Would you expect anything less from a chain store whose owner is a major Republican contributor?

God Don't you people realize that they are just trying to get attention in order to sell more t-Shirts. They want you to be upset so they will build viral streat image.

So when's the protest at Urban going to be? Those bastards deserve a hurtin as much as the Details people. How do they publish an article like that? No Asian people work there at all?

I'm not so pissed about the "Everyone Loves a Catholic Girl" shirt [because, well its true!] as much as I'm pissed that they want me to spend $24 for that shirt! And my Jewish boyfriend only has to pay $20 for his shirt? Screw that! they aren't racist, they're sexist! well...or maybe both.

wtf? personally, i love muslims and buddhists...where can i get me one of those?!?

or maybe an "i love white girls/guys" shirt? why don't they make those?

and here I was playing 'gay or european?' all this time.

I think I speak for pretty much everyone here, of all races, when I say:

Details magazine still exists?

Paul Frank creates virtually all of the T-shirts for Urban Outfitters. Blame him. I mean me. I am paul frank!

I posted earlier under a similar "name." Now, after doing some investigating into this "racist" tee shirt matter, I'd like to raise a few points and questions.

If Gothamist readers took the liberty to click on the link on the left for the "tiny factory," which produces the site's tees, you'll find a girl's shirt that says, "I'm not North Korean." That shirt's description is, "Answer that all important question. Airport security will appreciate it." You'll also find a "dude's" shirt that says, "They call me Bruce," which is described as "For every Oriental dude called Bruce. Also an homage to one of the dumbest movies ever made." THEN, if you click on tiny factory's FRIENDS list and go to happyluckyus, you'll find bags, shirts, and underwear that tries to make Asian culture funny...just like Urban Outfitters! You'll see "Hot as Wasabi" bags, "Sushi Lover" shirts...the objectification of Asian culture doesn't end!

Now, how are the "I'm not North Korean" & "They call me Bruce" shirts and HappyLuckyUs stuff LESS offensive or racist than the Urban Outfitters shirt? Is it that some of these items were modeled by an Asian and not a white girl? Is it that it's produced by a "tiny factory" and not a group of corporate big-wigs who contribute to the Republican party? What? 'Cause, while I don't find ANY of it particularly "racist" or "offensive," why isn't Gothamist talking about these items which are linked to their own site? And when did it become cool for Asians to be referred to as "Oriental?" Did I miss that edition of "Today's Asian?" Yeah, I forgot to renew my subscription....

Essentially, I think that Gothamist has it's own agenda to push. "Let's attack big corporate, offensive racism...but let's support small independently owned offensive racism by adding their links to our site!"

Gimme a break, Gothamist. Before you start typing away about DAMNING THE MAN, make sure you're not just repackaging their shit to make it all COOL and INDIE.

personally, i think it's the "i have a right to make fun of myself and my people, but if you [not you specifically asian girl, but the majority/other groups] want to make fun of me, then it's not okay." it's a standard that isn't necessarily right, but that's how it goes. minorities get to make fun of themselves and the majority, but not the other way around.

also, i too think there is more of a problem with a big faceless corporation profiting on racial humor than a small company that silkscreens their own products making money off of shirts. that's just my opinion though.

Gosh, "An Asian Girl Fewer People..." is getting all feisty. I thought Asian girls were supposed to be dainty, subservient, soft-spoken and submissive? Someone get her that Urban Outfitters shirt with the Won Ton font, quick!

Who here thinks big corporations deserve public sympathy?That's crazy talk!

Several thoughts came to mind as I read this thread...

1."But the "Everybody Loves..." line of shirts... just wants us to make one that says, "Fuck Urban Outfitters, I'll Just Go To The Salvation Army While We Leave These to the Suburban Kids,"

Wasn't Gothamist a suburban kid once? Don't many of Gothamist's readers, non-native New Yorkers themselves, hail from the suburbs? Gothamist's elitist phrasing strikes me as a case of "I wouldn't want to be a member of a club that could claim me as a member"...

2. What's with the corporation bashing? Look at yourselves, readers. The computer on which you read Gothamist was manufactured and marketed by a corporation. As was the DVD player and iPod you enjoy. And virtually all of the output of pop culture---"Law & Order", MLB, movies---that Gothamist chronicles.

I imagine that many of Gothamist's contributors and readers are children of privilege. That's why these anti-suburban, anti-corporate comments strike me as classist and hypocritical.

The issue I see, and perhaps I'm mixing up misogyny and racism, is that there are some dangerous subtexts to how Asian women are seen - certainly this goes for other races, but as an Asian women, I did feel the shirt was a little out of line. "Everyone loves an Asian Girl" seems to open up the can of worms "because they are subservient lotus blossoms and they are exotic." I don't know, I personally didn't find the shirts THAT clever - it's fine if all of you did.

