Abercrombie Discriminates Girl w/ Prosthetic Arm

Abercrombie discriminating? No, I don't believe it. This poor girl with a prosthetic arm was sent to work in the backroom at Abercrombie.

When Riam applied to the store, they took a photograph of her and gave her a handbook that listed the company's expectations, as far as physical appearance goes. According to the Daily Mail, the handbook "stipulates that staff must represent a 'natural, classic American style' and instructs them on everything from how to wear their hair (clean and natural) to how long they should wear their nails (a quarter of an inch past the end of the finger)." Apparently, Riam's prosthetic arm wasn't "natural" or "classic" enough for the store- they made her buy a cardigan to wear in order to hide her arms while working.

"A worker from what they call the "visual team", people who are employed to go round making sure the shop and its staff look up to scratch, came up to me and demanded I take the cardigan off. I told her, yet again, that I had been given special permission to wear it. A few minutes later my manager came over to me and said: "I can't have you on the shop floor as you are breaking the Look Policy. Go to the stockroom immediately and I'll get someone to replace you. I pride myself on being quite a confident girl but I had never experienced prejudice like that before and it made me feel utterly worthless. Afterwards I telephoned the company's head office where a member of staff asked whether I was willing to work in the stockroom until the winter uniform arrived. That was the final straw. I just couldn't go back."

She is now suing the company, which, by the way, already paid 2.2 million dollars to employees who felt that that the company was unfairly forcing them to buy Abercrombie's clothes in 2003. Oh, and did I mention they paid a 40 million dollar settlement in 2004, after being accused of discriminatory employment practices? Because they did! This is a company that continues to be called out for their sexist, racist, discriminatory practices, and by issuing half-ass apologies and paying off their accusers, they expect us to forget the nastiness at the core of this operation. Sadly, all of this only makes Riam's story as unsurprising as it is upsetting.

Lady GaGa mistaken for Amy Winehouse?

Our girl Lady GaGa does indeed dye her hair and with good reason. Turns out a reporter once had mistaken her for Amy Winehouse.  Crazy, right?

I don't know about you but I'm not really seeing a comparision. GaGa did call Winehouse "badass" and simply wants to be her own person and known for her own style. Well, I don't blame her.

Sights From The Birthday Week...

Facebook album is here.

97 BHT Summer Jam Recap w/ The Veronicas

97 BHT's Summer Jam 2009 - Saturday June 6, 2009 - F.M. Kirby Center, Wilkes-Barre - Starring The Veronicas - Check out Photos and Video!

Photos Courtesy of John at KDP Studio!

LIL WAYNE/SOULJA BOY Return To NEPA July 27

97 BHT welcomes Lil Wayne and Soulja Boy Tell 'Em back to NEPA, with special guests Young Jeezy and Drake!

Click here for more information!

All thanks to Live Nation and 97 BHT!
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FULL COVERAGE OF LIL WAYNE'S LAST TRIP TO NEPA
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FULL COVERAGE OF SOULJA BOY TELL 'EM'S LAST TRIP TO NEPA

DAILY DOWNLOAD: New Found Glory - Listen To Your Friends

06.10.09 : New Found Glory - Listen To Your Friends
Guitarist Chad Gilbert calls up The Ralphie Radio Show
On The Song:

On Working w/ Blink 182's Mark Hoppus:

EXCLUSIVE: Taking It Back, Looking Forward w/ Jesse McCartney

Download the mp3

Jesse McCartney chatted in his dressing room about All My Children, touring w/ NKOTB, & Departure: Recharged.

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You know him as pop superstar Jesse McCartney, the platinum-selling, world-touring artist that sings some of your favorite songs like “Leavin’” and “Beautiful Soul.” But my Mom will always identify him as “Adam Chamdler Jr.” from the ABC soap opera All My Children.

“I was nominated in ’99 and 2000,” McCartney recalled, as he received a nod in both years for a Daytime Emmy Award. “I can’t even believe how long ago that was.”

Certainly much changed for McCartney since. While he still acts, his current full-time job is singer/songwriter/performer. McCartney’s latest LP, Departure, sold over a quarter of a million copies. This past April, Hollywood Records re-released the record as Departure: Recharged, featuring four new songs, including the remix of “How Do You Sleep?” featuring Ludacris.

“It’s part two of the album, or just an extended version,” Jesse explained. “One of the songs is actually the next single, its called 'Body Language' and I just got official word today that we’re releasing it in a couple weeks with T-Pain.”

First he collaborated with producer Tricky Stewart, then Ludacris, and now T-Pain. McCartney certainly aimed for and achieved a much more rhythmic sound, similar to what New Kids On The Block went for with The Block. In addition to extending the run of Departure, McCartney extended his summer schedule at the last second, accepting an invitation from NKOTB to join them on tour.

“They called literally two weeks before the tour,” he revealed. “It’s gonna be another month and a half of touring.”

McCartney maintains such a busy schedule that he didn’t even meet the entire headlining act until about 4 dates in to the trek. Jesse’s mad dashing from the stage to prior commitments even prompted tour-mate Danny Wood of NKOTB to wonder what was up. But when I spoke with McCartney last Wednesday, he noted that during the upcoming off day, he looked forward to “kicking it” with the guys.

The former Dream Street singer will finish out the “Full Service” tour, then begin work on The Gonzo Files, which begins filming at the end of this month in Brooklyn. Bryan Goluboff, who wrote The Basketball Diaries, wrote and will direct the movie.

“I’m gonna do a lot more film stuff at the end of the album, at the end of this run,” McCartney noted – although with the release of another single imminent, the end may not arrive until the end of the year.

Regardless of whether he’s on camera or on stage, McCartney will be making money doing what he loves. He might even find sometime to live like the average 22 year old. While chatting in his dress room, McCartney recalled a time he partied at my alma mater, Syracuse University.

“I did go to a frat party in Syracuse at one point, like four years ago,” McCartney admitted. “It was fun.”

Adam Chandler Jr. has come a long way.