| Von Dutch, Corrupted Spring 2004 How is it that the legacy of a mechanic who devoted his life to pin stripping cars and who despised money has been hijacked and turned into a ridiculously priced brand of clothing and crap coveted by vapid, superficial people? If I were Kenny Howard, I'd be turning in my grave and spitting hellfire through my eyes over what's been done to Von Dutch, the persona, now brand, under which he did his famous pin stripping. Let me clarify that I am not a Von Dutch fan, nor a car fan, nor a fan of anything related to cars and car art. I just find it ironic (and sad) that what Von Dutch is today goes against everything that Howard stood for. I mean, the guy made it a point to live his life almost in poverty, loving his work but hating the commercial aspect of it all. He went as far as doubling his prices just to turn customers off, even though he had no interest in the actual money. He just did it to get pretentious assholes off his back. And now what? He's been reduced to nothing more than a tacky line of clothing and accessories that tacky, materialistic, shallow people spend ridiculous amounts of money on. Maybe at some point bikers and car-loving types wore Von Dutch clothing in homage to the artist, but since the trashy side of Hollywood hijacked the brand and the company began charging $64 for a tank top, I think it's safe to say that the demographics have changed. From all I've read, Howard was an eccentric, a bitter recluse, a working-class man who loved cars, guns and knives. What the fuck does any of that have to do with Tara Reid trolling South Beach in a Von Dutch trucker hat? Or with dozens of wannabe rich girls spending daddy's money so they can parade their Von Dutch bags around? It's wrong; it's just plain wrong. Von Dutch is an icon in the world of hot rod, motorcycle and car customizers. These folks revere him as a classic American hero for the work he did, for the artist that he was. And I have to ask: who the fuck is Von Dutch, the Corporation, to take that from them and pimp it out to all the little suburban brats and rich-girl wanna-be's? What a fucking waste of a legacy. They say Kenny Howard was a real prick. I guess karma's a real bitch. |
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