Remember Spanish clothier Zara‘s highly insensitive (okay, profoundly stupid) garment designed for infants that looked nearly identical to the shirts Jews were forced to wear in Nazi concentration camps? Well, looks like Urban Outfitters doesn’t want to be outdone in the “edgy” dumb-as-a-box-of-pet-rocks department. So they came up with this little gem:
Apparently, for Urban Outfitters, nothing says Kent State like a “blood-soaked” sweatshirt for their fall collection. Not surprisingly, the outrage from those of us who actually know our tragic history came swiftly.
Though the sweatshirt was quickly pulled from Urban Outfitters’ online store, it was not without a lame attempt by UO to cover their insensitive and/or ignorant behinds, offering this non-apology apology:
“Urban Outfitters sincerely apologizes for any offense our Vintage Kent State Sweatshirt may have caused. It was never our intention to allude to the tragic events that took place at Kent State in 1970 and we are extremely saddened that this item was perceived as such. The one-of-a-kind item was purchased as part of our sun-faded vintage collection. There is no blood on this shirt nor has this item been altered in any way. The red stains are discoloration from the original shade of the shirt and the holes are from natural wear and fray. Again, we deeply regret that this item was perceived negatively and we have removed it immediately from our website to avoid further upset.”
Agreed. Do us all a favor, Urban Outfitters, and just be honest: You’re either completely ignorant of our history, or you’re completely insensitive to it. Or you’re both. But please don’t insult our intelligence and suggest you meant no “offense.” Pull up your big-girl panties, admit you made an elephantine-sized faux pas, because you own this. You’ve succeeded in bringing attention to yourselves. And not in a good way. And, somehow, I suspect many Americans like myself will be choosing to shop elsewhere.
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