Urban Outfitters Anti-Semitic?

[LongBlade]

I almost put this one in Enigmas.

They're accused of creating a t-shirt reminiscent of the star Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/04/23/anti-defamation-league-slams-urban-outfitters-over-shirt-featuring-perceived/

The Anti-Defamation League is calling out retailer Urban Outfitters for a shirt the Jewish group claims bears a symbol strikingly similar to the one used by Nazis to identify Jews during the Holocaust.

The sale of the shirt, which comes on the heels of National Holocaust Remembrance Day, is just the latest in a long line of offensive products from Urban Outfitters, the ADL tells FoxNews.com.

[Centurion40]

Looks like the Star of David of Recycling.

[Staggerwing]

Looks more like an M. C. Escher drawing- three intersecting planes. All it needs is some lizards or stairs to nowhere.

[LongBlade]

Looks more like an M. C. Escher drawing- three intersecting planes. All it needs is some lizards or stairs to nowhere.

Putting it on a yellow shirt probably brings the closes evocation.

I dunno. I'm on the fence here. Guys who watch this more closely can maybe help us figure this out. The way the article read the ADL seemed to imply this wasn't the first time UO did something objectionable.

[MIGMaster]

Reminds me of those screwed up spatial aptitude tests.  I wrote the air traffic controller/ground control specialist entrance exam - it was loaded with those suckers - it was not pretty. Hence that was the end of my control tower career aspirations.

[son_of_montfort]

No more so than Columbia Sportswear's logo looks like a swastika:

[Jarhead0331]

From wiki...

# In 2003 the company released a Monopoly parody called Ghettopoly. The game was criticized as racist by a local chapter of the NAACP and black clergy, among others. The creator of the game, David Chang, maintained the games are "a medium to bring together in laughter," adding, "If we can't laugh at ourselves... we'll continue to live in blame and bitterness."

# Also in 2003, a T-shirt released with the phrase "Everyone Loves a Jewish Girl" surrounded by dollar signs was condemned, though the Anti-Defamation League welcomed the decision to discontinue the shirts, saying that it hoped "that this experience, combined with another recent controversy surrounding an Urban Outfitters product that reinforced stereotypes, has served to sensitize the company to the sensibilities of its customer base and all ethnic groups." The ADL later expressed "outrage and disgust" at other incidents of insensitivity.

# The following year, in 2004 Jesus Dress Up, a game created by artist Normal Bob Smith, drew additional critical response. The company allegedly received feedback from an estimated 250,000 emails.[18] Urban Outfitters noted that the magnets, which had been their sixth most popular Christmas toy, were not intended to offend, but rather appeal to their customers' diversity. Urban Outfitters no longer markets the game.

# In 2006, the retailer was criticized for offering sparkly handgun-shaped Christmas ornaments in its hometown of Philadelphia, a city that had seen over 1,700 shootings and over 300 gun-related murders for the year. After the murder of officer Charles Cassidy, the company announced on November 15, 2007 that it would no longer sell the gun-shaped ornament.

# In 2007, complaints by Jewish groups over the company sales of keffiyehs (which had been marketed as "antiwar" scarves)[24] led Urban Outfitters to stop carrying that item. Urban Outfitters issued a statement, "Due to the sensitive nature of this item, we will no longer offer it for sale. We apologize if we offended anyone, this was by no means our intention."

# In May 2008, after concern in the Jewish community, Urban Outfitters discontinued a T-shirt that featured a Palestinian child holding an AK-47 over the word "Victimized". According to a company representative, "[W]e do not buy items to provoke controversy or to intentionally offend. We have pulled this item in all of our locations and will no longer be selling it online either."

# In May 2010, The Village Voice published an article comparing various local Brooklyn artists merchandise to products sold later by Urban Outfitters, claiming they have been stealing people's work and designs.

# In June 2010, the company was criticized for having made a controversial T-shirt saying "Eat Less". Some people considered it as pro-anorexia. The tee-shirt was eventually pulled from the website but it was still sold in stores.

