Flap continues over ‘Obama is my slave’ t-shirt

Update: According to Gawker ^[1], an editor at New York City's free morning paper Metro, has been fired for publishing an inaccurate front-page story about a girl who was supposedly attacked by four girls because she was wearing a t-shirt reading “OBAMA IS MY SLAVE.” Gawker says the story's only source was the designer who had sold the t-shirt. Voices without Votes would like to apologise to its readers for any inconvenience caused. We would also like to thank Dave Lucas ^[2] for drawing our attention to this matter.

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Lost in the hubbub of last week’s New Yorker cartoon flap ^[3] was another image controversy regarding Democratic nominee for President Barack Obama. The second deals with a self-proclaimed provocateur going by the name Apollo Braun, a designer of a line of t-shirts stating “Obama Is My Slave”, “Who Killed Obama?”,“Jews Against Obama” and “Obama=Hitler.” The t-shirts, which Braun sells out of his New York City boutique for between $69 and $250, first came to light when four people assaulted a woman in New York City who was wearing one. The victim, who was shoved, spat upon and had her earphones pulled out by the teenage attackers, later threatened to sue ^[4] Braun.

Braun, who was born in Israel under the name Doron Braunshtein, claimed that his shirts are not intended to be racist, but statements against the Democratic candidate for president. In response, Dan Sieradski of the Orthodox Anarchist ^[5] has created a line of shirts that state “Apollo Braun: Living proof that Zionism=Racism.”

Writing in Jewlicious ^[6], ck, who is currently living in Jerusalem, spoke to the designer.

Braun told me that “as an artist my job is to say whatever the **** I want. I’m an agitator, this is what I do.” He further added “My shirt isn’t about Obama, it’s about freedom of speech.” When asked if he was a racist Braun answered “I’m not a racist! I love black ****!” And his reaction to Sieradski’s post and t-shirt? “Dan Sieradski is fabulous, I love him! He is free like me to express whatever he wants to!” So who is Braun voting for? “I am voting for Britney Spears. She is the face of America.”

Taking a look at the publicity surrounding the t-shirt and the subsequent attack, Puerto Rican Vivirlatino ^[7] feels no sympathy for either party:

The woman who could afford a $69 shirt and felt safe and comfy in her hipster irony, safe enough to walk through NYC wearing a shirt that describes Obama as a slave? Must be nice to have that privilege.
Or am I supposed to feel bad for the designer, who apparently really dislikes Obama because he's a “muslim” (he isn't) and has created a whole series of offensive shirts.

In a comment in Newscloud ^[8] community blog, dobysteyert2 wrote ^[9]:

I don't even know where to start…why would anyone pay $69 for ANY t-shirt. Why would anyone buy such a ridiculous t-shirt, let alone wear it. Who is this “designer,” and does he work for FOX ^[10] or Cheney ^[11]?

After calling what he has a “Rodney King ^[12] moment,” ck from Jewlicious muses about marketing his own t-shirt, which is “meant to be fun, a little provocative and not too offensive.” It is represented in the same spirit as the “I Got a Crush on Obama ^[13]” video by Obama Girl. The shirt reads ^[14]: “Obama Is My (Sex) Slave.”