China bans 'Obamao' shirt, fearing offense to Obama
BEIJING 鈥� Leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to be gracious hosts to Barack Obama, the Chinese authorities have gone so far as to ban a T-shirt they fear might offend the US President.
Known as the 鈥淥bamao鈥� shirt, the design juxtaposes two iconic silk screened images 鈥� putting Mr. Obama鈥檚 face between a Mao cap and the collar of a Mao jacket.
The item was selling like hot cakes in a Beijing souvenir shop until the government cracked down. 鈥淭he Industry and Commerce Bureau came round last week and told us that if we sold this T-shirt we鈥檇 be closed down鈥� said one hawker on a popular tourist street who preferred not to give his name.
He lamented the loss of business. 鈥淧eople are coming here every day asking for those T-shirts,鈥� he added.
In China, the image comes across as witty and cool. (This was planning to buy a couple for his teenage sons for Christmas, but didn鈥檛 act fast enough.) The Chinese government鈥檚 ban struck many here as another absurd overreaction. Perhaps Beijing is better attuned to US political sensibilities than one might think, though. The same T-shirt is advertised to US buyers on the web (at $9.99 apiece) as an 鈥渁nti-Obama鈥� item.
鈥淗uge seller in communist china lol. I鈥檓 just bringing them to America. Wear your support and let em know how you really feel鈥� reads on the site.
鈥淭he people wearing these T-shirts in the US are the same ones as compare Obama鈥檚 health care reform with the Holocaust鈥� says Jeremiah Jenne, who blogs from Beijing on . 鈥淭hey are comparing Obama to Hitler.鈥�
But in China, the T-shirts, while they were available, were popular with young people who admire Obama and who get the Andy Warhol-esque joke about icons.
The fact that it is considered cool speaks to how popular Chairman Mao remains in China, revered as the father of the nation, and also about how popular he remains among foreigners 鈥� even those who are aware of the tens of millions of people who died under his rule.
鈥淢ao is kitschy and cool,鈥� says Mr. Jenne. 鈥淗e gets a pass鈥� in a way that other 20th century dictators don鈥檛.
Politically fashion-conscious Beijing residents are hoping that once Obama has left, the T-shirts will slip back onto the shelves. One thing is sure: They will cost less here than the $9.99 that American right-wingers are being charged.
