Surf Shop Gives Discount on "Black" Items for King Day
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 1:55PM
So, is that a sign of progress if a holiday meant to revere a slain leader of the Civil Rights Movement is turned into an excuse to offer a 20 percent markdown on crap you don't need? After all, that's how we honor Presidents Lincoln and Washington! With "white sales" (that's so racist) and what not. So the Thalia Surf Shop in Laguna Beach offered a Martin Luther King Jr. Day discount on all "black" items in their store. That's racist! But racist with savings. So that makes it ... still pretty messed up and highly inappropriate. Damn dirty surfer hipsters. And I thought it was bad enough when I was invited to a "Dream Realized" party on Sunday at a D.C. night club. King died so I could get drunk off Ciroc and get a cheap black speedo? USA! USA! (OC Weekly)
Reader Comments (13)
That ain't right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trust me, this stuff isn't relegated to MLK Day...
I don't know if it's racist or just plain ignorant greed. There has been a 'watering down' of just about every holiday in this country (i.e. Christmas has become Happy Holidays, Easter has becom spring break, etc.) as a ploy by marketing execs to sell goods. It's insulting and we (the public) have allowed and encouraged this lack of reverence for just about everything. Shame on us.
I've been waiting for this to happen, it's an official American holiday now, it's got a sale attached to it. Good grief.
Laguna's a lot different from when I grew up near there 20 years ago. Back then it was the only town in South OC not run by fascists (it even has a gay mayor or two in its history if I recall correctly). Now it's like the younger, dumber, and flakier cousin of Newport Beach.
*reads the title of the post...pauses*... I Can't
Love your blog! Keep the snark coming...please!
why is this okay, i recently read mlk's book choas or community and it was written prob in the 50's why is what he saying not that much different today. only back then this (even tho ppl were being beat) would have got a boycott. i hope were are not an apathic generation accepting crumbs.
oh and congrats danielle!
I've been to Laguna Beach- it's V clean, pretty, and regular residents are mostly white (w/ few V wealthy Asians mixed in). There are also many gay couples and tourists. I only saw one or two black folks there.
When the King family accepted the financial terms for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s likeness to be used for a Cingular Wireless commercial, they diminished him into the Civil Rights Tony the Tiger & opened the door to this type of nonsense.
Actually we need to boycott that merchant. We also need to call for a public apology for using the image of king in a light less deserving of his memory. But we won't do that!
Because we don't do anything
My cousin says that the hospital where she works, the cafeteria had a "freedom special"...mac and cheese, black eye peas, etc. Too bad I wasn't there to shut them down.