.”
@QVC Why are you pandering so hard?!? Also, was that apology for the “Longtime” ad or the one that followed w/ “Glow Up” which also sounds like it’s mocking. Point is, nobody but the 3 people who complained would have known. You threw yourself down the stairs dummies. pic.twitter.com/P7iBvRjIeE
— Ed G (@emoshLOS) March 9, 2024
In his message, Fitzharris wrote, “Earlier today, you received a marketing email for our Today’s Special Value® that used derogatory language that is offensive, particularly to the Asian community and women, in the subject line. As the president of QVC®, I am personally sending this email because I want to apologize deeply that this happened.”
“It runs counter to our values and principles as an organization and is in no way reflective of our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, something that makes us stronger as an organization,” he contended. “What this does reinforce is the need to stay steadfast in being intentional and inclusive in all the ways that we show up — with our customers, our team members, and all our stakeholders.”
“It’s pitiful how so many corporations have fallen for this DEI bullsh*t,” a recipient of the email weighed in and added, “What an absolute joke.”
It’s pitiful how so many corporations have fallen for this DEI bullshit.
Received an email from QVC this a.m. announcing today’s special value, then this 2nd email later today massively apologizing for the “offensive” language. What an absolute joke. ♀️ pic.twitter.com/cFLh382VS0
— Neece-Horn’s Daughter (@NeceHorn) March 9, 2024
The president’s apology continued, “We are making immediate improvements to our process so that something like this does not happen again. This will be done closely with our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team to ensure we provide diverse perspectives and reviews with our language.”
“We need to do better, and we will do better,” assured Fitzharris. “I am sorry we didn’t do better today.”
Others were quick to point out that the founders of Lug, the bag being promoted in the email, were Ami and Jason Richter and that she was very much an Asian woman.
As curious minds sought out what QVC was apologizing for, reactions showed exactly why apologizing to the victimhood class is a losing proposition.
Got an apology email from QVC that an earlier email used derogatory language offensive to Asians. I find the email in my Trash & it says, I kid you not, YOU’LL LOVE THIS BAG LONG TIME! I’m assuming that’s reference to a scene from Full Metal Jacket. QVC has gone woke, FFS
— Robin Service ❤️ (@RobinService5) March 8, 2024
I am more offended the the apology email stating QVC has a active DEI program.
— AlexanderTheCat (@OldAlexinTucky) March 8, 2024
QVC sent the most ridiculous apology email. They sent an email this a.m. saying “you’ll love this bag longtime.” It was funny. I laughed. Just now I got an apology email saying it offended a certain community and they participate in DEI. Well, never shopping there again. ♀️
— Colette Lala (@ColetteLala) March 9, 2024
Kim gets an apology letter from QVC for their recent “Love You Long Time” marketing campaign.
She laughed and said “ooooo someone got fiiiired this weeeek”
Stop Asian Hate.
— The Greater Chris (@Chrisg19722015) March 13, 2024
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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