That's what they're calling it. Brooklyn Industries sells clothing and accessories in Brooklyn and New York City. Brooklyn Industries recently put custom tallbikes in their store windows.
"Dissent about the blatant commercialization of this particular subculture" took the form of etching "Bike culture not for sale" using acid-based etching ink into the store windows, causing thousands of dollars of damage and resulting in the removal of the tallbikes from the display windows. Brooklyn Industries reports, "We at Brooklyn Industries personally worked on the display from the ground up- from finding disused bikes and parts and welding them into working tall bikes, to designing the accompanying text. The damage was felt on a very personal level."
Kiril sums up the news and gives his opinions on his blog and in comments at Sucka Pants. This "counterculture" display of sheer boneheadedness also got the attention the influential AdRants, which notes that "No one wants their sacred culture commercialized but in a capitalist society, there's little chance a culture with any cred won't sooner or later be bitten by a brand desperate for commercial success."
Drew at Commute a Blog summarizes his opinion with these words: "You people make me sick."
In spite of commentary at Sucka Pants and elsewhere attempting to justify the vandalism, I personally don't see anything good about what was done.
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Lord, Counterculture strike again, shooting it's worst enemy right in the foot! Itself!
ReplyDeleteWay to make friends and influence people. I guess I should throw a brick through the window of the nearest Puma store since they had the nerve to publish 'Fixed Gear 101' and try to tie their made in China sneaks in to the fixed gear subcluture, whatever the heck that is.
ReplyDeleteI am against the picketing subculture, but I have no way to show it...
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