May 12, 2008
Apollo Braun Designs "Jews Against Obama" T-shirt
Orchard Street designer Doron Braunshtein (aka Apollo Braun, pictured) is at it again; in March he launched his "Who Killed Obama?" t-shirt and now he's added a new political statement to his line: the $250 "Jews Against Obama" t-shirt.
And that's not the only provocation: Braunshtein also started what he calls a "political movement" as a cute, must-have accessory to the T. His recruitment efforts have gone through his mailing list, Facebook and Myspace.
As with his last design, he explains that he's "selling an idea" that will one day hang "in the greatest museums and galleries in the city." He also wants you all to know how he really feels about Obama, in case it wasn't clear:
"I am a true anti-Obama New York Jew. The word on the street is that New York Jews will vote for McCain anyhow. The majority of the Jews – at least the ones that are proud of their religion and practice it – like me, don't want to see Obama – a man who's middle name is Hussein, and his family from his Kenyan father's side is Muslim, as the leader of this great country.In March, the NY Post quoted Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind's prediction that Jewish voters would be making "a mass movement toward Sen. McCain" should Clinton lose the nomination.More than that, after Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright honored Louis Farrakhan – definitely one of the most racist and anti-Semitic people alive – Obama lost us Jews totally. That made me start this political movement in the first place."
UPDATE: After the jump, Jennifer Krause, rabbi and author of The Answer: Making Sense of Life, One Question at a Time
If making sweeping generalizations is museum-worthy, Mr. Braunshtein/Braun stands an excellent chance of his Obama t's being immortalized, but probably not beside a Warhol. His "Jews Against Obama" t-shirt is frighteningly reminiscent of the posters one sees in exhibits devoted to the worst kinds of intolerance that have lumped "Jews," "blacks," and "gays" into monolithic groups distinguishable to others only by their religion, skin color, or sexual orientation.If there is one thing inherited Jewish wisdom demonstrates, whether it be in pages of passionate talmudic discourse or in current public debates on a multiplicity of issues, it is that there is no group-think among Jewish people. Jewish people come from different cultures, different lands, different schools of intellectual thought, and different socio-economic backgrounds. That is why some will vote for Senator McCain, why some already have voted in primary elections for Senator Clinton, and why some proud, principled Jews also will cast their votes for Senator Obama should he be the democratic nominee in November.
As a deeply committed Jew and a proud, engaged American, the last thing I want to see is my religion associated with the kind of base, xenophobic attitude that rules out a candidate because his middle name is "Hussein" and questions his patriotism because his father was a Muslim. Signs all across the Jim Crow South used to read "No N****rs, No Jews, No Dogs." Would you pay $250 for one of those?
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The Secret Service must have quite a list already of people to keep an eye on for when BO becomes President.
this NY Jew thinks that Doron Braunshtein is a schmuck.
and anyone who would pay $250 for a t-shirt, let alone a stupid one, deserves to loose their money.
shalom
here's another reason to vote for obama.
oh these silly believers of fairy tales & religion make me laugh every time! can such a dumb ass really be considered a provocative artist?
hipster douchebag.
does he really think the interests of jews are going to be served better by a third term of george bush?
what a fagala.
*The Secret Service must have quite a list already of people to keep an eye on for when BO becomes President.*
If someone threatened a president back in 43' or 57' or 65' or anytime, they're still on the list... the list never goes away. Obama's list will be long and his security will be the tightest ever.
Sadly, there's no true great candidate. Obama has no experience and McCain is too old and a most importantly, a republican. We must not vote a republican into the office... mainly because of the Supreme Court appointments.
Doron... Apollo... whatever: STFU. Self-important schmucks like you give all the Jews a bad name. You're selling schmottas, and not very good ones, at that.
Doron Braunshtein (aka Apollo Braun): What a moron!
Fundamentalism form ANY FKN RELIGION is what has this world submerged in wars. MORON!
Great, another asshole giving the rest of us Jews a bad name.
Rather than judging a candidate's Jew-friendliness (whatever that means) by his middle name or the comments of his estranged pastor, why not some up some real criteria and see how he measures up.
Instead, just more racist, anti-Muslim nonsense.
If i had time today, i would photoshop the shirt to say what he really means...
"douchebag against Obama"
A man whose middle name is Hussein. Apparently one can be guilty of being anti-Semitic, but not of being anti-Muslims (and still believe in equality and fairness?!). In great museums and galleries one day, I hope to see acknowledgement of great injustice done to thousands of innocent Muslims, whether by their own, or by others. It does not matter who. And where is the "design" in this design? The typography's crap. In one minute, I aim to forget this dude's name.
