Their market research firm probably told them to do it.
Their market research firm is probably filled with wokesters who push the same PC garbage on all their clients.
Their market research firm won’t be in business much longer.
*YAWN*
Many moons ago after I became a single dad, I took my two pre-teen daughters to DisneyWorld.
After landing in Orlando, I rented car and during the drive, I spotted Ron Jon’s Surf Shop. We stopped and walked in.
My oldest “Valley Girl” walked in and said “WOW”.
At that moment she thought her dad was pretty cool to visit a shop like that....nothing back in Dayton, OH could compare.
Huh?
Sad. That location is my favorite Florida hangout on the beach.
Don’t ever grow up!
You don’t live with your parents anymore and you can totally a dirty dish on the counter, overnight, if you damn well feel like it....
Skip forward to the 1:30 mark. You’ll get it
https://youtu.be/AfVjdXppnF4
Best line ever from the 1980’s
Too silly for words, particularly since everybody of any color already thought the “Surfer Barbie” and “Surfer Ken” were pretty silly and understood that they were just symbolic of a period...and almost retro even at the time.
That said, I’m sure all businesses are freaked out and anybody with images of white people is rushing to change them, even if images are not their main businesses.
And looking at fashion magazines and newspaper fashion sections, I’d say there’s no more jobs for white models (even Hispanic whites). This is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen.
There have always been great black models...I think David Bowie is married to one of the classically beautiful black models. No affirmative action needed.
But reality doesn’t matter.
In the 60s I spent summers with my grandparents on Merritt Island. My uncle worked for PanAm at the Cape. Ron Jon’s was a little hole in the wall on Cocoa Beach, Orlando was a sleepy town surrounded by orange groves, and Disney World was a swamp. Good memories!
Ron Jon’s are in several Caribbean islands Grand Turk etc...I usually find cheap and cute little ankle bracelets with dolphins, starfish etc and other trinkets for my granddaughters...
Ron Jon turned into a mass market wannaabee magnet, years ago. I was in Cocoa Beach quite a while back when the buzz was going around that Customs was in there looking for branding knockoffs.
The days of the old surf shop that catered to the sun worn tribe of the vitamin sea are gone. Now it’s merely another boutique, marketing to the crowd that bow to alter of kitche.
Kind of a shame really.
FR isn’t your personal Facebook
I wish I was drinking on the beach this afternoon but it’s still quite chilly up here so I’ll have to settle for drinking on my patio in a LL Bean sweater.
They did the smart thing and got the hell out of NJ ... sort of. That original location is still there (but way bigger now) but that's it for New Jersey, they never built another one in the state and probably would close this one if weren't the first I'm guessing.
The gig is up.
I’ve been to Ron Jon’s before.. bought a few shirts (all long gone now :^( )
I also was a regular at Brassies/Take2 dance club (Cocoa Beach) while I was at Patrick AFB. Not even sure if those are still around (it’s been over 30 years ago :P ).