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Old Navy had a bang-up 2015 in terms of sales, but it looks like the brand is ending the year on a sour note. A girls' T-shirt has awoken the perpetual rage machine that is the Internet with a design that shows the phrase "Young Aspiring Artist" that has the last word crossed out and titles like "Astronaut" and "President" written underneath.
Tech Insider notes that users on both Twitter and Facebook have voiced their discontent with the fact that the shirt disparages artists. Facebook user, and artist herself, Bamboota outlined the problem with the shirt in a post. "The fact that Old Navy is basically saying that being an Artist isn't a respectable profession and promoting that on Children's Clothing is ridiculous!" she says. "They're discouraging kids from expressing their creativity!"
Bamboota also pointed out the irony, as many people on the World Wide Web did, of the shirt. "The ironic part is that they had to HIRE AN GRAPHIC ARTIST to do this design!"
The shirt appears to have been pulled from the online store. No problem for Twitter users who have decided to take the design in their own direction, as seen below.
Have you seen this? @OldNavy is clearly ignorant to the value of young #artists in our world. You lost me #oldnavy pic.twitter.com/UurtL1CkYP
— Dance Judge (@DanceJudgeProbs) December 29, 2015
Fixed it for ya, @OldNavy #OldNavy #Artist #Creatives #Designers #Musicians pic.twitter.com/yQtA5QXyYx
— Steve Ogden (@SteveOgdenArt) December 30, 2015
When @OldNavy reminded me of those who discouraged my dream. I'm a young #artist aspiring to never wear your brand. pic.twitter.com/GXBafg81mL
— Judy Kovacs (@judy_kovacs) December 30, 2015
Pretty disappointed in @OldNavy for this shirt that basically bashes the idea that being an artist is worthwhile. pic.twitter.com/ERSXFcN2XC
— Alex Plaxen (@APlaxen) December 29, 2015
@oldnavy #oldnavy thinks being an artist is a low bar goal? Who designs your clothing? pic.twitter.com/SZvFuX3Ym8
— Emily Beach Munday (@artistejbeach) December 28, 2015
Tacky @OldNavy... and to think the person who got paid to make this is probably an artist. pic.twitter.com/e4zVAA6uzO
— Matthew Ray (@mattysmalls) December 29, 2015