The Point Of Wearing Offensive T-shirts

By Tameka Ware


A good T-shirt can become like an old friend. It can make you feel comfortable and happy. If it has a funny slogan, it will not only make you laugh, but will also put a smile on the face of everyone you come into contact with. Sometimes it can even shock and make people think. This is the point of good offensive T-shirts.

A provocative slogan can make people talk. The idea is to encourage dialogue and to make people reconsider the message. Especially in the case of political or rights-based slogans, it is often the reaction that the slogan elicits that is more offensive than the slogan itself.

Provocative slogans and designs come in many varieties. The intent is usually to make people sit up and take notice. This is especially the case with political religious or societal issues. For example, a slogan that has to do with gay rights will probably upset a great number of people, but may also get some of them to think about whether they can justify their attitudes towards gays and lesbians.

A great time for interesting and clever slogans are during an election campaign. Designs with 'Vote for Candidate A' are everywhere and the message may become lost. However, a humorous design that pokes good-natured fun at Candidate B will explain to people why they should be voting for Candidate A instead. They may not even realize that you are trying to sway their vote. This is a much more effective way of drumming up support for the candidate of your choice.

Many tees designed to shock and offend do so by mentioning bodily functions. Most people will react to these with a mixture of horror and disgust. However, some may start wondering why it is that perfectly natural functions like menstruation, breaking wind or excretion should be swept under the carpet when everyone does it.

A design or slogan that wasn't intending to, can be offensive. A little girl wearing a tee with a slogan that talks of how sexy she is may seem cute. However, to many people it may send the message that girls should be socialized from an early age that their looks and sex appeal define them as human beings, rather than what goes on in their heart or brain. A prepubescent girl even mentioning the word 'sexy' can also be downright creepy.

The way that the tee is worn can also make the message either more meaningful or completely meaningless. A slogan calling for war will just become silly when worn as a fashion statement with pink camouflage pants, for instance. Instead of showing that you support war, you then show that you find the idea of war utterly ridiculous.

Offensive T-shirts can be a bit of a minefield. The line between provoking and simply hurting is a very blurry one. You may think it's funny or thought-provoking to wear a slogan that, for instance, pokes fun at the idea that rape victims were 'asking for it'. For a rape survivor who has to hear people implying this all the time, however, it may not be so funny after all. This is why you should choose your slogans with the utmost care.




About the Author:



Grab The Post URL

URL:
HTML link code:
BB (forum) link code:

Leave a comment

  • Google+
  • 0Blogger
  • Facebook
  • Disqus

0 Response to "The Point Of Wearing Offensive T-shirts"

Post a Comment

comments powered by Disqus
Powered by Blogger.