I'm a jew for Obama.
Nothing more against Judaism as reactionary racist, islamaphobic, jack-ass-ery.
Idiot, and bad typography at that. What is this guy's problem?
On another note, I'm afraid I'm getting 2004 deja vu, when all of us New Yorkers were sooooo confident that Bush couldn't possibly be voted in for another four years, and all these stupid statistics about how Kerry was going to take it. Surprise! I never underestimate the fact that the rest of the country do not have the same political views that New Yorkers do, and our arrogance is often our own undoing.
Why is Gothamist giving this ignorant bigot a platform?
$250.00 for a lousy t-shirt?
What an a-hole!
Well then I suggest Doron do a little research on who McCain's spiritual advisor is... I'm sure they would agree on a few things.
http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/38133-mccain-s-spiritual-guide-wants-america-to-destroy-islam?utm_source=rgemail
maybe he'll use the money to do something about that hideous mullet.
christ.
this racist bullshit makes me want to vote for obama despite the fact he stands, like all major-party presidential candidates, for the status quo.
his myspace
Why are you giving this idiot fuckhead face time?
Is someone on the staff sucking his dick or something?
Perhaps Gothamist is exposing his idiocy.
I wouldn't claim myself to be an artist...but I am happy with my first 'official' piece. Apollo decided he would switch t-shirts for the second round of his photo shoots and keep that same arrogant look on his face. Here was the second photo that they didn't show. http://www.flickr.com/photos/26506439@N04/
Truth in Decmocracy
Even douches gotta make their scratch, no?
For some people, hints of the inevitable post-ironic era is too much to bear.
This t-shirt's business plan speaks louder than outrage.
I'm a Jew for Obama, and I know many, many others who are, too.
I don't think this racist, xenophobic hipster needs to be given a platform for his stupid t-shirts.
Woa gothamist you have sunk to new lows, this is worse than the Toyota laden maroon "around town" write-ups.
Actually, it was his Indonesian STEP father Lolo Soetoro that was Barack's Muslim influence, his Kenyan stepfather was an atheist. At least get your facts right. I happen to think that having that background is useful for engaging the Muslim world; a stark contrast to Bush's complete ignorance of the culture of that region. This guy is as big a hipster douche bag as all the retards on the street wearing Keffiyeh because they saw it in Vice magazine.
why the f*ck are you promoting this assh*le
pretty sleazy tabloid junk, gothamist
how does writting a few words in plain font warrant "design".
what a douche.
too bad that so-called 'mass-movement' over to mccain will not matter. obama will win new york and california, and you are crazy to think otherwise.
$250 for a t-shirt anyone could make for $15 or less?
Anyone who buys this should be driven out to the desert and left for coyote food.
Moron Braunshtein, more like! What a closed-minded poser.
"The majority of the Jews – at least the ones that are proud of their religion and practice it – like me..."
Classic weak-argument-bolstering technique... 'and everybody else I talk to agrees with me!'
Fortunately, this Jew's never had the 'pleasure.'
P.S. Nice meshugamullet!
Concerns about his middle name and his Muslim influence are invalid. I don't think concern about staying with an obviously radical preacher for 20 years and no one seeming to care now are, but unfortunately that valid concern got lost in the invalid one.
$250 seems rather a lot for a Haines T shirt with some crappy type on it. Does he also sell 2" buttons for $50? Hats for $125? Socks, belts, underwear, sandals, wine?
Is it me or Does he attempt to resemble the Zohan??
Yeah, great, another fool giving both Jews and artists a bad name. This talentless hack needs a history lesson: Jews and Muslims are not historic enemies. The Ottoman Turks saved Jews when they were kicked out of Spain, welcoming them into their lands and making them part of their culture. And Jews have always lived in the Muslim world, in Persian, Arabic, and Turkic countries. We are historical siblings. Siblings sometimes fight.
Ha, I love his notion that his work will one day "hang in the greatest museums and galleries in the city". Classic. I think I met ten of this halfwit in art school.
If he's so proud of his Jewish heritage why is his "artist" name taken from a Greek god?
Flaunting his stupidity.
@TreesForTheForest, maybe he named himself for Apollo Creed, who himself was quite the showman, wanting to beat an "Eye-talian" on the nation's holiday.
What a dickhead.
That shirt should cost $9 at Cafepress.
