“Nobama” a Flourishing Market: Cashing in on Anti-Obama Sentiment, Upsetting Obama Supporters (video)
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on August 12, 2009
Anti-Obama T-shirts and other novelties are selling briskly these days
A new market is on the upswing. Despite the struggling economy, or because of it, sales of anti-Obama T-shirts, bumper stickers, novelties, trinkets, and paraphernalia are on the rise.
Bumper stickers are a hot anti-Obama item these days
Trinkets that stick it to Obama start to sell – Cashing in on ‘No, he can’t’
Washington Times
By Andrea Billups | August 11, 2009In the political paraphernalia department, “Yes, we can” is becoming “No, he can’t.”
Anti-Obama memorabilia — from T-shirts to bumper stickers to buttons — is increasingly emerging in the marketplace as the president’s economic and health care policies polarize supporters and detractors.
While “Mama for Obama” was a popular slogan during the 2008 election cycle, that design has been retooled with angry and fickle disenchantment: “To the Mama for Obama — thanks for the tax hike.” The “Audacity of Hope,” the title of Mr. Obama’s popular book, has been replaced by the “Audacity of Hype.”
“It really started peaking about a month ago,” said Amy Maniatis, vice president of marketing at the online seller Cafepress.com.
“You see it as a direct response to some of the promising messages that happened a year ago. Whereas we had the campaign of Obama centered around hope, and it was a very optimistic message, now they’re asking: ‘How’s that hopey-changey thing going?’ ”
The Cafepress.com store, a cultural barometer of sorts for political and social expression, offers about 3 million Obama products, she said, but now is up to about 1 million that are “anti-Obama-oriented,” reflecting a “significant shift in the last couple of months than what was the trend a year ago.”
Pro-Obama gear is still selling well, she said, “but now we’re seeing a much larger swing toward the critical designs. It will be lighthearted as commentary on his gaffes as in ‘Acted Stupidly,’ ” a play on his remarks about the Cambridge, Mass., police officer who arrested Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., “or with folks reacting to headlines or what is going on with the economy.”
The political change in memorabilia mirrors the public-opinion divide on Mr. Obama as he moves to reform health care and attempts to revive the economy.
[...]
On the Web site obamaseriously.com, black armbands and T-shirts proclaim “Obama – Killing Me Softly” and “Obama – Bankruptcy of America.” At conservativebuys.com, a white tank top bears the word “Delusional” above the wavy red-and-white-flag-striped logo used by the Obama campaign…
Not everyone embraces the sale of anti-Obama merchandise.
Loren Spivack, who owned a kiosk in a North Carolina shopping mall, was tossed out last month for violating his lease because he was selling T-shirts and bumper stickers that had anti-Obama sayings on them.
Spivack acknowledges that the lease permits Simon Property Group, owner of the Concord Mall, to prohibit the sale of any items it, at its sole discretion, that it finds offensive. But Spivack says there is a double standard at the mall, because other offensive T-shirts or bumper stickers with sexual innuendo or profanities on them, or those endorsing illegal behavior such as smoking pot, are allowed to be sold elsewhere in the mall. He believes he is being silenced because of his politics.
I provided commentary on this last month: Freedom of Speech in Jeopardy: “Impeach Obama” Bumper Stickers Banned from Mall.
Spivack is interviewed in the video below.
Paltalk News – Kiosk Owner Tossed From Mall For Selling Anti-Obama T-Shirts | August 2009
Additional reading:
Gateway Pundit: Far Left Haters Have Even Infiltrated the Greeting Card Industry and Obama Commie Gear Selling Like Hotcakes In China (Video) and It Has Begun… Business Owner Removed From Mall After Selling “Impeach Obama” Bumper Stickers and Obamatrons Pi$$ on McCain Supporter’s Car– Scratch KKK In the Paint
Evan Coyne Maloney, Big Government: The Rise and Fall of ObamaMarketing
Greg Gutfeld, Big Hollywood: Daily Gut: School Spirit
Mississippi Council Of Conservative Citizens: Conservative Vendor Banned From Mall
NewsReal Blog: FOX: Leftist Shopping Mall Empire Crushes Conservative Store
The Obambi.com Blog: More Liberal Obamabot News from North Carolina
Disgruntledpatriot’s Blog: Three Little Stories that Boggle the Mind
Giovanni’s World: Conservatives Not Welcomed In NC
Michelle Malkin: Do you trust Obama’s slum lords? and Culture of Corruption: Rezko edition and NBC: “YES WE DID”
Sister Toldjah: NBC’s love for Obama pays off – literally
Geoausch: Freedom of speech under attack in North Carolina?
Nice Deb: Video: Of Course, “Oba-Mao” Tee-Shirts In China
Just Americans Making Ethical Statements Weblog: Simon Malls Corp: Store Materials Too Controversial for Lease to be Renewed
Doug Powers, Michelle Malkin: Town hall time for Obama and ‘the mob’
If you’re lost: Work harder! Obama needs the money!
Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter (R-MI), Big Hollywood: A Health Dirge Night: President Obama’s Lefty Health Club Band
Michelle Malkin: The illustrated guide to Obamacare human props and White House: You’re not un-American, but you are still corporate shills so just pipe down
Frugal Café Blog Zone: Congressman Joe Wilson Defends “You Lie” Outburst, Says He Will Not Apologize on House Floor… Also, “You Lie!” Online Merchandise Selling Like Hot Cakes and On the Cover of the Rolling Stone: Godlike Obama! (video) and Rush Limbaugh: The “Mob” Will Not Be Silenced on ObamaCare and “The Crucible” Today: White House Wants “Fishy” Reports Logged on Its Website… Reeks of Witch-hunt Tactics from Miller’s Classic
VotingFemale Speaks!: Obama: Shut Up or ELSE; Can you spell Tyranny?
Seeing Red AZ: Conservative free speech not welcome in mall
Jim Blazsik: Daniel Hannan and the looming disaster of ObamaCare
Andrew Klavan, PJTV: Andrew Klavan on Culture: Shut Up (video)
About the author
Obama’s thugs will become more and more pervasive as the 2010 elections draw closer.
Acorn and the SEIU will bully us and attempt to denigrate anyone who dares to confront him.
This health care bill is another way of putting their boot on our throats while smiling and calling us stupid behind our backs.
Obama is so arrogant as to think that we will actually adhere to these policies.
Obama is so ignorant as to think that we will actually condone these policies.
His thugs will control this Great Country if we allow them to.
Ground Air Force 1, from now on it’s not for dates, or campaign appearances.
This is not it’s purpose.
There will always a market for derogatory t-shirts towards our president. He could be the greatest president that we have ever had. He could do great things and help turn this country around, but there will always be a group that disagrees with some aspect. Just like the Yankees, there the best team in the AL right now. but hey I don’t like them and I own Yankees Suck t-shirts. But these shirt will sell now, but if the economy turns, the need for these shirts will go down. But there will always be someone out there that wants this shirt.
Good point, but did any malls ban the selling of anti-Bush T-shirts or bumper stickers?
That’s the bigger story, the more insidious picture.