POLITICAL CORRECTNESS in the U.S. has hit a new high in lows.
The "it's not yet Thanksgiving" holiday madness has begun and with it the "I'll take offense to anything" folks have found at least two items to rail against; one offensive to some Jews and "protectors of Jews" and the other offensive to those who celebrate Christmas - and those others, mostly Jews, who rush to sympathize (not empathize.)
A TALE OF TWO STORES
Two stores react differently to the PC Police.
Nordstrom caves.
Target stands firm.
Nordstrom apparently decided some comments on its Facebook page were sufficient to label the sweater "not PC" and to pull it from both stores and Web.
According to Joanna Vealenta writing for Kveller.com, Nordstrom made a big faux-pas recently–actually, a pretty anti-Semitic one at that. Until yesterday, they were selling a Hanukkah sweater for women in their novelty items section. Which, on its own, sounds like a kitschy thing to do, except it used hurtful stereotypes in the process.
We’re all about making fun of ourselves and wearing bad holiday sweaters at parties, but this went too far, with the front of the sweater saying “Chai Maintenance” and “Hanukkah J.A.P.” To drive it home, they featured a model posing as though she’s taking a selfie (with a tiara on nonetheless), because all Jewish women are high maintenance and self-obsessed, right?
I'm pretty sensitive to anti-Semitic remarks, but referring to a Jewish woman as "chai maintenance" or a "Jewish-American Princess" is not something that, in my opinion, falls into the realm of anti-Semitism. Calling a Jewish woman who is your wife "chai maintenance" or a "JAP" could disrupt "shalom biet" - peace and tranquility in the home - but it hardly is anti-anything.
Trust me, while my Spouse is neither chai or high maintenance or a JAP, we are parents of a daughter who can be both. If the shoe fits . . .
I know lots of Jewish females of all ages, and none would take umbrage at a suggestion that they are "chai maintenance" or a "JAP" . . . at least those who are NEITHER high maintenance or a Jewish princess - American or otherwise. Besides, a Jewish female is told from birth that she's a princess . . . just ask my grand-daughter.
But Target said it will not pull the sweater from shelves or from its online store, although the company apologized for causing any customers discomfort.
Of it's not Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - the "real" OCD - how can Black Friday be explained? How can fights over the last unit of a particular toy occur? Neither are, to this scrivener's mind, "normal" behavior.
OCD can be many things to many different people - washing hands, constantly cleaning the house, always putting on one shoe before the other … anything that someone simply "has" to do sans logical reason can be defined by someone - qualified or not - as OCD.
Personally, I'm glad that Target stood its ground ; I may even spend a few bucks there to show my support.
As far as Nordstrom is concerned, it will have to do without my custom, but then it was not a store on the top of my shopping list anyway.
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