'Dress-Up Jesus' Creator Reacts To NBC10 Story; Game Sold At Urban Outfitters

WCAU-TV/DT Philadelphia ^ | 3.17.04

[mhking]

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. -- The creator of the controversial “Jesus Dress-Up” refrigerator magnets being sold at Philadelphia-area stores spoke exclusively to NBC 10 on Tuesday night.

The man, who goes by the name, “Normal” Bob Smith, says he is doing nothing wrong.

“Jesus Dress-Up” is a magnetic crucifix with a variety of clothes and accessories.

Many people are outraged by the product, but Smith says he doesn’t see anything wrong with it.

“I don't think there's anything wrong with religious satire,” said Smith. “People have got to learn to laugh at themselves, it's part of human nature.”

Smith, who claims to be an atheist, says he's making money the same way Mel Gibson is with the "The Passion of the Christ."

Smith has sold more than 5,000 of the magnets over the last 4 years.

In the original NBC 10 report that aired Friday night, some people said they were outraged over a sacred symbol that is being sold for laughs.

"I did a double take. It just seemed unbelievable to see something like that," said Gerry, a viewer who didn't want NBC 10 to use his last name.

From a distance, the item looks like a kid's dress-up game. But when you look closely, it is a magnetic Jesus dress-up figure.

"I basically stood there speechless," Gerry said.

Gerry stumbled upon the dress-up Jesus at an Urban Outfitters store at the King Of Prussia Mall.

He said he was shocked by the magnetic game showing Jesus on the cross, clad in underwear with interchangeable outfits like a devil costume, a skull T-shirt and a hula skirt.

"Is it because it's Jesus Christ, that it's OK to bash on Jesus? Is that more fashionable than some other religious figure from history?" Gerry asked.

Gerry e-mailed Urban Outfitters to complain that the item was in horrible taste.

NBC 10 tried contacting Urban Outfitters, but the company said there was nobody who could comment.

However, in an e-mail response to Gerry, the company said it doesn't sell the dress-up Jesus to provoke or offend people, but it sells it to reflect a diversity of opinion among its customer base.

[mhking]

       

[mhking]

Someone please pinch me and tell me that I'm imagining this...

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[Rutles4Ever]

No comment is sufficient...

[cyborg]

This is the same company that had that stupid board game. I wonder if they're making any money that they need to draw such attention to themselves.

[dansangel]

Smith, who claims to be an atheist, says he's making money the same way Mel Gibson is with the "The Passion of the Christ."

Uh...not even close, dorkus.

[Fiddlstix]

Presented as a Public Service
Certain FReepers may need this

Click the Pic

[Owl_Eagle]

To paraphrase 1210AM's Dom Giordano:  If they'd tried this with allah, Urban Outfitters would be a smoking pile of rubble.

Owl_Eagle

" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"

[EggsAckley]

Argghh! In my opinion, it SUCKS, big time. I'm not even very religious, and I'm very offended by it.

I have a "dressup" David (michelangelo's sculpture) and it is nothing compared to this.

Let's hope the public votes with their feet on this one.

[martin_fierro]

He oughta try his brand of satire with icons of the Religion o' Peace.

[mhking]

From my friend (and Project 21 Executive Director) David Almasi:

Can there be a "three strikes" law to protect our society from those with chronic poor judgment? If one can be passed, please put the executives of Urban Outfitters at the top of the list.

The comedian Gallagher once suggested issuing drivers pistols and darts with an attached "stupid" flag. If someone cut them off in traffic, a driver would shoot at their car with a stupid dart. If a cop saw a car with more than five stupid darts, the driver would be pulled over and ticketed for being an idiot.

If it were a car, the "trendy" teen-oriented Urban Outfitters store would be covered with stupid darts.

First, it enraged the African-American community by selling a Monopoly parody called "Ghettopoly" that replaced properties like Park Place with "Tyron's Gun Shop" and rewarded players for getting people hooked on crack. Next was an overpriced jersey reading "Voting is for Old People" that caught the ire of political science professors at Harvard.

Ghettopoly was discovered in October of 2003. The jersey was a story last month. You'd think the firm's executives would have learned by now. They didn't. Apparently trying to capitalize on "The Passion of the Christ," UO is now under fire for selling a paper doll-style "dress up Jesus." It is magnetic, and you can dress the Jesus figure -- hanging from the cross -- in a Hawaiian-themed outfit, a devil costume or a ladies' sundress, among other options. You can also change the sign above his head to read "hang in there."

In a news report from an NBC affiliate in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, UO officials say the stocking of this item -- which some people, unsurprisingly, find offensive -- "reflect[s] a diversity of opinion among its customer base."

[johniegrad]

“People have got to learn to laugh at themselves, it's part of human nature.”

