I can't believe somebody thought this was a good idea.....

Urban Outfitters has issued an apology after an uproar over a faux-vintage T-shirt that appears to reference the 1970 shooting of unarmed students at Kent State. The item features the school's logo surrounded by red splatters that resemble blood stains.

"Urban Outfitters sincerely apologizes for any offense our Vintage Kent State Sweatshirt may have caused," the company wrote in a statement released on its Twitter account Monday. "It was never our intention to allude to the tragic events that took place at Kent State in 1970 and we are extremely saddened that this item was perceived as such. The one-of-a-kind item was purchased as part of our sun-faded vintage collection. There is no blood on this shirt nor has this item been altered in any way. The red stains are discoloration from the original shade of the shirt and the holes are from natural wear and fray. Again, we deeply regret that this item was perceived negatively and we have removed it immediately from our website to avoid further upset."

During a Vietnam War protest at Kent State on May 4, 1970, four unarmed students were shot and killed and nine others were wounded by the Ohio National Guard. While the T-shirt has been removed from the Urban Outfitters website, some have already started popping up on eBay for as much as $2,500.

"May 4, 1970, was a watershed moment for the country and especially the Kent State family,'' the university wrote in a statement. "We lost four students that day while nine others were wounded and countless others were changed forever. We take great offense to a company using our pain for their publicity and profit. This item is beyond poor taste and trivializes a loss of life that still hurts the Kent State community today.

"We invite the leaders of this company as well as anyone who invested in this item to tour our May 4 Visitors Center, which opened two years ago, to gain perspective on what happened 44 years ago and apply its meaning to the future."

The T-shirt design has received plenty of backlash online.


http://images.urbanoutfitters.com/is/image/UrbanOutfitters/33911165_000_a?$beauty$&defaultImage=

Intentional or not, that is one ugly sweat shirt.

It saddens me that someone finds humor in this shirt. Almost like the younger generation doesn't understand the pain, grief and emotions involved in these parts of history. Events like this, the World Wars and even the Holocaust have some very deep roots in families. I know saying people should know better, but alas, I'm just of a different breed I suppsose.

I'm not sure on this one. the product page from urban outfitters is still up. here's the product description:


Washed soft and perfectly broken in, this vintage Kent State sweatshirt is cut in a loose, slouchy fit. Excellent vintage condition. We only have one, so get it or regret it!

About Vintage Finds
- Vintage Finds are handpicked vintage pieces from allover the map
- We find the best stuff out there just for you
- Each piece is unique - we only have one available and it can only be purchased by a single customer

Content + Care
- Cotton
- Machine wash

Size + Fit
- Chest: 38"
- Length: 23"

doesn't say anything about blood. here's a picture of a similar sweatshirt that hasn't faded:

http://shopschoolhouse.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/kent-state.jpg
i think this shirt was brought to market more on the grounds that it was a "cool" and unique vintage find and that the appearance of "blood" in the fading patterns is an unfortunate coincidence. -M

but then again, another company was dumb enough to put this design on the market:

http://www.elle.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Zara-shirt.jpg

Northwestern got into some hot water last year for these uniforms:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYUgxTWIgAEdNLX.jpg

Sorry I didn't include the link Urban Outfitters apologizes for shirt appearing to reference Kent State shooting - Style - TODAY.com (http://www.today.com/style/urban-outfitters-apologizes-shirt-appearing-reference-kent-state-shooting-1D80148648)

http://money.cnn.com/2014/09/15/news/companies/urban-outfitters-kent-state/index.html

Fecklessness abounds.

Sorry I didn't include the link Urban Outfitters apologizes for shirt appearing to reference Kent State shooting - Style - TODAY.com (http://www.today.com/style/urban-outfitters-apologizes-shirt-appearing-reference-kent-state-shooting-1D80148648)

Urban Outfitters pulls offensive sweatshirt - Sep. 15, 2014 (http://money.cnn.com/2014/09/15/news/companies/urban-outfitters-kent-state/index.html)
And can you believe that they had the chutzpah to charge $129 for it?

This is a extremely sarcastic post ahead. It bothers me that ghoulish greed exist and people are becoming so numb as to find anything like this funny....Now a local printer can make bloody looking sweatshirt with pic of the Firefighter carrying Baylee Almon
Right after the Murrah Building bomber. I say this in anger not humor. The day they squashed that demon known as timothy mcveigh I cut the article out of the paper and drove out to the Kolb Cemetery in Spencer weighted with rocks at each corner and prayed for her.

That (the tee shirt/whatever) at the top of this thread is sort of in bad taste.
Isn't it? (being so old that I was on the fringes of stuff like that I can't be sure of my memory).

The funny (strange, not humorous) part of all this is that most of my memories were formed on the other side of Cyberspace.
I feel like a wagon-driver delivering lead to Gutenberg. (for his press)

And can you believe that they had the chutzpah to charge $129 for it?

I can count on half the fingers on one hand how many times I've read the word chutzpah in here.
In the correct context, of course . . . =)

Still . . . I think the tee-shirt is sort of in bad taste . . . imho.