Make Love, _____________. (Waris Ahluwalia & Quentin Jones-GAP)

“Oh hey look, a Sikh man modeling for GAP.” Why is it that this was the first thing I noticed? Perhaps it’s because we’re taught to avoid mixtures of turbans and beards, perhaps it’s because of the aftermath of 9/11, perhaps it’s because he’s being held onto like a prized possession to show “comfort.” When I see ads such as this, I’m always skeptical; That’s because companies only ever feel the need to find ethnically “different” models when they want to seem “in the now.” Who’s to say that this man wasn’t chosen just because they want to seem welcoming to foreigners, or because they hadn’t had a Sikh model yet, so they figured, “we’ve done asian, black, hispanic, and white, let’s get a Muslim?” GAP is trying to make a statement with their choice of Sikh model to young Americans, yet he’s just as white -if not whiter-than his cohort. Why couldn’t GAP have chosen a significantly different looking female model to show diversity? Why is Waris split horizontally in two, showing signs of tradition on his head and showing Americanist behavior through his exposed chest? If GAP is going to “make a statement” they should do it right, less photoshop, more tradition, and MAKE IT REAL.