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Abercrombie & Fitch Offers Cash To Jersey Shore's Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino To Wear Something Else

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Stop wearing our clothes.

That's the message Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is sending to Mike "The Situation'' Sorrentino and the rest of the Jersey Shore cast. 

In a news release, Abercrombie says it's concerned that having Sorrentino seen in its clothing could cause "significant damage'' to the company's image.

EXTRA: The 'Jersey Shore' Fashion & Shopping Guide

Abercrombie says a connection to The Situation goes against the "aspirational nature'' of its brand and may be "distressing'' to customers.

LINK: Click here to read the full news release

The Ohio-based retailer has apparently offered a "substantial payment'' to Sorrentino and the producers of the MTV show so he'll wear something else and says it is also making the offer to the rest of the Jersey Shore cast.

Jersey Shore cast
The cast members of MTV's "Jersey Shore" pose at their television home Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011, in Seaside Heights, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Wednesday afternoon, MTV issued a statement that said "It's a clever PR stunt and we'd love to work with them on other ways they can leverage Jersey Shore to reach the largest youth audience on television."

Abercrombie may think the Jersey Shore brings a negative image to their clothing line, but the MTV show doesn't bring a negative image to the real Jersey Shore, according to a recent national poll.

A Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll found no statistical difference between those who have seen the show and those who haven't.

It also found that the series is drawing attention to the state's 127 miles of beaches and generating positive buzz for the Garden State as a whole.

This is also the second time The Situation has made headlines in less than a week.

He was caught on video behind the wheel of a red Ferrari two-seater convertible with two women in the passenger seat when he was pulled over by Belmar police.

Instead of issuing Sorrentino a ticket, the video shows the officers getting his autograph before letting him drive off. Those officers are now being investigated.

The hit reality TV show is currently in its fourth season which was filmed in Florence, Italy.

The cast is back in the surf and sand at Seaside Heights filming the upcoming season.

 Do you think Mike "The Situation'' Sorrentino brings a negative image to Abercrombie? Sound off below in our comments section...

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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