Walmart Nazi Tshirt Watch: Week 27
27 weeks after Walmart agreed to remove shirts bearing Nazi iconography from its shelves, and 15 weeks after getting a letter from Congress demanding the shirts removal, they're still there. Don found some in Sterling, Washington:
I was down in Washington doing the tourist thing, this past weekend, May 18-21...We were staying in the Fairfield Inn by Marriott off Old Ox blvd, and Pacific ave off Highway 28 just north of Dulles Airport.
Just north of our hotel was a walmart, in the Dulles Towne Center, checking through the clearance racks in the men's department, I found three of the Nazi T-shirts 2 XXL, and 1 XXXL all priced at $5.50. I grabbed the triple XL and went to the cash, At the cash of course the prohibit sale came up and the cashier would not sell me the shirt.
No one seemed too concerned about this shirt.
They are still out there.
Since Wal-Mart seems to have trouble finding these shirts, here's a map of where Don's was. — BEN POPKEN
Attention, Walmart shoppers! This ad is for you! Woo hoo!
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Comments:
I think we get the idea by now. They have to take the t-shirts out and they haven't yet.
@Onouris: I'm actually greatly amused by Wal-Mart's lack of efficiency... and also depressed... Oh, dear... Keep the heat on!
wait i fail to understand the "nazi" part of these t-shirts. It says Since 1978, but I can't really tell what teh picture is of. Can someone help?
These shirts bear the exact image used as a logo for the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf. It's not just similar or inspired or anything, it's exact.
This division of the SS was staffed mostly by concentration camp guards.
I live right near that Wal-Mart. That place is a freakin mess!
Although there isn't much left in this ongoing saga to comment on, I do appreciate the updates on Wal-Mart's complete lack of competence.
Thumbs up!
Make Snorg, not Swastikas!
Don found some in Dulles Washington:
Yes, Don is indeed a tourist... While (much to my surprise) there actually is a "Dulles, Virginia", it's very small, nobody ever talks about it... and it certainly isn't in Washington. This store is actually in Sterling, Virginia.
I guess I would feel better if they were in DC, given the nature of this report.
@Onouris: No kidding. This is getting riduculous. Wal-Mart can keep selling them if it wants to. Don't like them? DON'T BUY THEM.
I don't support what the Nazis did, but I don't support this ridiculous fixation with something harmless. If you want to bitch about Wal-Mart, editors, bitch about something negative they've done. Like knowingly putting tainted pet food back on shelves.
A member of Congress can ask me to do something as much as s/he wants but if what I'm doing is perfectly legal, they can suck it if I don't want to do it.
Y'know, ever since Wal-Mart was nice enough to announce that they would no longer waste time on shoplifters taking less than $25 of merchandise, you could lift 4 of these at a time without a problem.
@Buran: I agree... except with the part where we couldn't buy them even if we wanted to... Since, you know, Wal-Mart isn't selling them anymore.
Just for all this whining I'm going to try and buy one from my local Walmart, if I can find em. They actually look pretty cool, and just 5.50? Damn. No wonder it's pissing off the jews, it's a steal and they can't get in on the action!
Ugh, EtherealStrife if you're trying to be funny you're definitely not.
In regards to the article-- technically they're not selling them since they wouldn't let him ring one up.
@Buran: "I don't support what the Nazis did, but I don't support this ridiculous fixation with something harmless."
I'm having a hard time reconciling the two statements in this sentence. If you believe that selling Nazi iconography is "harmless" and not "negative," you must, if not support, then at least not condemn the Nazis.
@not_seth_brundle: Oh c'mon. it's just an ugly Wal-Mart t-shirt. When Wal-Mart actually starts hassling Jewish people, let us know.
Good to know I can fight the Axis powers during my lunch break...I'll have to check this out.
It is really bad. Walmart doesn't give respect for people traumas, everyone should boycott Walmart.
Enough is enoughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
@quantum-shaman: Would your opinion be any different if the shirt were more widely recognizable as a Nazi shirt? Like if it had a big swastika or read "I ♥ Hitler"?
Walmart still isn't selling the shirts. That would actually be a story, until then this is just "Walmart is having trouble locating the entire inventory of shirts they have agreed not to sell" which is a much lesser offense, if one at all.
