- QVC president Mike Fitzharris issues apology for ‘derogatory’ language after backlash online
- The line is a play on ‘Me love you long time’, which has been used to mock Asian women for decades
<!–
<!–
<!– <!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
QVC was forced to apologize after it aired a racist, sexist ad with the phrase “you’ll love this bag for a long time” on International Women’s Day.
The shopping giant shared the campaign in an email last week, promoting a handbag with the subject line “you’ll love this bag for a long time.”
A furious backlash erupted with customers accusing QVC of racism and sexism.
The line is a play on ‘Me love you long time’, an insulting idiom that has been used as a derogatory phrase towards Asian women since the 1980s.
QVC president Mike Fitzharris issued an apology for the ‘derogatory’ language, saying: ‘I am personally sending this email because I want to deeply apologize that this happened.’
QVC president Mike Fitzharris issued an apology for the ‘derogatory’ language
The line is a play on the degrading phrase ‘Me love you long time’
He added: ‘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.
‘It is contrary to our values ​​and principles as an organization and in no way reflects our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, something that makes us stronger as an organisation.’
Many felt the email was particularly offensive as it was issued on International Women’s Day.
One person wrote on X: ‘This is racist. Someone probably thought they could get away with it – thought it was funny.
“I was shocked to see the subject line earlier today, and I’m glad QVC got the push and acted quickly.”
Another said: ‘Don’t click well QVC’.
The phrase is a reference to the line ‘me love you long time’, which has long been criticized for being racist.
The words were popularized in Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 fictional war film, Full Metal Jacket.
Fitzharris said the company will make adjustments to ensure nothing like this happens again
Many felt the email was particularly offensive as it was issued on International Women’s Day
In the film, a Vietnamese sex worker, played by actress Papillon Soo, says the words along with ‘me so horny’.
The sentences play into an offensive stereotype of Asian women as hypersexualized and submissive.
Fitzharris said the company will make adjustments to ensure nothing like this happens again.
He said: ‘This will be done closely with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team to ensure we provide different perspectives and reviews with our language.
‘We have to do better and we will do better. I’m sorry we didn’t do better today.’
NBC News was the first to report the offensive email campaign.