Memorial Merchandise Emerges Within Hours
Some Criticize as 'Opportunistic Behavior'
Following the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, a prominent right-wing activist in the United States and a close confidant of President Donald Trump, controversy has erupted as the T-shirt he was wearing at the time was rapidly commercialized online.
Charlie Kirk wearing a T-shirt with the word 'FREEDOM' printed on it, distributing hats at Utah Valley University in Utah, USA. He was shot and killed during a speech shortly afterward. Photo by AP Yonhap News
According to reports from foreign media outlets such as the New York Times and Newsweek on September 14 (local time), within just a few hours after Kirk was killed on the 10th, print-on-demand platforms like Etsy and TikTok Shop began listing white T-shirts identical or similar to the one Kirk wore. The T-shirt features a simple design with the word 'FREEDOM' boldly printed across the chest, and is being sold for around $39.95 (approximately 55,000 won) on some online malls.
Sellers report that the product has been selling rapidly since it was released. A representative from the T-shirt sales site 'Tees Local' stated, "Just hours after he passed away, our design team gathered and decided to create a memorial collection," adding, "The T-shirts are selling very well." Jessica Peters, co-owner of the Indiana-based offline store 'Life's a Stitch,' said, "At first, we hesitated about selling it, but there were so many customer requests that we eventually released a slightly modified version," emphasizing, "We plan to donate all proceeds."
Commercialization Repeated with Every Political Incident
However, there has been considerable criticism that this trend is more opportunistic commercialization than genuine commemoration. Right-wing influencer Yehuda Remer pointed out, "If you truly want to honor Kirk, you should directly support the clothing company run by his wife, Erika Kirk." Online communities are divided, with some criticizing the practice as "profiting from tragedy," while others argue that "there can be various ways to commemorate."
This phenomenon of political tragedies leading to merchandise is not new in the United States. In July last year, when then-presidential candidate Donald Trump was shot during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, T-shirts depicting him raising his fist while bleeding against the backdrop of the American flag appeared on online shopping malls within just three hours. At that time, commercialization was also controversial, but sales actually increased, further expanding the online political merchandise market.
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