JCPenney Apologies for "Too Pretty to Do Homework" T-Shirt

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JCPenney's new T-shirt and the promotional text offended many. 

JCP T-Shirt

The controversy played out on JCPenney's Facebook page with comments like this one:

JCP Comment

The company was quick to apologize:

"J.C. Penney is committed to being America's destination for great style and great value for the whole family. We agree that the 'Too pretty' t-shirt does not deliver an appropriate message, and we have immediately discontinued its sale. Our merchandise is intended to appeal to a broad customer base, not to offend them. We would like to apologize to our customers and are taking action to ensure that we continue to uphold the integrity of our merchandise that they have come to expect."

Discussion Starters: 

  • Do you consider the T-shirts offensive or just funny?
  • In a follow-up message, JCPenney Corporate Communications representative said, "We are not happy about the shirt! We're looking into it right now, to find out how it happened. It was only online, not available in stores, and we have removed it from the site." How do you assess JCPenney's reaction?