The One with Von Dutch

What you kids don't know about the racist alcoholic genius behind Von Dutch.

Yeah. You heard me right. Racist. Even those who admire Von Dutch don't call him a nice guy. No, they use words like bitter, racist and violent. They describe someone who was jaded young and spent much of his life hiding from the world. His name was a reflection of that, the very symbol of his obstinacy, anger and distrust of the world.

So is it ironic or just cruel that his name wound up co-opted by what one calls the booboisie, stitched onto hats and baby doll T-shirts worn by an army of pretty girls like Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani and Ashton Kutcher? Is Von Dutch doomed, as one admirer put it, "to be forever remembered for his name in 4-inch letters on someone's ass"? I believe so. Nobody really knew who he was here in Singapore. Right April?

"He was quite a racist; didn't like anybody. He had all the trappings of being a neo-Nazi. He could not tolerate black people," were just some of the comments his friends had of him.

In one 1965 painting, Dutch faded in the words "Fuck You," visible if you look long enough.

Girls, wearing his name over your chest is pretty much the equivalent of wearing a white robe and proclaiming that you're from the Klu Klux Klan. Hope you're all proud of yourselves now.

Now go burn some shirts.