Do Zara’s Holocaust PJs mean what we think they mean?
Fashion company Zara made the mistake of putting this shirt, reminiscent of ones Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust, on the market today. Needless to say it is no longer on sale.
It's pretty amazing this design got past the first line of defense at Zara.
Sure, the lines on the shirt are horizontal instead of vertical and that yellow Star of David says "sheriff" instead of "Jude," but COME ON.
This little kid pajama shirt is more than a little reminiscent of the clothing Jews were forced to wear at concentration camps during the Holocaust. As many a netizen was quick to point out:
Zara, owned by the Spanish company Inditex, was nearly as quick to pull the shirt from stores and apologize. But the controversy didn't end there.
After explaining that the shirt was "inspired by the character of the sheriff in Wild West movies," Zara's official apology reads:
The item does not exist in Israel and as soon as the issue became clear, it was decided the product will be removed from shelves across the world and exterminated.
The word "exterminated," as 972mag points out, is itself reminiscent of the Holocaust.
"The exact Hebrew word is 'ויושמדו.' While it can also be translated as 'will be destroyed,' hashmada is the exact word used to describe the Nazi genocidal practices — for example, Mahanot haHashmada, extermination camps," explains 972mag.
Zara, apparently, just can't stop. They've had many a #fashionfail.
This isn't even the first time they've offended Jews specifically.
So what's going on over there? Some netizens weren't shocked at the company's tone deafness.
But Zara isn't alone in acting daft. The BBC reports more than one shoe company has put its foot in its mouth, so to speak.
Adidas made shoes in 2012 that had bright orange "shackles" on them which evoked imagery of slavery, and Umbro back in 2002 made shoes called Zyklon, which was the name of the gas used to kill people in Nazi concentration camps.
Fortune asserts that the cause of Zara's gaffes is more likely attributable to its "incredible production speed," which of course is also part of its "secret to success."
"The company lives and dies by how quickly it can get its products into its stores and on to the backs of its customers," writes Claire Zillman.
Of course, how many companies could say the same? And only one of them made Holocaust pajamas.
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