A new line of JFK merchandise sold by retail giant Urban Outfitters has been slammed by the Massachusetts Kennedy foundation.
The global retailer is selling a t-shirt with a photoshopped image of the late President wearing a leather jacket and a gun holster, posing with topless playboy models on each arm.
Jessica Sylver, President and CEO of the JFK Hyannis Museum Foundation in Cape Cod described the item of clothing as shocking.
“It's disappointing that they would do something like this,” Sylver told IrishCentral.
“To take a president that was well received and much loved in the U.S. and other counties and put him beside two women like that, it’s not very respectful.”
“I think its offensive,” Sylver said, adding it is up to each individual to make up their own minds about the merchandise.
“If we don’t buy them they are not going sell them,” the Museum director told IrishCentral.
Another t-shirt in the line shows JFK with a bandage on his forehead, smoking a cigar.
Urban Outfitters could not be reached for comment.
The John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum welcomes over 50,000 visitors annually who are interested in the legacy of the 35th president of the United States, who was assassinated on November 22, 1963.
In December 2009 a photo was published by the celebrity gossip website, TMZ, which allegedly showed JFK relaxing on a yacht while two topless women frolicked in the water. It later emerged the photo dated back to a Playboy shoot from 1967. A Playboy spokeswoman at the time said the color version of the photo clearly showed the man in question was not JFK.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Pittsburghkid | Jul 21, 2012, 02:36 PM EDT
JFK would have posed for it, in person. Jack was a dog.
merefalow | Jul 15, 2012, 04:34 AM EDT
disrespectfull crap.hope they go bust.
BrianO | Jul 13, 2012, 01:18 PM EDT
Irish Central always gives publicity to urban outfitters, good for sales, I'm sure.
ciaradexy | Jul 13, 2012, 12:11 PM EDT
IrelandNorth, Are you shocked by that motif? There is a problem with alcoholism and alcohol abuse.
IrelandNorth | Jul 13, 2012, 06:55 AM EDT
PS [T-Shirt Print!]
IrelandNorth | Jul 13, 2012, 06:53 AM EDT
A British outlet here in Dublin on the first floor at escalators in Saint Stephen's Green Shopping Centre () has a motif for sale: "So Irish my liver hurts!" inferring that being Irish is synonymous with alcoholism. On expressing surprise to young Scottish female manager there, she informed me that most customers are Irish-Americans, and if it sells they'll continue printing it. "Even if it's patently racist?" said I. "Pretty much so" said she. Seems economics trumps ethics every time. Complaints in person or e-mail as appropriate!
Ms.Gail | Jul 13, 2012, 12:07 AM EDT
Urban Outfitters is known for its disrespectful treatment of people and issues as well as rather shoddy merchandise touted as high fashion to justify high prices and markets to less savvy teens and twenties. Regardless of one's opinion of JFK, this is just another instance of UO making it from whole cloth (pun intended).
TisEyerish | Jul 12, 2012, 11:47 PM EDT
Not all of us in the USA are admirers of the Kennedy Clan. I, for one, think they were terrible people with very low moral standards. I think this shirt portrays JFK to a tee, as far as women go...although I don't know about the leather jacket and gun. Frankly, I am glad that most of this awful breed have disappeared into the sunset.
Schon | Jul 12, 2012, 09:36 PM EDT
Susan724 J F, and we all know what the F stands for, Kennedy, tried his damnedness to start a war with the Russians during the Cuban missile crisis. He laid down the game plan for the war in Vietnam; Lyndon Johnson carried the can but was just carrying out Kennedy's policy. And, in case you really don't know, Kennedy and Clinton aren't Irish. A better picture for the T-Shirts would be one of Kennedy humping a map of the United States. That would be accurate for both him and his family.
susan724 | Jul 12, 2012, 05:30 PM EDT
pickanose - uh, I mean pickateer- you sound like a jealous woman. Wow, Kennedy had looks, money, brains, and left office the most popular President in the history of America (Clinton was the second most popular). That is a FACT- and Kennedy and Clinton - two very sexy Irishmen. And you, pickanose? Oh, well, you have "W"- Doesn't that stand for "worst"?
