Seemed a bit silly right? Target stocks Adam Lambert, Chely Wright, Ricky Martin, Elton John--really any album that it thinks it can sell and turn a profit. So why would they single out "newly out" Frank Ocean's Channel Orange, which is currently selling well online?
Ocean's manager, Christian Clancy, first took to Twitter, writing "Interesting since they also donate to non-equal rights organizations." Which seemed to attack them for being homophobic. Of course they also had those Gay Pride T-shirts, but everyone got all hot and bothered that they were only available online, not in the store. So is this really just an in-the-flesh vs. digital problem?
According to Target, this is all ridiculous. The company issued a statement, reported by MTV News, that said: "The claims made about Target's decision to not carry the Frank Ocean album are absolutely false," the statement read. "Target supports inclusivity and diversity in every aspect of our business. Our assortment decisions are based on a number of factors, including guest demand."
So it seems that it's because Channel Orange was made exclusive on iTunes before it was available in actual retail outlets. Screwed! Can't pull that homophobia card so quickly, can ya?
Clancy is now back on Twitter apologizing. "My response was simply an emotional knee jerk reaction," he said. "I apologize for my comments about Target. They are not carrying Franks album because it went digital first. Not for ANY other reason."
