By Michele Gershberg
Fri Dec 22, 8:52 PM ET


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Target Corp said on Friday it had pulled a CD carrying case bearing Ernesto "Che" Guevara's image after an outcry by critics who label the Marxist revolutionary a murderer and totalitarian symbol.


Target had touted a music disc carrying case for Che admirers emblazoned with the Argentine-born guerrilla's iconic 1960 portrait by Alberto Diaz, or "Korda." A set of small earphones was superimposed on the image, suggesting he was tuned in to an iPod or other music player.

"It is never our intent to offend any of our guests through the merchandise we carry," Target said in a statement. "We have made the decision to remove this item from our shelves and we sincerely apologize for any discomfort this situation may have caused our guests."

Some business columnists had decried the product, sold under Target's brand, saying the trendy discount chain was giving in to a misguided fashion craze while ignoring Guevara's role in bringing Fidel Castro's Communist rule to Cuba.

"What next? Hitler backpacks? Pol Pot cookware? Pinochet pantyhose?" wrote Investor's Business Daily in an editorial earlier this month, citing the Guevara case as a model of "tyrant-chic."

Wall Street Journal columnist Mary Anastasia O'Grady said Target made an "admirable decision" to correct the actions of some company employees who "allowed Target to become a target itself of the Che myth."

In a rare moment of accord, some social activists said they were not sorry to see Guevara taken off Target's shelves, but on different grounds.

"Che would just be rolling in his grave if he knew his face was making money for Target," said Nell Greenberg, spokeswoman for San Francisco-based Global Exchange. "Everyone who does support that legacy of social justice is certainly not going to be opposed to stopping Target from using that tool."

Guevara's image is literally stamped into the capitalist consumer society that he died fighting to overturn. His portrait adorns everything from schoolbags to T-shirts and women's lingerie.

The picture of a stern-faced Guevara sporting a beret with a single star was popularized on posters after his 1967 execution in Bolivia, where he tried to foment a Communist uprising. Its place as a symbol of idealistic revolt has held strong in the decades since, from students rioting in Paris in 1968 to Palestinians launching an uprising against Israel in 2000.

For people gift-shopping, Guevara's image is part of a motley of symbols of retro cool that populate flea market stalls and chic designer boutiques.

It has also been used by globally recognized brands. Swatch put Guevara on a wristwatch and Smirnoff vodka featured the picture in an advertising campaign.

Guevara's own family aims to end the industry of Che merchandise, seeking lawsuits against companies they believe exploit his image and undermine his political philosophy.

Che Guevara CD case pulled from shelves - Yahoo! News

Obviously the people who think "Che" is so wonderful are ignorant of history. He was a murderer.

Who was that little communist pin-head, who was on this forum for about 1 week, who worshipped Che Guiverra?

I don't know. Just some sniveling little brat who doesn't know shit from Shinola but watches MTV 20 hours a day.

Anti-Communists are happy because what they see as a symbol of tyranny is off the shelves. Communists are happy because capitalists wont be profiting off of one of their cherished communist figures. End of story.

I see it as similar to NOT selling T-Shirts with a picture of Jeffrey Dahmer, and a slogan saying, "When can I have you for lunch?"

It's not censorship. It's poor taste.

Sadly that T-shirt would most likely sell too.... you should tradmark that before it winds up on a t-shirt at Newbury Comic's.

Crap. You may be onto something!

Che, and even Jeffrey Dahmer pale in comparison with what I remember seeing a girl wearing once in my junior year of high school. She had a bag, and on it had some seemingly random cloth pins. One of them was the picture of Mao. Mao! That's right, communist dictator, murderer of tens of millions of people, pedophile, sex slave owning, mental freak. I asked her if she even knew who it was. She hadn't a clue. If she did, and was a Maoist and supported him or something...then maybe I can understand, but she didn't know who it was!

At the time I thought it was a depressing state of our market, that some freak would profit off of the ignorance of the youth. Now I think I just realize that it's a failure of our education system. When I asked her who it was, she even said he was a US Senator from the 50's. Although I should have just said, "Close enough" .

It's wonderful to see a liberal on here admit the liberal education sytem is a failure. Now what are you going to do about it. Are you ready to get rid of all the crap and get back to educating children? How about we start with the Teacher's Unions?