Gigi Gaskins Nashville hatWRKS store owner Nazi yellow star anti vaxx controversy as hat maker evokes outcry and accusations of anti semitism.
An attempt at political hyperbole or creative expression, no matter how tasteless and incendiary many would claim …?
A Tennessee hat shop has faced criticism for selling ‘Not Vaccinated’ stick-on patches modeled after the yellow stars Jews were forced to wear during the Nazi era Holocaust.
‘[P]atches are here!!’ exclaims the Instagram account of hatWRKS in Nashville, below a picture of artist and store owner, Gigi Gaskins, sporting the motif.
The post, which was later deleted, went on to note that the badges were $5 apiece and featured a ‘strong adhesive back.’ The store also promised that ‘we’ll be offering trucker caps soon.’
The advertisement perceived by many to be anti-semitic was met with outrage on Twitter, with some users calling for the store to be boycotted.
Anti-semitic?
‘I could not believe this could be for real,’ CNN analyst Ana Navarro reacted. ‘I like to think such stupidity, insensitivity and ignorance in America cannot be commonplace. It’s real.’
‘I am ashamed to know that I’ve given these people business in the past; I’ve sent people there,’ wrote “Deadwood” actor W. Earl Brown. ‘This is vile and repulsive. They trumpet that they’re proud to ‘Stand Up Against Tyranny’ Well, I am proud to say GO F— YOURSELF. I’ll purchase my chapeaus elsewhere.’
Former US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder recalled: ‘As a young school girl in Holland, my mother was forced to wear a yellow star by the Nazis to identify her as a Jew. It’s beyond grotesque to sell this evil symbol to proclaim one’s not vaccinated. Where does this end?’
The Instagram post showing off the badge on hatWRKS’ account was replaced by an unsigned statement that said: ‘[P]eople are so outraged by my post … but are you outraged with the tyranny the world is experiencing?’
Right wing agitator?
‘[I]f you don’t understand what is happening, that is on you, not me. [I] pay much more respect to history by standing up with the fallen than offering silence & compliance,’ the statement continued. ‘[T]hat is the worse [sic] crime. [I]t was then & is now. [I] will delete your disgust and hope you put it where it belongs.’
The Star of David patch comes as Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene is embroiled in controversy, after comparing face mask mandates akin to Jews being forced to wear the Star during Nazi Germany. It’s unclear if Gaskins was inspired by Greene’s comments, or if the timing is just a coincidence.
It appears the yells star ‘not vaccinated’ motif is no longer available on the HatWRKS webstore anymore.
Political rabble rouser?
While some, including this author, wonder whether Gaskins wares are an extension of her seeking to express herself creatively (no matter how offensive many would claim such expressions are), others continued to wonder whether her wares were an attempt to add fire to political hyperbole amongst anti vaxxers who continue to question the existence of the ongoing coronavirus and comparing it as a hostage affront, as similarly heaped on by the fascist German Reich regime, the Nazi’s.
Reports meaww: ‘Since it’s opening, the store has become something of a local institution. Of late, Gaskins has used the HatWRKS page to go increasingly political. A large number of posts on the businesses’ social media pages feature pro-GOP content. A number of her Instagram posts have also been flagged as ‘false information’. Gaskins has also put up numerous controversial billboards in Nashville.’
Of note, Gaskins who seemingly enjoys stirring political and social controversy has also previously heaped criticism on the Black Lives Matter movement along with producing other anti-mask content along with condemning cancel culture.
Despite commentators on social media demanding that Gaskin’s hat store be closed down, the controversial hat maker and political agitator continues to sell wares on her HatWRKS website (minus the yellow star no vaxx motif).
