# Oh, You Didn't Want a Swastika-Decorated Handbag? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 19, 2007, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727 "2007-09-19T10:45:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/21 "2007-09-19T16:07:36Z")
[QUOTE=The Controvert] I think I am more offended by the sheer ugliness of the bag, rather than any particular symbol on the bag. [/QUOTE] It may be ugly, but they’re trying to cash in on that “folk embroidery” theme that’s fairly popular right now. Personally, I don’t think the piece was offensive, as it was scattered into the other designs as another “random” bit in a sampler pattern. I wouldn’t shop around with that particular bag, but one with embroidery themes more suiting to my tastes wouldn’t be so bad. I’m just not that into bicycles and giraffes. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/22 "2007-09-19T17:01:16Z")
[Manwoman](http://www.manwoman.net/) still has much work to do. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/23 "2007-09-19T17:33:07Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] Or, incredibly clever. Step One: Spot a product with a, probably inadvertant, offensive design feature. Step Two: Buy one (or more if you can). Step Three: Ring up the newsdesk of the Daily Hate and make it so that the shop has to withdraw the product from sale. Step Four: Put now infamous product on Ebay. Step Five: Profit. [/QUOTE] Except, she returned the item to the store and got a refund, and AFAIK eBay prohibits the sale of Nazi-themed merchandise so by having the bag declared Nazi she makes it eBay-ineligible. Other than that, it’s the perfect plan. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/24 "2007-09-19T17:37:27Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Swastikas were used by many groups, by the way, not just in India. You can see them in the American Southwest as a traditional symbol. And even Nazi swastikas are still to be found in public buildimngs. IIRC, you can see them painted in the mural of the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial (the upstairs one) at the American Museum of Natural History (the room the Central Park West doors open into). They’ve got Japanese “Rising Sun” flags, too. [/QUOTE] It’s true. There were some in my old school, but the school was built in 1922, before the rise of the Nazis. Agreed with whoever said that the bag is not attractive. That thing is fugly, swastikas or no. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/25 "2007-09-19T19:51:41Z")
[QUOTE=Koxinga] Don’t know about in the US, but in Asia a swastika outside a storefront often designates that there’s a vegetarian restaurant inside. It’s usually reversed (i.e., mirror image) from the Nazi orientation, though. [/QUOTE] Virtually every neighbourhood map in Japan has swastikas to indicate the location of shrines. Can’t say that I’ve ever noticed vegetarian restaurants to use the symbol, though. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/26 "2007-09-19T20:01:35Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Swastikas were used by many groups, by the way, not just in India. You can see them in the American Southwest as a traditional symbol. [/QUOTE] It’s in my book of traditional quilt blocks under a bunch of names, including something like “Hammer of Thor”. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/27 "2007-09-19T20:18:07Z")
IIRC there are ruins of an ancient synagogue in Israel (or the OTs) that have mosaic swastikas on the floor. Those ancient Israelites were _so_ 2007! ---
**Author:** ![Pazu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pazu/32/15522_2.png) [@Pazu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pazu)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/28 "2007-09-19T20:22:26Z")
[QUOTE=pizzabrat] Only uneducated people. [/QUOTE] [Sadly, no, not only.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=385026&page=3&pp=50&highlight=swastika) ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/29 "2007-09-19T20:22:35Z")
[The Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption?](http://www.amazon.com/Swastika-Symbol-Beyond-Redemption/dp/1581150415/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-8202987-9086443?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190233251&sr=8-2) Great book. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/30 "2007-09-19T23:52:20Z")
> [@](#): > > The first find the use a symbol used by Nazi’s to be offensive. > And the second group know it had, and has, other meanings in many other cultures. And the third, which I imagine is most of us, understand it both ways. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/31 "2007-09-20T01:45:42Z")
[QUOTE=Cerowyn] Virtually every neighbourhood map in Japan has swastikas to indicate the location of shrines. Can’t say that I’ve ever noticed vegetarian restaurants to use the symbol, though. [/QUOTE] No, they do not use this in Japan that way. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/32 "2007-09-20T01:55:26Z")
A story like this is incomprehensible to me. “OMG! A SWASTIKA!” Jesus, I see swastikas all the time. My dry goods cupboard is _full_ of swastikas. I buy a lot of vegetarian items that come in from asian importers, it’s gonna happen. (“AAAH! _HITLER_ WAS A VEGETARIAN!”) I have [this print](http://www.pacificspiritcatalogs.com/All_Attractive_Couple_Print-435.htm) in my bedroom. If you look closely, the soles of Krishna’s feet are detailed with scores of tiny swastikas. Yes, my house is loaded with swastikas. I guess I’m terribly anti-semitic, or something. They’re all over the place here. I don’t think that means we have any more “race hatred” than the next place. To get your knickers twisted about a use of the symbol that is obviously benign in context is ridiculous. The silly bint should open a book (or look out the window) once in a while. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/33 "2007-09-20T02:13:43Z")
[QUOTE=Cerowyn] Virtually every neighbourhood map in Japan has swastikas to indicate the location of shrines. Can’t say that I’ve ever noticed vegetarian restaurants to use the symbol, though. [/QUOTE] Sorry for the nitpick, but temples (Buddhist) get ID’ed this way on maps. Shinto shrines are usually shown with [torii](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii) gates. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/34 "2007-09-20T02:21:06Z")
[QUOTE=Sublight] Sorry for the nitpick, but temples (Buddhist) get ID’ed this way on maps. Shinto shrines are usually shown with [torii](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii) gates. [/QUOTE] Curse you! I realized that as I was cooking dinner, but it was too late, and I hoped no-one would notice. In revenge, I must tell you that I recently showed someone that series of pictures of you drinking the 1L cocktail at the Hub Pub. Naturally, some of the pictures from establishments visited later that evening were in the same folder. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/35 "2007-09-20T02:21:31Z")
[QUOTE=Sublight] Sorry for the nitpick, but temples (Buddhist) get ID’ed this way on maps. Shinto shrines are usually shown with [torii](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii) gates. [/QUOTE] Ah, you beat me to it. [Here is a Google map](http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=35.000402,135.799599&spn=0.03431,0.086517&z=14&om=1) with swastikas all over it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/36 "2007-09-20T02:23:23Z")
I used to live in China, and my friend there used to wear a Swastika on a necklace. It was reversed and had no connection to the Nazis to her, but I always found it funny. I always wanted to take a photo of me with her and mirror it in Photoshop, but I never had the nerve and she rarely wore the thing. I suspect someone filled her in that the foreigners might be offended by it. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/37 "2007-09-20T02:43:59Z")
[The Master speaks.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_156.html) Like it or not, old Hitler and his cronies have poisoned this symbol so badly I don’t think we’ll ever be able to reclaim it. In this case, however, I don’t think the swastikas are the problem. It’s just a really ugly purse. Why are there two giraffe butts on the front of it? ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727/38 "2007-09-20T03:02:19Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] How fucking stupid do you have to be to buy a bag without looking at it? [/QUOTE] Apparently, smart enough to get a job as a buyer at the company that sells the bag. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-you-didnt-want-a-swastika-decorated-handbag/419727.md?page=1)