"Slanties" Outrage

I'd like to introduce everyone to the newest hipster-bullshit wannabe fad: Slanties Eyewear.

What in the hell are they, you ask? Well, here's their official product description:

slanties are based on ancient Inuit eyewear. Each pair of slanties is handcrafted. Our light, durable finish shows off the natural wood grain. slanties are engineered to be sturdy and reliable, and each pair is reinforced with a layer of fiberglass. If cared for correctly, your slanties will last for 800 years. Wear slanties on the beach as functional sunglasses. Wear Slanties to the club. Wear slanties to visit your grandparents, they’ll love them too. We hope that each pair will bring you great happiness.

Oh, is that a little fortune-cookie joke there at the end? How quaint.

The "ancient Inuit eyewear" they're referring to are in fact the snow goggles that the Inuit used to carved out of caribous antlers, bone, or wood, to prevent snow-blindness.

So, not only is the name "Slanties" incredibly racist, it also has absolutely nothing to do with the product. Bravo. Double fail.

But wait - I haven't even gotten to the best part! These pieces of wood with elastic straps attached to them cost $75 (I suppose their argument is that 'they'll last you 800 years!'). When instead, if you were so inclined, you could easily make them for free. On second thought, it amuses me to think that some idiot hipster would shell out $75 to parade around looking like a COMPLETE ASS.

Maybe they're trying to stir up some controversy to garner more press around their product; maybe they think that Asian-Americans will actually love these idiotic glasses (as Abercrombie & Fitch first argued when they came out with their racist t-shirts in 2002).

But the bottom line is, dear "Slanties" team, your glasses do a wonderful job of spreading ignorance, promoting racist Asian stereotypes, and being mind-blowingly offensive. All at once. Kudos. Enjoy your 15 seconds of undeserved fame.

[found via freckle farm]