And I've felt tiny factory's "I'm not North Korean" was more a tweak to people who assume that if someone is Asian, they are Chinese or North Korean, as in "Communist" and "bad." The purview is admittedly different if the creator is Asian, though.

Yes, I was a suburban kid. I just shudder to think that kids will see this and be really excited that this is what edgy fashion should be. That Urban Outfitters positions itself as the harbinger of what's cool, weathered, thrift store style t-shirts with less than clever bromides selling for $20+. Abercrombie and Fitch bothers me in the same way.

There's no easy middle ground, damning and loving corporations in the same breath. But I can be as horrified by what a small company (anyone remember Ghettopoly) or a big corporation does as well as love what a small and big companies do. It *is* a matter of being better educated about things, but it's hard to know at what cost. Certainly, there are things in my life I don't want to give up that are corporation-created.

I've never thought of Asian girls as subservient. Hmmm. Am I the only one?

Speaking as a white dad to two asian daughters, one of whom had to go through the whole asian fetish stalker problem as a college student, I'm of two minds on this kind of shirt.

On one hand, I want to encourage a positive self-image in my daughters. I identify with the sentiment and I don't get a sexual connotation when I read it. I can think of a lot more offensive ways to fill in the blank: "Everyone _____s an asian girl." Would it be better is it said "Everyone is in awe of an asian woman"? or "You'd better respect an asian woman or she'll kick your ass"?

On the other hand, I'm not sure I fully appreciate the fetishist issue and its effect on asian women. I hear about fetishist complaints, but I also hear "Asians are invisible" complaints. It seems to me that one side effect of getting attention is getting undesired attention.

Well, I'm afraid I just can't comment. I'm a white male and my relatives came to this country as far back as 350 years ago. I can't poke fun at any minorities. I can't even have fun with racial stereotypes. In the minds of minorities and "progressive" whites I represent evil corporate America. I'm barely allowed an opinion in these matters, unless I'm a college professor offering an academic viewpoint on race. I'm a white guy with roots in colonial America. I guess I'll go back to my fascist corporate America white collar job now.

I just noticed how much caterwauling about "offensiveness" comes from girls complaining about "creepy," and "icky" guys. Get outta high school. You have to share the world with us "icky" folk. Get over it.

'Gay or Guido' was also details- they do one every month

The icky creepy guy can do what he wants. The protests are aimed at
1. the guys in charge of the company and
2.the non creeps, who might think these shirts are cool because they have no idea that these shirts might be offensive to someone else.

People make choices all the time based on what's civil, what's rude, what's offensive. Even most free thinkers. Seriously, unless you live under a bridge or in the woods, you make those choices every day. Can't really function in society very well without making those choices. Anyone who lives in this crowded city who claims that they say what they want when they want to whomever they want and survives more than a couple of days is full of it.

Protesting these shirts is one way to inform people that may not have much direct intimate contact with people who don't look exactly like them that they may want to take this other perspective into account when deciding if they will wear thses shirts. The protests really are directed in large part at the civil people who do take others feelings into account in most situations but may be clueless in this situation. Again, though, I am not suggsting these shirts be banned. Actually, after a couple of protest, the shirts might be a good way of identifyinghte loser-creeps in our midst, then again, though they maynot realize it,they are already pretty easy to spot.

I think they are all dumb and silly - others may disagree, but I was struck by the Asian shirt because that's the first one I saw. Then I realized there were others and felt that they were lame as well.

This is my 3rd post on this topic...My name is Kay and I'm a blog-a-holic....ANYWAY...

In the case of the Urban Outfitters shirt, I think people are certainly mixing up racism with every other "ism/ist,” issue, or subtext out there. It mentions women...IT'S MISOGYNIST! It mentions a race...IT'S RACIST! It's sold at a store marketed towards kids...IT'S AGEIST! It's expensive...IT'S ELITIST! The shirt only comes in red...IT'S PURPLE-IST? IT’S NOT FREE-TRADE MADE! COTTON WAS KILLED FOR THAT SHIRT! Blah blah blah....Chill out, it's an over-priced Urban Outfitters shirt! Not some weapon of mass destruction!

Read whatever you want into the shirt. Do the same for the "I'm not North Korean" shirt and the "They call me Bruce" shirt and the "Hot as wasabi" bag. As an Asian girl, I don’t really mind any of it because I see these shirts as being RACIAL NOT RACIST. I recognize that all these THINGS, these OBJECTS, are making (feeble) attempts at taking MY culture and making it cute and making it funny and making it kitschy and consumable to the masses. That’s all it is, people. No big racist conspiracy here. And no matter if you’re cleverly tweaking stereotyped perceptions by wearing this shirt, or sexily titillating that guy across the street who’s checking out your fetishized, Asian rack by wearing that shirt, it’s all just superficial objectification of a culture/race/heritage done with a wink-wink, nudge-nudge. Let's all chuckle and move on.

