American Apparel forced to apologize after 'young' employee posts image of exploding Challenger spacecraft on social media - and tags it as 'clouds'

  • The brand claims that the unnamed employee was born before the 1989 tragedy, so was unaware of its occurrence
  • It’s appearance on American Apparel’s Tumblr page sparked outrage on social media

By Annabel Fenwick Elliott

Published: | Updated:


American Apparel has apologized after one of its employees posted a photo of Space Shuttle Challenger exploding - the 1989 spacecraft disaster which claimed seven lives - to the brand's Tumblr blog, tagged 'smoke' and 'clouds.'

'We deeply apologize for today's Tumblr post... The image was re-blogged in error by one of our international social media employees who was born after the tragedy and was unaware of the event,' American Apparel posted to its Twitter page.

The image was posted yesterday afternoon; immediately triggering a social media storm, with one Twitter user branding it: 'Purposefully, publicly stupid.'

Not a cloud: American Apparel has apologized after an employee posted this photo of the 1989 Space Shuttle Challenger, apparently mistaking it for a cloud, and causing a subsequent outcry

Not a cloud: American Apparel has apologized after an employee posted this photo of the 1989 Space Shuttle Challenger, apparently mistaking it for a cloud, and causing a subsequent outcry

Within 45 minutes of the posting, it was removed, and American Apparel's apology followed swiftly thereafter. 'We sincerely regret the insensitivity of that selection and the post has been deleted,' it stated.

The photo in question documents the tragic moment when, in January 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger suffered a malfunction and broke apart 73 seconds after take-off, killing all seven of its crew members.

The spacecraft disintegrated mid-air and fell into the Atlantic Ocean, not far from the coast of Florida.

Tumblr blunder: American Apparel was quick to issue this statement to its Twitter page (pictured) following the original post, blaming it on the fact the employee was born after the spacecraft tragedy occurred

Tumblr blunder: American Apparel was quick to issue this statement to its Twitter page (pictured) following the original post, blaming it on the fact the employee was born after the spacecraft tragedy occurred

This error on behalf of American Apparel is the latest in a string of public blunders. Earlier this year, the brand's long-standing CEO, Dov Charney, was fired; accused of misusing corporate funds, as well as helping disseminate nude photos of a former employee.

'The image was re-blogged in error by [an] employee who was born after the tragedy and was unaware of the event'

Additionally, the company has a long history of controversy for the highly sexualized nature of its advertising.

It has also won praise over the years, however, for its stand against slave labor, and for portraying 'real', unairbrushed models in its campaigns.
 

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