susan724 | Jul 12, 2012, 05:21 PM EDT
BullDogManiac - If you feel this way, then you must want a t-shirt for George W. Bush with AWOL written across the front of his chest along with LIAR right below it for lying about the weapons of mass and then KILLER across his forehead for the deaths caused for US soldiers in both Afghanistan and Iraq over a LIE (WELL OVER 100,000 deaths) not to mention the million people who died in these countries who were innocent civilians. Oh and don't forget the 320,000 brain injured vets and the 18 suicides per day! I'll take the lover over the KILLER any day - LOVE doesn't kill! George W.Bush KILLED!
Curitiba | Jul 12, 2012, 03:29 PM EDT
It only adds to the legend that is JFK.
borefield | Jul 12, 2012, 02:28 PM EDT
Edmundburk, what planet are you living on?
edmundburke | Jul 12, 2012, 01:07 PM EDT
@ borefield, are you for real? "the Irish are always fair game for discrimination"??? Only in your delusional, confined-to-your-basement-den world is there institutionalized discrimination against the Irish in America. Millions of African-Americans dream of experiencing the kind of "discrimination" Irish Americans "suffer" here. As for the T shirt, LOL! Stupid for the Kennedy Museum CEO to comment; only draws attention to the matter. But I guess the Kennedy propaganda has to be so pervasive that no cheap retailer dare put any Kennedy bashing product on the market whatsoever. Life sure is good if you're a Kennedy.
borefield | Jul 12, 2012, 12:49 PM EDT
First way to address urban outfitters---Don't buy their trash apparel . Second, the Irish are always fair game for this kind of discrimination, if this was about Rev. Martin Luther King the stores would be out of business by now. Rev. Al, Jessie Jackson, Barack would certainly see to it. They should be boycotted big time.
ciaradexy | Jul 12, 2012, 12:32 PM EDT
Snakehips, the Irish slag off the 'Oirish American stereotype!!
Searlit | Jul 12, 2012, 12:26 PM EDT
Two recent articles have given me reason to never go near the place. I hope they don't sell.
snakehips | Jul 12, 2012, 12:23 PM EDT
Urban Outfitters makes a living out of sterotypes and insults to ethnic groups, including we Irish Americans and individuals. No need to bitch about them, just don't buy their products. Your taste would be really suspect if you wear that garbage anyway.
snakehips | Jul 12, 2012, 11:09 AM EDT
With all the ink urban outfitters gets from Irish central me thinks they must make a piece of the action.
bourkebabe | Jul 12, 2012, 11:08 AM EDT
Won't be going to Urban Outfitters anymore....disgusting!
SeamusMor | Jul 12, 2012, 10:00 AM EDT
Is nothing sacred? Next will be a shirt featuring Jerry Sandusky showering with Jedward, or the Pope with a pair of altar boys! Boycott Urban Outfitters!
hermitTalker | Jul 12, 2012, 09:56 AM EDT
Comments and the crass use of these images reduce the man to his flaws. There are worse sins than doing a few women, even faithful presidents as "W" and BHO now have a record of doing it to the Constitution and global political fragility. History will judge them all in perspective and balance out the puerile puritanical preoccupation with the penis.
BulldogMania | Jul 12, 2012, 09:52 AM EDT
This is outrageous. How dare this company create such materials. The Kennedy family has spent hundreds of MILLIONS of dollars over the years trying to rewrite history and cover-up the dalliances of the 35th president, all with the help of the liberal mainstream media. This will undo all of that propaganda and allow people to see who he really was and what he was all about. Shame on this company for undoing decades of lies and cover-up to protect the image of JFK and "Camelot".
pickateer | Jul 12, 2012, 09:44 AM EDT
'Tis well known he was a skirt chaser, and the only thing that got him elected was his father's money buying dead votes in Chicago. And his brother-in-law Peter Lawford was known to have acted as a pimp for him and his brother Bobby. But then all the Kennedy boys along with other male relations were not just womanizers, but treated them like chattel!
Murph46 | Jul 12, 2012, 09:32 AM EDT
Public figure-fair game!