As for who makes these goods? I don't care if Barbara Bush herself is spending her golden years designing this stuff or if it's my little 'ole Filipina mama silk-screening them in my garage, who am I to choose which one is right and which one is wrong? Are Urban Outfitter shirts bad and racist BECAUSE they're made by THE MAN? Are my mom's shirts OK cause...well...they’re made by my Asian mom? Whatever, man! Who cares who the hell they're made by, there's still some level of objectification going on that everyone is going read and reread and misread as completely innocent or as racist, misogynist, ageist, elitist – take your pick and throw your stone! Titillation, tweaking, let’s call the whole thing off cause none of it is all THAT clever, THAT racist, THAT misogynist, THAT damaging, or THAT hurtful when compared to the TRULY hateful, easily accessible racist propaganda which is being ignored in this ongoing dialogue.

Now, are we seriously having a dialogue about WHO can or cannot wear these shirts and WHEN these shirts can be worn? I’m a Filipina, so it’s OK for me to wear this shirt outside all day, everyday and that would be amusing. My boyfriend is white, and it’s NOT ok for him to wear it (not that he would want to)...unless it’s in the privacy of our home, and that would be amusing to US. My next door neighbor is a Latino, transvestite but thinks this shirt is cute, can he borrow it to wear to a club this weekend or is that crossing the line and moving into the CREEPY ZONE? C’mon, people! Are we going to have a talk about what defines CREEPY now? Is it creepy-racist? Creepy-sexist? Creepy-creepy? Why is it creepy? Why can’t everyone just lighten up and it just be FUNNY? If you find something “creepy,” stop staring at it, stop whispering to your friend, “Hey, check that guy out...that’s creepy…” and just walk away. Jeeze! The shirt says, “Everyone loves an Asian (Latino, Irish, Whatever) girl,” NOT, “I AM A STALKER AND I LOVE YOUR NARROW, SLANTED EYES AND DELICATE FEATURES, MY LOTUS BLOSSOM CONCUBINE.” Lighten up!

Furthermore, I think Ziegfeld and JonMC have good points. When did Gothamist get into the business of being “COOLER THAN THOU?” You sound like an obnoxious, little snot with your “I just shudder to think that kids will see this and be really excited that this is what edgy fashion should be” and “Fuck Urban Outfitters, I’ll just go to the Salvation Army while we leave these to the suburban kids.” Gothamist grew up in the suburbs, and you CANNOT tell me that at one point in your life, you didn’t walk into your local mall and buy into some trend that you thought would make you COOL. Keep shuddering, Gothamist, ‘cause to suburban kids (I was one! Say it loud! Say it proud!), Urban Outfitters IS cool and edgy. These kids don’t know about (and can’t afford) John Galliano or Vivienne Westwood, or don’t even think about going to the Salvation Army to buy that perfect vintage concert tee shirt because the mall-culture of America has been beast-fed to them since birth. I’d say the vast majority of kids in this country aren’t worried about being EDGY - they just want to blend in, be cute, and not be the last kid picked for dodge ball.

So, if you like the shirts or just wanna hang out with me cause I’ll laugh at your stupid tee shirts and I won’t care who you are, what you wear, or when you wear it, my mom will pick you up if your mom can drive us home, and we can go to the mall and buy this stuff together as the collective group of uncool, semi-racist, insensitive, suburbanite mall-rats that Gothamist and a few of it’s readers, apparently, have labeled us as. If you don’t like the shirt and find it offensive, then go right ahead and DON’T buy it. Go to the gap. Better yet, you can march yourself on down to the nearest Salvation Army and deem yourself socially aware, cool, and edgy because you've outsmarted the masses by buying the same tee at a MUCH, MUCH lower price at a MUCH, MUCH cooler place. I'll applaud and cheer as you leave the store holding your bag of vintage spoils...maybe I’ll even invite you to grab an Auntie Anne’s pretzel and a big ‘ole Orange Julius down in the Food Court...

Nah, you wouldn’t fit in at our table...’cause we’re the CREEPY KIDS!

Asian girl, thanks for your rant - if you read any of my comments, you would see I'm totally open to others' dissenting opinions. I'm not saying that you or people who disagree with me are racist, semi-racist, etc. - these are just opinions, not Gospel. Some people feel shirts like this are empowering or cute or whatever. That's fine. I'm just not a fan.

And of course I walked into a mall and bought clothes I thought were cool - it's just disturbing (TO ME) to think that fetishization is being commoditized to the masses.