Kanye’s swastika shirt inspires a flurry of defiant Jewish spinoffs
Now for sale: mugs with the logo from the anti-Kanye celebrity deepfake
At least three purveyors of Kanye West-inspired Jewishwear have emerged in the days following the rapper’s swastika shirt brouhaha. (Collage by JTA)
(JTA) — Kanye West’s swastika shirt is no longer for sale, after the e-commerce platform Shopify said earlier this week, amid an outcry, that he had violated its terms of service.
But a wide array of shirts responding to the musician’s antisemitic merchandise are now available — and being offered to Jews who want to wear a riff on West’s design as an act of defiance.
Alongside the slogan “Hate is Out of Fashion,” The Israeli American Council is selling a version with the swastika replaced by a simple black Star of David, undercutting Yeezy’s price of $20 by two dollars to land on the Jewishly meaningful price of $18.
“In response to Kanye West’s despicable attempt to capitalize on his hatred, our creative campaign mirrors his twisted fashion but instead promotes a positive message of pride, philosemitism, and American values,” the group’s CEO, Elan Carr, a former U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, said in a statement.
The group did not immediately respond to a question about how many shirts it has sold.
Meanwhile, Melissa Felderman, a Colorado artist who sells ceramics including Judaica under the brand Feldi Studios, is offering a $30 shirt featuring the black-and-white logo of the Orthodox Union, which is also the most widespread kosher certification.
“I can make a shirt too,” Felderman wrote on Instagram, announcing the shirt and her intention to donate 10% of proceeds to charities fighting antisemitism.
And a new website, StandUpToKanye.com, popped up to sell an array of items — including sweatshirts, bags and stickers — with a logo similar to one in a viral deepfake video responding to West that showed Jewish celebrities wearing shirts with a raised middle finger, the word “Kanye” and a Jewish star.
“We didn’t create the video, but we liked the idea behind it, so we decided to bring the t-shirt to life, with our own unique spin on it,” the website says. An email sent to the address listed on the site bounced back.
The site says 50% of proceeds will go to Zachor, a foundation created by a Holocaust survivor to advance Holocaust remembrance. “So, we hope, what we believe was an attempt to spread hatred will lead to more education around the atrocities committed by the Nazis, through educational programs, outreach, and online resources to preserve the memory of the Holocaust,” the website says.
Like the shirts in the anti-Kanye video, the shirts sold on that site do not actually exist — at least so far. Each is being printed on demand, as people buy them.
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