Well it’s finally happened. The official brand of Run-DMC have turned racist. Retailing at $250, the Adidas “Yellow Series” Y1 Huf is kicking up controversy. Not because they cost so much, when they’re probably sewn together for pennies in China, but because they depict an offensive stereotype. On the tongue of the shoe is a caricature of an Asian face complete with buck teeth, bowl-cut hair, and pig nose. The image was originally designed by US graffiti artist Barry McGee (AKA Twist), who is half Chinese, and was used for the cover of his exhibition catalog. Why Adidas decided it was the perfect image to place on their shoes is still a puzzle to me. An Adidas spokeswoman said the company “appreciates all self-expression” and “had no intention of offending any individual or group”.

In my opinion, by using an image such as this the artist confronts a negative stereotype quite boldly, taking away its power and using it against itself. It’s a pre-emptive confrontation which takes easy ammo away from the enemy. McGee’s patrons are familiar with his background and body of work, enabling them to have a clear interpretation of this character. It’s the equivalent of an African-American artist using a blackface Sambo character to take on the issue of race in a rather controversial, yet condemning manner. Detournement, using an element to communicate a different message from the original, is not uncommon in the art world. However, for a faceless corporation like Adidas to slap this racist image on a product is reckless at best. No longer is your audience a small group of people who are in on the joke, but rather anyone who has $250 to spare. The image is taken out of the context McGee created, and therefore loses its anti-racist message altogether. It’s no longer symbolic of the battle over racial identity for an artist, but rather a funny character meant to turn a profit for the pockets of a business. One could question whether Adidas is using a little detournement of their own. Whatever their motivation, they definately need some sensitivity training.

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