When you think of Miley Cyrus, the first thing that comes to mind are her outrageous antics. We’ve tolerated it; the twerking, the tongue, the absurd haircuts — she was “just being Miley.” But after a recent fashion choice, she finally crossed the line.
Recently, Cyrus posted a selfie to Instagram proudly wearing a T-shirt with photographer Terry Richardson’s face with the caption, “I was touched by Terry Richardson.”
This “fashion statement” makes reference to the media allegations against Richardson. He is accused of forcing his clients into uncomfortable situations and sexually abusing them during photo shoots.
For someone constantly scrutinized by the media for her controversial choices, even this is low for Cyrus. Posting a photograph on a public forum in a shirt that mocks victims of sexual abuse is a new level of ignorance and tastelessness.
I do blame Cyrus, but even more than that, I blame the designer of such a horrible piece of clothing. This type of fashion — if it can even be called that — is the issue. It is disgusting and so blatantly offensive that it calls into question the sanity of the person who came up with it. The leading offender is the hipster favorite, Urban Outfitters. Recently, they’ve started a trend equating controversy with trendy fashion. Their “Eat Less” T-shirts further America’s body image obsession, and on top of that, their pill-bottle designs for clothing and drinking paraphernalia give no thought to the fact that drug overdose is a leading cause of suicide in the United States.
Urban looks as if they’re trying to push the limit of how controversial they can make their products. And that’s the least of it.
In April 2012, the company sold a shirt described as “Auschwitz Chic” with a “six-pointed star badge” over the left breast pocket that looked too similar to the “Star of David patch Jews were forced to wear in Nazi Germany, leading up to and during the Holocaust,” according to a recent article in British news magazine The Week.
And just this past September, the store released “a faux blood-spattered ‘Vintage Kent State Sweatshirt,’” referencing the 1970s Kent State massacre where four unarmed students were shot and killed by the Ohio National Guard during a Vietnam War protest.
When did wearing apparel that advertises a school shooting or one of the worst genocides in human history become a fashion statement? It’s actually appalling what these designers come up with and try to sell in the name of what is trendy.
People need to put more thought into purchasing this type of clothing, as they’re feeding into these ridiculous and offensive trends. Not only does it say something about the person who wears it, it speaks volumes about the company that produces it.
What you wear is how you present yourself to the rest of the world. I don’t know about you, but if I saw someone wearing a shirt that said “Eat Less” or a fake-blood-stained sweatshirt, I wouldn’t think that they’re trendy. I would think they’re an asshole.
We can all agree that these products need to be removed from the market and that starts by using our power as consumers and not purchasing them.