# In May 2011, Stephanie "Stevie" Koerner, a designer who owns an online store on Etsy, claimed that Urban Outfitters' "I Heart Destination" necklaces were stolen from her "United World Of Love", which both featured metal chain necklaces of various states with heart shaped holes punched in. Blogger April Winchell investigated and discovered that the necklaces featured a common design which a number of other artists, both on and outside of Etsy, had been selling for at least a year prior to Koerner's first sale. Additionally, Winchell drew attention to a commenter's discovery of another instance in which Koerner had claimed credit for a design that was not originally hers. Nevertheless, Urban Outfitters removed the product from their online store.

# In 2011, the Navajo Nation sent a a cease-and-desist letter to Urban Outfitters, demanding that the company stop using the term "Navajo" for a line of products that include underwear and a liquor flask. The tribe holds at least 10 trademarks on their name and alleges the company of trademark violation and criticism of the product. On October 19, 2011, Urban Outfitters removed the word "Navajo" from product names on its website.

# In 2012, several LGBT blogs, as well as social news site Reddit, critisized the company's choice to feature a transphobic greeting card. The card has since been removed from the website's catalog. The company did not issue any public statement regarding the controversy.

# In April 2012, the Anti-Defamation League took offense to a tee-shirt with a six-pointed star design that they claimed strongly resembled the star Jews in Nazi Germany were made to wear.The Danish brand, Wood Wood, that makes the tee shirt is also corporate partners with Adidas and Converse. The shirt is still being sold.

[Staggerwing]

So, even if the actual symbol isn't offensive by itself, the company that sells it certainly are a bunch of Jack-offs. I did see that the designer, Wood Wood, actually tried to discontinue the design after they were told some folks were offended but that UO, who purchased the shirts from them, ignored the request and kept advertising it anyway.

[bayonetbrant]

At least 4 of those I see as pretty irrelevant

4, 7, 8, 9, and probably 10 are the kinds of things that pretty much any retailer is going to get subjected to just by being in business in today's environment of "everyone is a victim, but especially me"

The keffiyehs and AK47-wielding child strike me as the product of a bunch of children pretending at playing 'grown ups' in a world or business where they are significantly out of their depth.  I doubt they were done maliciously, but it's good that they were set straight before they started thinking that sort of behavior is OK.

The truth is, just about any shape, symbol, color pattern, or arrangement can be found offensive to someone, but recognition of why it's offensive requires a historical sensibility that's found in too few people in this world.

[LongBlade]

I suspect we'll see more of this.

If you're 20 years old World War II is ancient history and items like swastikas have lost virtually all meaning.

------

Additionally retailers are going to step in doggie doo from time to time. A buyer in a rush to get next season's clothes lined up may not view those items in a sober-minded way that folks more attuned to history would.

That said, for a company that claims it has no intention of selling provocative material, Urban Outfitters certainly seems to have managed to bring attention to itself. An armed Palestinian kid? UO seriously didn't see that one coming?

[Centurion40]

Ya know, it kinda reminds me of the Raelian symbol, seen (if you can find it) below:

[Centurion40]

Here's a pic without distraction.  Yes, I recognize that it's f'ed-up.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra%C3%ABlism

[Gusington]

The graphic on the shirt does not remind me of a Star of David or the holocaust.

The 100 dollar price tag, on the other hand, is a crime against humanity.

For a t-shirt?? Are you EFFING kidding me? Suck it Urban Outfitters.

[Tpek]

Ya know, it kinda reminds me of the Raelian symbol, seen (if you can find it) below:

The crazed Raelians use of that Star of David with the swirl in it is kinda old news. I didn't know however they actually had a swastika embedded once and decided to change
it so it would not provoke outrage.

I wonder if "Rael" got the instructions from this from the Aliens via his pony-tail as usual :D

[0kult13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexagram

Its the shape of a hexagram, many religions including judadisum,hindu,islam,christianity,  freemans and occultists all use it. Looks like the Anti-Defamation League want to stick to liking justin beiber and avoid making uniformed claims. Unless the company paid them to do it for some free advertising.