Home shopping giant QVC has fallen on hard times after its recent marketing campaign took a racially insensitive turn, prompting widespread condemnation and an apology from the company's president.
On International Women's Day, March 8, QVC sent an email to customers promoting a new wallet with the subject line, “This bag will last you a long time.”
QVC President Mike Fitzharris issued an apology on the same day, calling it a “derogatory term that is particularly offensive to the Asian community and women.” He added that this does not reflect the company's “commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
The phrase, which appears to be a play on derogatory stereotypes often associated with Asian women, immediately sparked a backlash on social media.
“This is why DEI remains important, especially for TRAINING employees,” one customer posted on X (formerly Twitter) with a screenshot of the email. “It's vile and racist. There was an apology email, but it should never have been delivered. And on International Women's Day.”
The phrase “I've loved you for many years” appears to be a reference to a line uttered by a Vietnamese sex worker in Stanley Kubrick's 1987 film Full Metal Jacket. The line has since been widely criticized for perpetuating harmful stereotypes and oversexualizing Asian women.