MaxPayne3476 Since you asked for information, "Since 1978" refers to a movie staring Laurence Olivier. He was a Nazi hunter who discovered a plot to resurrect the Third Reich. Its called the Boys from Brazil. So regardless that some people may believe this shirt has nothing to do with Hitler and Nazi Germany, and is just a totenkopf (translated death head), a symbol used on military clothing since the Prussian 7 year war but tainted by the Nazi use, the since 1978 part is a definitive declaration of Nazi resurrection and its disgusting to me. And I'm not even Jewish.
@enm4r:
Well, if you switch the tags, nobody knows any different. I guess putting up PICTURES of recalled items for employees is too much work for Wal-Mart. They'll just sell recalled items until there's no more stock.
@ not_seth_brundle
Apparently some of us have a problem with free speech. I don't like the shirts, I wouldn't wear the shirt, and I find the shirt offensive. If a private group protests, calls for a boycott, whatever, good on them and I'd support that. But to have Congress step in (probably under the auspices of interstate trade) to 'demand' Wal-Mart remove the shirts is tampering with the 1st Amendment. You do remember what that says don't you?
What's next? Book burning? Removing DJs and newscasters that say something we don't like? A little government pressure from the FCC to make sure that person is fired? Oh right they already do that. This nation is no longer the land of the free, it's the land of the offended. Get over it.
The shirts are being left on the shelves out of pure spite. There is no other reasonable conclusion at this point in time.
@nighttrain2007: I certainly don't support a congressional action against Wal-Mart. I don't know where you got that from my comments. Government censorship = bad. Consumer outrage = good!
@nighttrain2007: "But to have Congress step in (probably under the auspices of interstate trade) to 'demand' Wal-Mart remove the shirts is tampering with the 1st Amendment."
Sigh. Yes, the "auspices" of regulating insterstate commerce, granted under Article 1 of the Constitution. Maybe Wal-Mart should start selling crack, and tell Congress to bug off because it's their First Amendment right.
And everyone who's whining that this is just Wal-Mart bashing is missing the point - the "news" is no longer that they were selling the shirts in the first place (stupid enough), but rather that Wal-Mart stated they were pulling the shirts SIX MONTHS AGO, but obviously are too much of a beaucratic nightmare to actually be competent to do so. Even worse, it strongly suggests that Wal-Mart's attitude is "Oops - PR Blunder. Time to act apologetic and not bother fixing the problem."
@not_seth_brundle: It's harmless because it's a freaking T-shirt. It's not a deadly weapon. It's not going to get you hurt unless someone strangles you with it and in that case it's not the shirt's fault. It's not poisoned medicine or food. It's not emitting dangerous fumes.
In other words: there's this thing called the First Amendment that makes them legal, and no matter how much you may dislike the imagery on them, your options are simple: don't buy them.
Ever hear "I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it"?
Yeah.
I can't believe I have to write all this, but apparently I do.
@cde: They aren't. Notice that the story says that the register had "no sale" tagged on that particular UPC/SKU code?
They aren't selling them anymore. Someone posting stories just has an "I hate walmart and I'll dig every bit of negative news about them I can find out of the cracks" complex.
@zibby: Sure there is.
You really think Wal-Mart's underpaid incompetent locked-in-so-they-can't-leave "associates" really care? If they were paid more they might.
@Buran: The First Amendment has nothing to do with the Consumerist posting this story. The Consumerist is not a governmental entity. The Consumerist is not a group of congresspersons writing a letter demanding Wal-Mart recall the shirts.
@Buran: What part of my comment didn't come off as sarcastic enough for you? Cause I pointed out that you can't buy the shirt for that very reason.
Perhaps it would be easier to post where the T-Shirts AREN'T available. I'll go first. As of 5/22/07 at 3:00, there were none at
Wal-Mart Store #2718
9555 So. Post Oak Road
Houston, TX 77096
(713) 551-9148
Okay, maybe not such a good idea. :-/
@formergr: Oh cry me a river. It's okay to go on and on and ON about the stereotype associated with a FREAKING IMAGE, but not to turn it around? Hypocrite. I'm so sick of the PC around jews (OMGZ HOLOCAUST). I mean christ, we commandeered a country for them and gave them nukes! When will it end? Even rape victims don't get legal and financial benefits half a decade later, and we're doing this for an entire religion.
Even rape victims don't get legal and financial benefits half a decade later
decade=century :)
I'm in that area every weekend. I'll have to get a tetanus booster and keep an eye on Wally World every weekend now.