Strawman argument. This is NOT an example of people learning to laugh at THEMSELVES.

[Howlin]

The man, who goes by the name, “Normal” Bob Smith,

There's something just not quite right when you had to TELL people you're normal, isn't there?

[Lancey Howard]

Is this the same outfit that pulled "Ghetto-opoly" off the shelves because the liberals howled?

[mhking]

Is this the same outfit that pulled "Ghetto-opoly" off the shelves because the liberals howled?

One and the same.

[mhking]

Urban Outfitters corporate contact info:

To Contact Us By Phone:
Sales 800-282-2200
Customer Service 800-959-8794

To Contact Us By Fax:
800-959-8795

To Contact Us By Mail:
Urban Outfitters Direct
1701 Walnut Street 5th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103

[Paved Paradise]

Talk about taking the name of the Lord, GOD in vain. Imagine that - an atheist making money on something that he knows doesn't exist (i.e. God).

This was so repulsive to me that I honestly can't even put it into words.

[dansangel]

First, it enraged the African-American community by selling a Monopoly parody called "Ghettopoly"

Oh man, I had no idea there was a connection. They go beyond idiocy. I put them right up there with Abercrombie.

Nice influence on our youngsters.....not.

Thank you for the further enlightenment.

[hattend]

Where's "Dressing up Allah"?

I guess "religious satire" is fine with this guy as long as he knows his house won't be firebombed.

[mhking]

A list of stores for these idiots (including one here in Atlanta) can be found at http://www.urbanoutfittersinc.com/ecom/store_locations.html

[xsmommy]

what an ATROCITY.

[dansangel]

An unbelievable amount of them throughout the country. Thanks for the link. .45MAN and I are *professional shoppers* (LOL) and I'm happy to say we've never stepped foot in one of their establishments and will continue to avoid them like the plague. Yeesh.

[dmz]

Honestly, I think I'll fax them and tell them to keep up the good work.

Now before you ban me, think about it. As Owl Eagle correctly stated, do that with Allah, and you've got a firebombing in your future.

Do it with Jesus, and the Christian free marketeers *choose* not to purchase, or to register their displeasure with faxes, not bombs.

Could anything underscore the differences between our worlds better than that?

[cpprfld]

I don't know any PR is good PR. By selling the items such as Ghettpoly, and dress up Jesus, Urban Outfitters is getting their name recognized.

[Hildy]

Jesus had blonde hair? Looks more like Greg Allman up on that Cross!

[hattend]

Nah, It's "Zonker" from "Doonesbury" (Yeah, I read Doonebury back in the 70's...when it was funny)

[Gopher Broke]

Click HERE to post a message to this trashy company....

[demnomo]

I want to see a dress-up Mohammad--complete with interchangable suicide bomber belt and green boxer shorts with arabic writing on the butt that says "kiss my @$$ or I'll blow you up."

We can all have a good laugh while the CAIR talking TV heads go ballistic and the Imams give out death fatwas to the makers...

[bonfire]

I shouldn't.....but I had to laugh...especially at "Hang in there Baby".

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

There's something just not quite right when you had to TELL people you're normal, isn't there?Good point. Maybe that's why he did it, in his twisted logic he's highlighting his perversion.

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

I e-mailed them with your exact request (demnomo) using the links above. Let me know if they start carrying it, we don't have a store close by.

[horse_doc]

Maybe he can come out with a Martin Luther King magnet, that you can dress in gang clothes.

Or maybe a Bobby Kennedy shooting gallery.

Maybe he'll make an AIDS patient that you can put little sarcoma spots on.

After all, people have to learn to laugh at themselves.

[spatzie]

Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I guess they have the right to sell this crap if they want to, but what in the world were they thinking?
Who would want to let their kids play with something this offensive?

[montag813]

I'd love to see them do a "Dress-up Mohammed". We would see several Urban Outfitters burned to the ground, and "Normal" Bob Smith would become "Dead" Bob Smith.

[magslinger]

There's something just not quite right when you had to TELL people you're normal, isn't there?

Just like I wouldn't buy a car from "Honest" Anybody.

[Old Professer]

Math is hard...

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

The dude even drew Jesus' underpants in an "adult" manner...

[weegee]

This is the only thing at Urban Outfitters that has even ticked off the libs (and many semi-famous libs have voiced their outrage at UO):

If voting is for old people, irony isn't

'Voting Is for Old People' T-Shirt Draws Complaint

[cyborg]

They just opened up a new UO at the local mall... bronx cheer for them. I'm not writing them any letters though. When I wrote Abercrombie and Fitch about porn pop ups while trying to order something on their website, I got SPAM SPAM SPAM from AF.

[tutstar]

There is a huge difference between satire and blasphemy. But what would you expect from an atheist?