5.13.2005
Ski Columbia?
The Colombian radio stations are up in arms about the following tank top being marketed in the latest Guess? product line:
The tank top reads: Ski Colombia: Always Plenty of Fresh Powder!
Props to the designers at Guess? for yet another edgy double entendre. Unfortunately, the witty Manhattan hipsters were unable to spell Colombia correctly as they named the 29 dollar shirt "Columbia Ocean Tank." I guess the sweatshop workers in Malaysia were able to pick up on the error because the text on the shirt does have the correct spelling.
The announcers on the news program I was listening to were attempting to contact Guess? both in New York and in Los Angeles but the bigwigs did not accept their calls. Their next step was contacting the Colombia Consulate in LA.
This type of thing usually doesn't bother me all that much, but I am annoyed because I look around here in Bogota and am shocked that tourism is non-existant. Bogota has a lower homicide rate than most Latin American cities (Mexico City, Panama City, Caracas, Rio, Lima, even San Juan) and there has yet to be a registered kidnapping in the capital in 2005. The city is beautiful, clean, and offers both world-class dining and nightlife as well as picturesque Spanish colonial architecture.
So it doesn't help that this garbage is going to be in department stores across middle America. While I personally enjoy the fact that I don't run into other gringos while I am here, the potential for tourism in Colombia is untapped throughout the major cities, the coasts, and the interior of the country. Much of Colombia's reputation is deserved, but if I had a nickel for every wise-ass who asked me if my father was a drug dealer...
The tank top reads: Ski Colombia: Always Plenty of Fresh Powder!
Props to the designers at Guess? for yet another edgy double entendre. Unfortunately, the witty Manhattan hipsters were unable to spell Colombia correctly as they named the 29 dollar shirt "Columbia Ocean Tank." I guess the sweatshop workers in Malaysia were able to pick up on the error because the text on the shirt does have the correct spelling.
The announcers on the news program I was listening to were attempting to contact Guess? both in New York and in Los Angeles but the bigwigs did not accept their calls. Their next step was contacting the Colombia Consulate in LA.
This type of thing usually doesn't bother me all that much, but I am annoyed because I look around here in Bogota and am shocked that tourism is non-existant. Bogota has a lower homicide rate than most Latin American cities (Mexico City, Panama City, Caracas, Rio, Lima, even San Juan) and there has yet to be a registered kidnapping in the capital in 2005. The city is beautiful, clean, and offers both world-class dining and nightlife as well as picturesque Spanish colonial architecture.
So it doesn't help that this garbage is going to be in department stores across middle America. While I personally enjoy the fact that I don't run into other gringos while I am here, the potential for tourism in Colombia is untapped throughout the major cities, the coasts, and the interior of the country. Much of Colombia's reputation is deserved, but if I had a nickel for every wise-ass who asked me if my father was a drug dealer...
# posted by Juanson : 2:02 PM
Comments:
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Here again we have an "it is offensive to me" blog crap.
Ok so it may be a FINE LINE between Columbia and Colombia but come on!
It's not like the folks at Guess intended to STEP ON IT or CUT IT to make Colombia a lesser PRODUCT.
Do you think their making some kind of CRACK. Why be so PARANOIDE? This simple little shirt wont make the Country IMPUTENT or NUMB, I assume. Hey lets all just pull out the MIRROR and take a minute to see the humor here. Are we grasping at STRAWS? I mean haven't we all been behind the 8-ball or left HOLDING THE BAG.
If you don't like it DON'T buy it "JUST SAY NO" unless of course THE FIRST ONES FREE.
I don't like to TOOT or BLOW my own horn but I don't see anything that VILE here.
Ok this doesn't make much sense either but its not worth LOOSING SLEEP over. :-)
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Ok so it may be a FINE LINE between Columbia and Colombia but come on!
It's not like the folks at Guess intended to STEP ON IT or CUT IT to make Colombia a lesser PRODUCT.
Do you think their making some kind of CRACK. Why be so PARANOIDE? This simple little shirt wont make the Country IMPUTENT or NUMB, I assume. Hey lets all just pull out the MIRROR and take a minute to see the humor here. Are we grasping at STRAWS? I mean haven't we all been behind the 8-ball or left HOLDING THE BAG.
If you don't like it DON'T buy it "JUST SAY NO" unless of course THE FIRST ONES FREE.
I don't like to TOOT or BLOW my own horn but I don't see anything that VILE here.
Ok this doesn't make much sense either but its not worth LOOSING SLEEP over. :-)
# posted by 
: 3:08 PM
: 3:08 PM<< Home
