Imagine losing a loved one in an act of brutal violence; you have to live with only their memory for the rest of your life, as well as being hypersensitive to similar acts of violence. Now imagine that someone designed, or even worse, wore a shirt that makes light of the event, or something similar; wouldn’t it always be “too soon?”
Clothing company Urban Outfitters is no stranger to controversy and, shockingly, they’ve made headlines yet again with a recent design.
The company recently produced a vintage looking Kent State sweater. Seems like your average design, no? Unfortunately, that’s not the focus point of the sweater, as it also sports fake blood splatters.
If you’re unfamiliar with why this is stirring up trouble, let me give you a quick recap: in 1970, thirteen unarmed Kent State students were shot, four of whom were killed, by the Ohio National Guard members sent out to disperse a student protest.
Selling a product based on acts of violence and, arguably, terror is not the best way to go about being “new” or “unique.” In other words, it’s not edgy—it’s disrespectful.
What may be worse is that the sweaters cost $125 each. No reasonable person would try to profit from a tragedy such as the Kent State shooting. Making the shirt “vintage,” to symbolize that enough time has passed, does not make it any more okay to sell.
In an attempt to make a comparison to a more current tragedy, that is as if American Airlines and United Airlines painted their planes to appear completely destroyed by fire from the 9/11 terrorist attack. Unthinkable, right?
The design invoked a public outcry from both consumers as well as Kent State representatives, leading to the company pulling the sweater from shelves.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the only “edgy” item the store has produced for sale. Other examples of Urban Outfitter’s great judgment are its “Eat Less” shirt (yes, that was honestly what the shirt said) and a yellow shirt that had what looked like a Star of David on the pocket, giving it a Nazi Germany-esque feel.
It seems as though Urban Outfitters thrives on controversial designs and cultural appropriation. The saying “any publicity is good publicity” should really be reconsidered by the company because it seems as though most of its public relations has been bad, resulting in the pulling of its products from store racks. Why not cut out the middleman and make clothing that’s actually edgy rather than tasteless and offensive?
The bottom line is that while clothing choices reflect upon those who wear it, it is also a direct reflection of those who create it. Especially if it is overpriced disrespect.