At first I was going to vote for the psycho over the black - but since the jew doesn't like the black, I think I'll vote for the black.
It appears there is a huge rift in the Liberal-Hipster-Blipster-Muppie-Yuppie-Trendoid-Articist political monolith. What is going on, whats with the big D's that always used to goose step together all the way to the DNC ??? Eating each others brains out ??? What a waste.
On Facebook there are two "Jews Against Obama" groups, if you have a moment to request that they be disabled it seems worth the effort.
You know that the majority of jews would never vote for Obama, The majority of Mexicans would not vote for Obama. The majority of asians would never vote for Obama and proably half of whites would not vote for Obama. Obama's got 91% of the blind black vote and probably 70% of the idealist college kid vote and 55% of the white democratic vote. That's it. He's not going to win over midwesterners, or old people. Many minorities don't vote in primaries and they just come out during the general election. You will see a huge swell of minorities that are not black not voting for Obama come november. I'm voting for Obama just cause I'm following my democratic screed. but if he doesn't win, it'll be fucking funny how all these obama thumping people will be deflated. Democrats don't realize that Midwesterners will never vote for anyone except a white guy who is christian. If they found out jesus was black, they would become atheists. midwest republicans outweigh democrats 2 to 1. Why do you think the church is against abortion? it's cause they lose young impressionable children who will become a powerful voting bloc come november. It's simple math. The church says abortion is bad. Conservative christians don't use birth control. they have 2-4 kids. those kids turn into adult conservative christians who in turn have 2-4 kids. those numbers increase. Liberal democrats use birth control and have abortions. they divorce more easily. for every democrat you have living in a big city you have 4-8 republicans living in the rural counties. All the Liberals live in NY or California. they refuse to move to the midwest. so if you are a liberal living in NY your vote doesn't really count cause it's like adding water to a full reservoir already. it's pointless. If liberals really wanted Obama to win, they'd move to kansas and register there. but they don't. They just feed this bullshit about "progress" and preach to the choir.
This is one Jew who will be voting for Obama------>>>
However, that meshuganah T-shirt guy has a goyishe kup. He doesn't know what he's talking about.
man.... i hate days where i agree with babyhitler.
if obama picks up hillary, it's a win for the dems.
Do most Christians realize that Jesus wasn't Christian but Jewish? Also as a side note he was not Italian as some are led to believe.
"He's not going to win over midwesterners..."
Depends on how you define Midwest.. using the most liberal definition:
ND - Obama
SD - Likely Obama
NB - Obama
KS - Obama
MN - Obama
IA - Obama
MO - Obama (by a nose)
WI - Obama
IL - Obama
MI - No vote this year
IN - Clinton
OH - Clinton
KY - Likely Clinton
WV - Likely Clinton
Babyhitler might just be right - but I'm voting for the black with big ears because Paul Volker is advising him on the economy, which is good. And Ron Paul seems to like his foreign policy, which is also good.
Too bad Obama doesn't agree with Pat Buchanan on foreigners in this country - or I would feel very good supporting him.
Babyhitler, I thought the catholic church was against abortion because it denies them access to millions of other little boys.
You can insult this guy all you want, you know you're just feeding into his ego. The more plebeians (in his opinion) he pisses off, the better his thinks his "art" is.
I think I know what will really piss him off. I'm gonna go down to the T-Shirt shop, print up some shirts just like his and sell them for $7 directly outside his shop.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/107059/Obama-Beats-McCain-Among-Jewish-Voters.aspx
Ok, babyhitler, where does all this knowledge of the Midwest and minorities come from? I grew up in the midwest, went to college in the south, and now I live in NYC. While I agree that NYC and Cali liberals are a little too much their own asses, drinking espressos and agreeing with each others politics. But to think that its only people in those areas that will vote for Obama in the general election is false.
Remember in 2004, there were several states that Kerry just barely lost, by 3 or 4 percentage points. Some of those southern states have high black populations who are going to be much more motivated to turn out this time around to vote, now that they feel like they might actually be represented this time around.
All I have to say is, wait for the debates. Its going to be Nixon-JFK all over again. McCain looks very much his 72 years, mumbling and repeating himself when he goes off script, that against Obama's eloquence and youth, and you'll see a nice bump in Obama's numbers after the debates.
I'm disappointed to see a douchebag like this promoted on Gothamist. Putting religion in front of American citizenry and/or politics should be a crime. I'd like to kick this guy in the nuts just for being a total moron.