PDA

View Full Version : keds "Hindu" shoes



Kumar_Das
01 June 2010, 07:10 AM
http://news.iskcon.org/node/2599

Well you dont see us taking up arms and throwing a riot, threatening to kill them the same way muslims do.

But I think Hindus should silently boycott this company.

*i searched to see if they had other "hindu" shoes*

http://www.zazzle.com/hindu+shoes

this is being done deliberately.

they use the om symbol on shoes, the most important syllable in Hinduism.

mughal harem shoes?

rani padmini's shoes? rani padmini was a woman of honour.

and the "goddess" shoe? did you take a look at the garment of the "goddess"?!

this is a deliberate attempt at mocking hindus.

they are surely doing this on purpose. why would they have on about the mughal's harem? and rani padmini?

im fuming so bad right now, i cant even type.

we need to find out whose behind all of this.

Kumar_Das
01 June 2010, 07:13 AM
whats very shocking about this is the "mughal harem" and "rani padmini" one.

i want them to pay for this.

Odion
01 June 2010, 09:29 AM
Ugh.

I, for one, will not be giving my financial support to this company.

Like the author of the article you quoted, I too will give them the benefit of the doubt.

I'm disappointed in them, but I can't say I'm shocked. This company looks like it specialises in crass commercialisation, throwing any picture of something 'exotic' to for gullible, average consumer to buy. They even have the Egyptian deities, Buddha, Jesus, the Virgin Mary and even Biblical passages on shoes! Somehow I don't think caring about people's feelings is their strong point, just doing whatever to make a quick buck.

I understand they are trying to fit into a niche in the footwear market by adding pictures onto shoes--but adding religious figures and deities at the cost of people's feelings is most not the correct way to go about exploiting that niche.

Can you imagine the outrage there would be, if they had copied a verse from the Quran, or the Arabic word of Allah onto shoes?

One can contact them here (http://zazzle.custhelp.com/app/ask) to express displeasure, at a guess. It says 'ask', but it's the only way to contact them. I dunno if they will respond to messages pointing out that some of their shoes are offensive, though.

NayaSurya
01 June 2010, 10:53 AM
That blog is misguided...I've used Zazzle for years.

Let me explain how this works.

Keds is not making Hindu shoes. Keds makes blank shoes and then sells them. Zazzle then buys them bulk and puts them in their store for vendors to decorate. There are thousands of these "Vendors" decorating blank items on Zazzle.

The one who did this is a person going by the name of ....ethnocentric.
http://www.zazzle.com/ethnocentric

Here's one of the shoes and his/her description-

http://www.zazzle.com/mughal_harem_keds_slip_on_shoes-167316351612339224

"Created By ethnocentric (http://www.zazzle.com/ethnocentric): Store (http://www.zazzle.com/ethnocentric)Contact (http://javascript<b></b>://)
Women's Champion Mini Slip On

The original Keds Champion mini slip-on sneakers provide the perfect blank canvas to express your unique style. Choose from infinite original designs or have fun creating your own. Style and comfort make this Keds canvas shoe an undisputable wardrobe essential for every woman."






Another one -one of the Aum shoes creators is:

http://www.zazzle.com/indiamylove

Why are they using these images? Well on Zazzle there is a load of blank items, you take your own image and put them on the blank images. Then you sell them.

Zazzle gets a huge chunk of the profits, and the creator of the items gets a smaller portion.

In order to use an image you have to own it, or use ones that are free domain. So this person is using ancient images because they are obviously not creative enough to know how to draw themselves.

You could contact Zazzle and put the heat on them for allowing these items to be sold...you could also contact the designer directly.

Another option is, I think that one picture is not free domain...if you could locate the owner, you could threaten Zazzle with a law suit.

That's one way to get them to take those down immediately.

You could also try to bluff and say you are the owner and then Zazzle would go back to that vendor and have to show proof he created it....

This may deter them from doing such things again....then again...who knows?

Eastern Mind
01 June 2010, 03:00 PM
Vannakkam NayaSurya et al:

Thank you for pointing out that we are sometimes barking up the wrong tree. Personally, it takes a lot more than clothing to offend me. Most of that is just ignorance, like a cultural faux pas. If a person comes into temple and uses the wrong finger for applying tilak, or sits with feet pointed towards the deity, it is our duty to politely point out that it is considered rude in our culture. It is not our dharma to get upset and yell. Sometimes with the Christians we can object or point out a double standard, like in the conversion debate.

In India, Hindu imagery is almost everywhere. Ganesha's Tea Stall, SivaMurugan Lodge, Krishna Tire Shop etc etc. I wouldn't doubt at all that somewhere there is a liquor shop, or other dharma-dubious business somewhere, if not commonplace. It is like the norm.

But these westerners are fools, under anava. I remember working bingos as fund raisers back when my kids were in sports or music or dance. You'd be surprised at the number of little Ganeshas or little Buddhas the little old ladies at Bingo had near the cards. For them it was a good luck charm like a rabbit's foot. For me, it reminded me of who I am.

Aum Namasivaya

Kumar_Das
09 June 2010, 04:40 PM
http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/2008/09/Spiritual-T-shirts-to-Cool-Your-Faith.aspx?p=5

heres another one