Did they really think this would go over well? or Further Proof Urban Outfitters Isn’t Really as Cool as They Say They Are
As Inigo Montoya once said, let me explain, no no there is too much, let me some-up: Fresh Jive printed the t-shirt above, a lot of people got pissed-off and called them anti-semites. Urban Outfitters decided to quite selling the shirt, lest people actually associate them with progressive urban image they try so hard to maintain.
I’m assuming that the negative reaction is the result of an overly literal interpretation of the design, which would be that Fresh Jive is saying that all Palestinians are victims, so it’s okay to give kids AK-47s and tell them to shoot at Israelis. As street-wear legend Rick Klotz’s response clarifies, there is a lot more to depth to this shirt than inciting hatred. While I truly believe that the worst of it is over, I am truly saddened by the way that Americans have become so intolerant of any view points on the middle east that are more nuanced than, “You are either with us or you must be a terrorist-sympathizer”. Frankly, since Sept. 11 the censorship of mainstream American political culture far trumps the worst of anything we have ever seen from the actual government. Point being: what the fuck did Urban Outfitters think was going to happen when they put this shirt on their shelves? Let’s not forget that until very recently you couldn’t even critique the war without having your loyalty to America called into question. Regardless of one’s interpretation, this shirt is clearly making a bold political statement raising the question; Are Urban Outfitters’ buyers so naive that they didn’t anticipate this shit-storm? Giving them the benefit of the doubt on that one, then they should at least have had the gumption to stick with the shirt once they green-lighted it in the first place. It is pretty shameful that at the first sight of controversy they would rather pull the shirt than let people react to it. Albeit a small one, this is just another example of tyranny of the majority in which any type of political dissent (or even commentary) is discounted merely for rubbing some individuals the wrong way. Urban Outfitters decision to pull the shirt marks another significant loss for legitimate political dialog.
Incidentally, these pictures of Mexican Man-vestites on Fresh Jive’s website was way more offensive than anything political could ever possibly be.
Stumble it!
