Kitson holiday window display targets Fauci, Chrissy Teigen, Alyssa Milano as 'hypocrites'
Kitson, a popular Los Angeles boutique, is spotlighting public figures — Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chrissy Teigen and Alyssa Milano among them — in holiday window displays that call them “hypocrites.”
The store, which sells clothing, books, home decor and more, unveiled its window display this week depicting faux magazine covers with the headline “People of the Year” accompanied by parody quotes. As the company wrote on Instagram, “Our second holiday window is now revealed! These people of the year were chosen by a jury of their peers,” while another read, “These people need to be held accountable for their actions!”
One features Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, whose city is under a stay-at-home order issued this week to curb the spread of the coronavirus, cases of which exceed 1.3 million statewide, in regions where hospital ICUs surpass 85 percent capacity. “I will turn off your power if you don’t obey,” reads the image. “Target, Costco, Walmart, etc. can sell non-essential items, but small businesses are forbidden,” referring in part to the mayor turning off power in private residences that host gatherings that violate COVID-19 health orders.
Another image shows Hunter Biden, the son of President-elect Joe Biden, smoking a cigarette. “Where is my laptop, my China deal is on it. Don’t forget 10% for the big guy!” it reads. (The Trump campaign has claimed that information from Hunter Biden’s laptop reveals corrupt business dealings, which the Biden campaign has denied). Another cover depicted “Karen,” a pop culture nickname for white women who call the police on Black people without basis. “I demand to speak to a manager now! I have a return from a sweater I bought 2 years ago.”
And a photo of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was paired with the quote: “Wear a mask! Bill Gates is my BFF. Wear a mask, don’t wear a mask, wear a mask, don’t wear a mask.” Initially, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that only health care workers and people with COVID-19 wear face masks, but as science emerged about COVID-19, it upgraded its guidance to encourage universal mask wearing. President-elect Biden said that upon taking office in January, he will ask Americans to wear masks for 100 days to hopefully see a “significant reduction” in transmission.
A spokesperson from Kitson tells Yahoo Life that Canadian owner Fraser Ross’s annual holiday displays are “a year-end way to give a shout-out of the hypocrites of 2020.” Most comments on the company Instagram page are positive, with users calling the display “amazing” and “brilliant” while Kat Von D wrote, “Looks like I’m going to Kitson!!!” The rep tells Yahoo Life the store has fielded two complaints via telephone.
“In our opinion, this is not edgy — it’s the truth and it’s news,” says the spokesperson. “People can take it or leave it. Someone has to stand up for small businesses.” Like other Los Angeles businesses, Kitson is allowed to operate with reduced capacity and has a face mask policy. The store on Robertson Boulevard opened in 2000 and has attracted A-list clientele such as Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian.
Kitson’s first holiday window display debuted last week, depicting another batch of figures. “Who’s the biggest hypocrite of these four?” read a company Instagram post. Included is Alyssa Milano wearing a shirt with the slogan “Defund the Police,” a movement to redistribute law enforcement funds to communities of color, for which the actress has advocated. Milano came under fire in September after a neighbor’s house sitter called the police about a potential gunman near the star’s home and Milano’s husband David Bugliari called the police to follow up. That suspect was reportedly a hunter targeting squirrels.
“There was reason to call the police in that moment,” Milano told The View in October, clarifying the goal of dismantling systemic racism, not abolishing the 911 system.
A poster of Nancy Pelosi taken in September showed the House speaker in a San Francisco hair salon without wearing a mask amid the city’s order for services to be rendered outdoors. According to CNN, a representative of Pelosi said she had worn a mask, except while having her hair washed, and there was miscommunication over city regulations. “Rules for thee, not for me!” read the Kitson poster.
Another poster mocked California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who apologized for attending a November outdoor dinner at the Napa Valley restaurant French Laundry with 12 people from other households despite social gathering rules.
And a photo of Chrissy Teigen was labeled, “I will pay $100,000 to help rioters and criminals get out of jail.” In May, after George Floyd, a Black man, died in Minneapolis police custody, eliciting protests across the country, Teigen offered $100,000 to bail protesters out of jail. She then raised the amount to $200,000.
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