You're right, UO has no interest in making a point about anything. They make a point about being pointless. That particular brand/merchant/designer/whatever must've just moved this through on their own motives without anyone batting an eye, and UO took the blame. 10/10 would exploit for laughs again.
They anger me. There are a few prominent retailers that I loathe, and they are close to the top of the heap. Last time I was in UO I saw a stock girl with bandages covering her wrists, and, even though it's really mean, I started laughing. My then gf was horrified, and scolded me for laughing at the poor girl. The reason I thought it was so funny is that the cynical part of me thought it was just part of her outfit. This makes me more convinced of that belief. Their nothing-is-sacred-except-what-you-look-like-beauty-is-skin-deep ethos is bothersome to me. But maybe I'm an old man, and it's youth that I don't like, and UO is just a reflection of the style of the time. I'm sure my ripped jeans and cardigans were just as silly to adults back in '93. At least I bought them from the thrift store and not the mall :)