Urban Outfitters Markets Civic Apathy

Generally, one would assume that a tee-shirt telling people not to vote would be the product of socialist or anarchist groups. There is an ongoing debate within certain sectors of the Left as to whether voting is a useful tool for achieving social change or that it merely validates an inherently flawed and undemocratic system. But what if the tee-shirt is not an honest statement of disillusionment with the sad state of US electoral politics but is rather another cynical marketing ploy of corporate America.

That is exactly the case with the “Voting is for Old People” tee-shirt from the retail chain Urban Outfitters. Interestingly, while Urban Outfitters may be promoting an apolitical, apathetic message to its hip, young customers, the multi-millionaire who owns the chain certainly is not apolitical. Urban Outfitters President Richard Hayne supports various conservative causes and has donated $13,000 to Republican Senator Rick Santorum (more here). Santorum is one of the Senators who led the fight against “partial birth abortion” and also compared homosexuality to “man on child, man on dog” sex.

Like most American retail clothing chains, the majority of Urban outfitters clothes are made in sweatshops overseas. When asked about the morality of selling sweatshop garments Richard Hayne said that “Urban Outfitters does not contract with any sewing shops that are overtly inhumane or exploitive.” He then added that “I don’t want to hear people from the suburbs with their fat American stomachs telling people in other countries how to run their societies.” (more here).

We here at Media Mouse would urge everyone to go to Urban Outfitters and tell them that we don’t want rich CEO’s like Richard Hayne with their fat wallets telling us how we should run our society.

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4. Urban League Report on “Obstructing and Resisting” Now Online
5. Farmers Markets in Full Effect

Tags: elections