American Apparel apologizes for posting image of Challenger explosion

I predict "The image was re-blogged in error" is the new "the intern did it". American Apparel has apologized after posting a photo of the space shuttle Challenger exploding on its Tumblr account. They have also explained that "it was re-blogged in error" by someone who was "born after the tragedy" as if this somehow mitigates the fact that a brand is re-blogging random images on a tumblr.

Why is a brand re-blogging stuff on a tumblr page? On what planet is this a good idea?

Why is our sweat-shop free t-shirt maker re-blogging other peoples pictures on a tumblr? Why are we reading a brands tumblr page, expecting random re-blogs and not, you know, pictures of new American Apparel gear? Is the point in time where we consider the wisdom of having tumblr's for every Tom, Dick and Harry? This is how far we've come from "branding content", no longer is it creating something like BMW films, but now they're joining in the frenzy of re-blogging images they don't even know anything about. Brands adding to the tl;dr generation and the dilution of information with unchecked noise.

The challenger explosion image got peoples attention, people were so offended by this they promised to never frequent AA again, much like they do every time AA produces 'fashion' images that look like teenage porn.... so American Apparel had to apologize for mistaking an image of the 1986 explosion that killed all seven crew members, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, for a "cloud".

With our sincerest apologies: pic.twitter.com/BOF43jScV0

— American Apparel (@americanapparel) July 3, 2014

@americanapparel POOR TASTE is an understatement... you have lost me and my family as customers.... PERIOD

— muggs45 (@19muggs45) July 3, 2014

@americanapparel You need to bring that outsourced job back to America or take the word American out of your company name. Seriously

— 1Skeptical Chick (@1SkepticalChick) July 3, 2014

So @americanapparel just popped up on the radar for posting something offensive. Guess everyone missed the serial underage soft porn. Hmm.

— ConservativeLA (@ConservativeLA) July 4, 2014

@americanapparel Being born AFTER an event is no excuse. I was born AFTER World War 2, but I still know it happened!!

— Michelle (@carolinagirl_70) July 4, 2014