The End of the Izzue

Der Fuhrer The furor is coming to an end.

Izzue has begun pulling the Nazi clothing from its shelves in all 14 locations. Gloria Yu, spokeswoman for the parent company I.T. Ltd., said the hopes are that this will be the end of the backlash:

We really didn't expect such an outcry from the public. We will return the merchandise to the warehouse. We will reconsider how to deal with the clothes. We are not promoting Nazism in any sense. We have absolutely no political standpoint.

No one ever accused them of having a political standpoint. People were justifiably upset by the regalia and all it entailed. Despite the whinging of a few who continue to assert Westerners are trying to force Chinese to feel and react the same way they do, this was a morally indefensible act. Recognising it is unacceptable to use Nazi symbolism, even on an unemotional level, acknowledges the feelings of those who are emotional; that is the first step. Taking decisive action to remove the source of discontent is the second step. Izzue failed on both counts.

Many Western companies have learned this lesson the hard way, when they tried to slip clever advertising past the buying public but instead were called onto the carpet for it. Usually just the ads themselves get pulled, as the products being promoted are not offensive in themselves. But when the products are considered in poor taste, they get yanked. The loss of immediate income is less serious than the long-term loss of consumer goodwill. It's better to defuse the bomb than to let it go off and then sweep up the pieces.

The response from the German consul-general sounded like relief:

It shows reason has prevailed. It shows the company has been sensitive to these concerns voiced by people.

Imagine for a moment being German and having to answer for the crimes of the Nazi era. Imagine having to deal with the stigma for no other reason than you're German. Each time Nazi symbolism raises its ugly head, the connection is made. That's a tremendous burden to bear. It's unfair, and that's why people need to stamp out Nazi symbols every time they see them. Why would anyone want to wear clothing that lumps them together with racist skinhead thugs, who live and breathe the doctrine of hate?

The Israeli consulate seemed assuaged by the news:

Evil should not in any way be legitimised or put forth as normal phenomena.

Hong Kong community groups weighed in with their own viewpoints of the controversy:

Albert Ho Chun-yan, vice-chairman of the Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyu islands, had planned to protest outside one store unless the clothes were removed. "They think the people of Hong Kong don't care," he said.

The Hong Kong Christian Institute said the incident would give a bad impression of Hong Kong to tourists and foreign visitors. Director Rose Wu said: "I hope they understand that they are also a member of the community and they have to be responsible. I also wonder how it will affect Hong Kong's image in the international community. Many of the shops are in tourist areas, and tourists can see how unethical they are."

Sociologist and disc jockey Ho Kwok-leung described the fashion chain as a "history idiot", adding that young shoppers could have been "brainwashed" by the clothes. "Most of its customers are young people. Is it going to make our young people politically ignorant and turn Nazism into a fashion trend?" he asked.

A spokesman for the Trade Development Council said companies should consider the feelings and the responses of different social groups living in Hong Kong.

The point has been well-made, and Hong Kong should no longer see marketing campaigns such as this.

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