Urban Outfitters is at the center of yet another controversy, this time over a t-shirt that some say mimics the Jewish Star worn by holocaust victims.
The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement about the tee, calling on Urban Outfitters to remove it from its site. So far, Urban Outfitters is still offering the t-shirt for sale.
What do you think Urban Outfitters should do?
The Anti-Defamation League issued the following statement:
Today the Anti-Defamation League issued a strongly-worded letter of condemnation to Urban Outfitters charging that one of its products "... represents a new low."
Barry Morrison, ADL Regional Director, wrote to Richard Hayne, Chairman, President and CEO of Urban Outfitters, about a t-shirt offered by the company which is associated with the yellow Star of David symbol Jews were forced to wear in Nazi Europe. Morrison said, "We find this use of symbolism to be extremely distasteful and offensive, and are outraged that your company would make this product available to your customers."
The League has communicated with Urban Outfitters on numerous occasions over the years regarding a variety of projects that have, "tread on the feelings and reinforced stereotypes of various groups—Christians, blacks, and Irish, Mexican, and Jewish-Americans ... the list goes on." The League also demanded an immediate apology from the company asking that the product no longer be sold and urging it to meet with League representatives.
Urban Outfitters has not taken the offending t-shirt off the site. Bizarrely, it appears the retailer has airbrushed the star out of the photo ...
However, you can still see the star if you click on the product's sidebar photos.
What good does that do? If someone were to order the tee (and I highly doubt it's selling like hotcakes, anyway -- it costs $100!), would it come with the star on it or not?
If I were running a business and my product offended a sizeable group of people, you'd better believe I'd remove it in a heartbeat -- and apologize! I don't really understand why Urban Outfitters would continue to sell the t-shirt.
What do you think about all this? Should Urban Outfitters remove the shirt from its site or stand its ground?
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Images via Urban Outfitters
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Comments 18
There is absolutely nothing offensive about this shirt! It's a yellow t-shirt with a patchwork star design on the pocket. Seriously? Let's all just get offended about everything all the time. It's ridiculous. Don't people have anything better to do than troll the web to find things to be offended over???????
Per the Urban Outfitters website:
"Handcrafted tee with stitched patch detailing from Danish label Wood Wood."
It's the logo for a brand name, and upon close inspection it looks nothing like a "Jewish Star," it looks more like origami.
Just another case of people looking for something to be offended by..
It actually is offensive. I'm never overly sensitive on these kinds of things, nor am I Jewish.
This is the Holocaust star, please explain to me how that shirt even remotely resembles it? Are we not allowed to have yellow clothes at all, is that it?
http://history1900s.about.com/od/holocaust/a/yellowstar.htm
I really can't see it well enough to know bc they air brushed it out, which is wierd but at first glance it looks like the Star of David to me, which means walking down the street it would look the same. i'm not overly sensative, but a logo is pretty much a visual message and it is what it appears to be.
If I was Jewish i would probably find it offensive, but I just wouldnt buy it. I think our right to create and wear what we choose is more important than never offending anyone.
I'm Jewish and it doesn't bother me. It doesn't even really look like the Star of David anyways, except for the fact that it has six points. If someone is offended by it, don't buy it. Just my opinion.
Now all six sided stars are supposed to be considered offensive? It's different color blues, it has funky stitched detailing within the "star". I think it's a pretty big stretch myself.