My initial reaction was “who the fuck could possibly think this was a good idea”.
But then I looked at the item and the original article and once again I am like WTF BB? Not mass produced. I don’t see any bullet holes. I don’t even think that looks like blood spatter. Are you all that hard up for traffic to continue to resort to sensationalist bullshit? Most likely this is exactly what it looks like, a vintage find with unique staining that someone one thought would sell (and most likely completely oblivious to the event at Kent State). If it were any other University it wouldn’t even be an issue.
It looks like an old ass shirt that was bleached and had dye staining it that most people would throw away as it isn’t even nice enough for Goodwill, yet some idiot paid $120 for it. That’s the real story.
I had a knee-jerk “whoa das fucked up” reaction, but then it occurred to me that if I’d seen an artist do it, I would think it was a pretty interesting project, and maybe even want one myself. Wider distribution of a potentially interesting idea isn’t necessarily bad, so now I’m questioning my initial response…
“New feelings brewing in Duffman… What…would…Jesus…do??”
The person who bought it has it listed on Ebay with a “Buy it now” price of $2,500. Their description of the item says “perfect for Halloween.” My wife went to Kent State. I think she would be bummed if I wore this around the house.
I am old enough to remember (hehe) when the Hot Topic in Boston was selling fake bulletproof vests because Fifty Cent was wearing them. I even got interviewed as a ‘(white) man on the street’ by the local TV news for my reaction.
I think it’s very appropriate in our time of militarized abusive, even murderous police and spying military-industry complex. In NYC the parks department has a flag pole in every park and mini triangle space in the city. From those poles hang two flags - the stars and stripes and a POW-MIA black flag. POW-MIA was a slogan from the Kent State 4 era to keep the Vietnam war going. The city should add one of these sweat shirts to all the flag poles. Remind people how our armed “patriots” can, and do, kill us too.
So let’s explore that. Seriously, I’m not being flip here. You see some young girl (I believe it was marketed in the women’s clothing, possibly due to it’s size) strolling down the ave with this on. Did she get it at UO? Or was it an edgy performance piece sold by an artist? Does it really matter? Context is everything here. Which idea are you talking about when referring to wider distribution? The idea that people may have forgotten the Kent State shootings? That some people might not get the irony? That we are still under attack by our own forces who are supposed to protect us? Your initial response was probably like most of us, due to the headlines used on the stories about this, BB included. Look at the headline it’s still using: “Urban Outfitters’ sold out “blood-spattered” Kent State sweatshirt hits ebay”. STILL a bit sensationalist, don’t you think @beschizza ? It’s “sold out” because there was only one, a purportedly vintage piece. Even BB can get a little too excited when the schadenfreude hits the fan. The headline implies that people rushed to buy them. Possibly worth another edit?
The headline changed several times as this unfolded today, but that particular iteration was just fine. It accurately, literally reported what Urban Outfitters’ website said, in the context of one of its many examples of grossly offensive products. If you aren’t familiar with what it means when something is suddenly “sold out” at Urban Outfitters during a PR crisis, well, you are now.
Kent State was publicly appalled enough by this to issue a condemnatory press release; if you’d like to tell them they’re just being sensationalist because there was only a single item, I’m sure they’d be happy to hear from you.
Sadly, that very same attitude of condemnation by Kent State is what brought about the riots 44 years ago in the first place. If anything, free thinkers should be appalled by the school’s continuing ignoance as a center of “learning”!
Oh sure, but I know lots of artists and don’t trust their motives in general. Makes me suspicious and dismissive of statement makers. There is nought but the formal in art. All else is ego and self-promotion. (I realize this is not the current taught model.)
I was appalled by it. It was appalling. That doesn’t mean there can’t be sensationalism happening.
Yes, it did literally say sold out. Though expecting people reading a headline to to get your clever “sold out” reference is a stretch, and seems a bit after the fact. And I see it’s now changed.
But closing with some crappy straw man logic? Oh yeah, you zinged me with that one.
