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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Oh COME ON, Asda!

151 replies

ballinacup · 30/05/2014 15:19

Asda launches wearable England flag

Asda execs can't see anything wrong with this. At all?

OP posts:
JapaneseMargaret · 30/05/2014 20:11

It's a tad misguided.

White pointy hoods make many, many people think of the KKK. Throw in the red cross, and you've got to wonder at the sensibilities of the designers (and the people in the sign-off process).

Cagoules don't have pointy hoods - why didn't they just give it a bog-standard rounded hood. Confused

JapaneseMargaret · 30/05/2014 20:12

Spoony - that's a hat, not a hood.....?

Viviennemary · 30/05/2014 20:14

I saw it online a while ago. It made me laugh. But honestly what were they thinking. Shock

WorraLiberty · 30/05/2014 20:32

For people saying 'it's just a flag with a hood', would you be as chilled out if it was a symbol that looked dangerously close to a swastika?

Yes, because it would still be just a flag with a hood...

How people perceive things/don't perceive things doesn't change the fact that it's just a flag with a hood...

SolomanDaisy · 30/05/2014 20:39

I said 'almost looks deliberate'. I can imagine designers sniggering to themselves saying, 'we'll never get away with this'. Obviously I'm not suggesting Asda as a corporate body would think it was a good idea to market a flag that mimics the KKK. But I think anyone who claims they cannot see what the imagery suggests is being faux naive at best.

Original poster
ballinacup · 30/05/2014 20:45

I'm surprised at how many people just can't see it. It was literally the first thing I thought. I'm also not surprised that an American poster feels more uncomfortable about it.

OP posts:
OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat · 30/05/2014 20:48

Wasn't the swastika something innocent that ended up hijacked by the nazis? A beauty spot local to me has a 'swastika stone' that precedes the nazis by millenia and is in no way related to them.

Livvy I have seen the Spanish Easter celebrations. I was a bit Shock Hmm Grin. Again, probably precedes the Klan, by a long time,

Hiphopopotamus · 30/05/2014 20:59

Yes it was - but would anyone these days get a swastika tattoo on the basis that it used to mean something different? Meanings change and evolve over time. And for many many people, a pointed white hood is symbolic of the KKK.

KoalaFace · 30/05/2014 21:08

I thought it was going to be an EDL type thing that you had a problem with OP. I was all prepared to say YABU.

Then I clicked the link. This never happens from reading things on MN but...I actually did a little laugh.

It definitely looks like a KKK hood.

But it's clearly not one because it's just an embarrassing wearable flag.

But YANBU. If I was designing a wearable flag I'd hate my life give it a rounded hood so it wouldn't have even worse
connotations than just being a sad act who wears a flag!

PixieofCatan · 30/05/2014 21:24

I thought KKK as soon as I saw it too tbh.

JohnFarleysRuskin · 30/05/2014 21:24

It's horrible whatever it is!

Asda are a shit company. (says friend who works there)

PixieofCatan · 30/05/2014 21:26

koala I thought that just a moment ago, how hard would it have been to have a rounded hood? I think it was the shape of the hood that threw me!

Deverethemuzzler · 30/05/2014 21:33

I think they made it as cheaply as they could and straight seams with no cutting curves is quicker and wastes less fabric.

Shocking, the quality of flag themed apparel these days

JohnFarleysRuskin · 30/05/2014 21:43

I would have just designed it poncho style - cheap as chips.

EverythingsDozy · 30/05/2014 21:49

I also saw KKK robe without reading article. Literally snorted Blush
However, Robert Langdon in the da Vinci code tells us that KKK robes are also robes that (Spanish?) religious people used to wear Grin

KoalaFace · 30/05/2014 21:51

John where were you when they needed you!

Ditch the hood altogether! Save money, no weird shaped hood!

You genie arse you!

Koothrapanties · 30/05/2014 22:02

Yea... The hood is rather pointy. I have to say I thought kkk when I saw it.

JohnFarleysRuskin · 30/05/2014 22:07

I was worried about what if it rains, but then I thought we could design an accompanying umbrella (preferably shaped like a pitchfork.)

I'm waiting your call asda!

KoalaFace · 30/05/2014 22:09

Grin arf at pitchfork shaped umbrella!

What about flaming cross tote bags?

cosmicstardust · 30/05/2014 22:10

I immediately thought KKK, but then I'm American. I can imagine fans sat in the row behind might get rather fed up with it regardless though!

JohnFarleysRuskin · 30/05/2014 22:23

No self respecting football fan would ever be seen without his flaming cross tote bag from asda...

SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker · 30/05/2014 22:42

I'm an American and I don't think it looks like one.

From the front it looks no more like a KKK regalia than the witch I posted. There is nothing over the face at all. From the back it has a dirty great big red cross on it and is obviously a flag.

JustWonderingAbout · 30/05/2014 22:51

At first, I thought... 'and...?'

Then I looked abd thought 'KKK'.
Yuk

SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker · 31/05/2014 00:39

Honestly this is what it really reminds me of. The homemade towel hoodies that I've seen made for kids

www.make-it-do.com/tag/hooded-towel-pattern/

Its basically the same thing only a flag instead of a towel.

ToysRLuv · 31/05/2014 03:02

Yes, it says "KKK" to me, as well. Was it asda who had to pull their "escaped mental patient" (or whatever) Halloween outfit?