Urban Outfitters selling "Vintage Kent State Sweatshirt" complete with blood splatter

[FourScore]

Mon Sep 15, 2014 at 06:45 AM PDT
Urban Outfitters selling "Vintage Kent State Sweatshirt" complete with blood splatter
by Jen HaydenFollow



You honestly cannot make this up:

Urban Outfitters is facing a public backlash after offering for sale a "Vintage Kent State Sweatshirt" with red blotches that could be interpreted as blood stains.

Twitter lit up as people blasted the company for its insensitivity for selling an item citing a university nationally known as the site of the May 4, 1970 deaths of four students by the Ohio National Guard during Vietnam War protests.

"We take great offense to a company using our pain for their publicity and profit" the university said in a statement Monday. "This item is beyond poor taste and trivializes a loss of life that still hurts the Kent State community today."

Someone at Urban Outfitters was smart enough to pull it down over the weekend. Quite possibly the smartest person who works there.



http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/09/15/1329863/-Urban-Outfitters-selling-Vintage-Kent-State-Sweatshirt-complete-with-blood-splatter

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. 'Beyond poor taste'.

Nicely understated

[Coventina]

2. The idiocy of corporations never ceases to amaze me.

[MadrasT]

3. And... it's on eBay now.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Urban-Outfitters-Kent-State-Sweater-/161422784908?pt=US_CSA_WC_Sweaters&hash=item25958c398c

2 bids, current bid $550.

I can't imagine who thought this was a good idea. I wonder if the person selling it on eBay is affiliated with Urban Outfitters and the whole thing - auction included - is a sick marketing ploy.

[Lifelong Protester]

4. Beyond disgusted

It's either greed or stupidity that drives this (maybe both?)

[3catwoman3]

5. That is thoroughly...

...disgusting. The person who thought it up AND the person who approved it should be ashamed of themselves.

[Liberal_Dog]

6. Holy Fucking Shit

Who came up with this idea?

How the hell did this get approved?

[shenmue]

7. Mother Machree

[VScott]

8. Looks like something United Colors of Benetton would have sold.

[Paladin]

9. The only people buying it would be right-wingers who believe those students got what they deserved.

There were plenty of them at the time of the Kent State shootings, and I'm sure there are a lot more of them, now.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Do they have a contract witht the Ohio National Guard?

[Pisces]

11. Wow, this is beyond disgusting.

[marions ghost]

12. $129

---that hand-splattered blood must cost a lot.

I could see this as an art statement, but as a cool thing to wear? Turns your stomach.

Sick.

[elias7]

13. How could this design have reached the public?

Imagine how many eyes and hands this garment had to go through to get to market. An utterly soulless lot...

[geardaddy]

14. Urban Outfitters is a known Repuglican donor. n/t

[n2doc]

15. Next up- a reproduction of Jackie's Blood-splattered dress

This is one sick company.

[BobbyBoring]

16. Ssshhhhh!

Don't say that too loud. Nothing is beneath these pukes.

[gratuitous]

17. Let me guess

In reference to the "No Frise Sorry" post elsewhere, that the person who came up with this revolting idea makes more than $15 an hour.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

19. Excellent fucking point.

[Capt. Obvious]

18. Too soon?

[951-Riverside]

20. The cold blooded murder of those kids by the government is more offensive.

The fact that the murderers were never charged and one actually become a fire chief is 100 times more offensive than this shirt ever will be.

[Initech]

21. Wow, stay classy, Urban Outfitters.

There's certainly not enough in the world for this.

[joeybee12]

22. Sick, whoevere's idea this was...knr

[KinMd]

24. Thought this should be here to add bit of perspective

Died May 4 1970

[Rhiannon12866]

25. Unbelievable!!!

[JustAnotherGen]

26. That's awful

[moriah]

27. If I found one used at a thrift store, I might buy it to wear at protests to make a point.

Otherwise.... wow.

[Historic NY]

28. Who the hell was the mental genius that thought of that one?