Boycott of Von Dutch fashions Anyone want to help?

I don't know if this is currently relevant or not. In the sense that this particular item of clothing may be on it's way back out of fashion. But in the meantime, here's what I have in mind...

Von Dutch fashions are the items that you have probably seen around your communities on the backs of teens and young adults. They make colorful shirts, blouses, hats, etc. that feature the name 'Von Dutch.' Von Dutch is the self given moniker of an infamous airbrush artist and sign maker that is now dead. Apparently he was also a crazed bigot, alcoholic and Nazi sympathizer. Prior to his death he was given to signing "Heil Hitler" at the bottom of correspondence.

Some 'genius' (yep being sarcastic) bought the guys name and decided to put it on tees and such. The product became quite popular and I've seen celebs such as Sean Puffy Combs, Britney Spears, etc. wearing it.

There have been reports in the news about the fact that the guy was a neo-Nazi that hated minorities with a vengeance. But this past week, I still saw some youth wearing the mdse. I didn't bring this up before now as most were focused on the election.

Now that the election is over and we are continuing onward with our grass roots activism, I feel it is important to send a message to those that continue to put this guy's name on clothing for profit. I feel that we have a duty to educate those that aren't aware of this, and to encourage as many as we can to not give money to this company in any way, shape or form. Particularly since these fashions seemed most popular with urban youth, the very people that this man hated and would have loved to see destroyed.

As we start to eradicate messages of hate and teach that any form of support for hatred is wrong, can we start to create the kind of world that will not tolerate the fascism we are seeing grow in our country. Recognition of this beast in the many forms it takes will help others learn to ask questions themselves and to recognize the hatred and intolerance hidden in media messages, fashion, and even in those that are elected into high ranking offices. No one seems to be teaching this to our youth. This is a way, I feel that we can start to do so.

If anyone is interested in supporting my efforts with this please express so here. Also if you have an opinion as to how we can start, please feel free to share this here also. I am off to find out more about this company, how it's doing, who it does business with, etc.

Thanks! :)

http://journal.aiga.org/content.cfm?ContentAlias=_getfullarticle&aid=%23%2F%3EK%2B%0A

Another link which doesn't talk much about the background of Von Dutch, but does provide a source for the explosion of the items (celebs wearing them)...

http://www.azcentral.com/style/articles/0113vondutch.html

Then there's this one from the cover of the OC Weekly which speaks in detail about Von Dutch's background and ravings.

Von Who? What the kids don't know about the racist alcoholic...

http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/04/18/cover-douglas.php

Again, it does seem that the demand for these products is waning--as fashion trends do change quite quickly.

But I still think that making sure the word is out about what this man's name represents and ensuring Urban youth don't buy it, wear it, etc. is worhwhile. Small steps toward teaching that the marketing and mass consumption of hatred hurts everyone.

If old trucker hats were going to be in fashion, I would have started hoarding them years ago.

Uh, yeah, sure, why not?

I've been a custom car fan for 40 years and knew nothing of Von dutch's Nazi leanings until reading the above post 5 minutes ago.

I wouldn't boycott because of his racist leanings, but because of the pop culture co-opting of his "brand".

His impact on Hot Rod Culture is indisputable and his eccentric genius is also indisputable. genius borders on madness, I guess.

I automatically "boycott" anything trendy because its just a mechanism to get something deemed "cool" by young consumers so they can be coerced into paying inflated prices for rather ordinary items.

My reading of MAD magazine as a youth and lifelong interest in Frank Zappa has taught me not to be tricked into being a stupid drone consumer.

At least I already have my hobby cars in the garage so that if pop stars start chopping and channeling vintage tin I wont have to go out and pay inflated prices on something that has already become rather expensive.

Jeff Beck, Neil Young, Billy Gibbons, Eric Clapton and Brian Setzer, among others, are street rodding guys. Some, like Beck and Gibbons, are pretty authentic, but others are just consumers buying the latest cool thing a pop star should be equipped with.

-85% jimmy

(85% is the maximum allowable percentage of nitromethane curently allowed in Top Fuel and Funny Car.)

...I remember when the fad in hs was Izod sweaters and penny loafers. I wouldn't wear them, because they were trendy and I refused to ask my mother to pay that kind of money for an emblem on a shirt. It just didn't make sense to my teenage mind. LOL!

I always admired Zappa from afar, but didn't know much about his philosophies. I am going to have to learn more about him, as I am intrigued now.

I appreciate your support, even if it isn't exactly for his racist leanings. I'll take it! LOL!

It's cool to hear from a custom car fan. I just started studying airbrush art and am teaching myself to paint (after taking an intro class).

Thanks again!

theres a body of info about Zappa.

I've been collecting articles and interviews about him since 1971. the interviews are always exciting. i loved the way he thought!

theres a bunch of rabid fan sites for zappa, so its easy to get everything you need to know about him online, i think.

glad youre learning custom car painting. good airbrush work is always awesome and it can be lucrative, if youre talented with a good work ethic. I know Kenny Youngblood in passing. He's the guy that invented airbrushed headlights and grills for funny cars in the late 60's and has a good poster business going these days. youngbloodart.com, i think?

zappa's VALUES were something I've always enjoyed. He worked so hard on music - constantly, 14 hours a day 7 days a week for months. he knew so much and wanted to go where no music had gone before, whilst also honoring the music he loved as a teen.

He was, in his own words, a National treasure.

He kicked ass testifying in front of congress about rating rock records in 1985 and actually became friends with al and tipper gore and donated generously to the 1992 campaign.

He might have made a serious presidential run if he didnt get sick in 1992.

back then, he started watching cspan obsessively and was really quite upset about what our government was doing.

He would have had the balls to speak out against these Bushies and would have gotten the press to cover his quotes extensively. He always managed to do that.

Von Dutch is a footnote, more as an originator than the best. damn good craftsman, however.

Big Daddy roth was wonderful also and he died only recently.

Don Garlits is one of my heros and his swamp rat 30 is on permanent display in the smithsonian. I've interviewed him for internet drag racing sites 3 times. Hes an interesting guy, reads alot and ran for congress in the mid 90's as a republican. He seems more libertarian, but the local party down in florida asked him to run.

izod - yeah, i remember that. got a few myself in the early 80's.

-85% jimmy