yut wrote:I think wearing any band t-shirt (whether you are in the band or not) is kind of juvenile. If you are under 25, it's not crap, but after that age, it becomes a bit pathetic.

I feel sad for you.

MTAR wrote: I mean, you bought the damn t-shirt cause you liked it,
so whay the hell won't you wear it? Why?

More because I have to put up with a bunch of crap when I wear it. Then I make fun of bands people like, and it just makes for bad feelings. It's a good collectors item, but wearing it means I have to explain the difference between 90125 and Relayer, which most people don't really care about. Most of these people are friends, and I will start mentioning the Cure's pile of dookie -- the Lovecats... Oh, there's many more. Fascination Street anyone? It's just more harmonious if I wear something else. Also, I am 33 years old, and I wear big boy clothes. I don't wear band t-shirts. I know a handful of people who like Shellac, but if I wear a Shellac t-shirt and go to the home depot, people will think I am a wood finishing enthusiast. Not that it bothers me that people think this, but wearing a shirt that says "Shellac" on it is pretty much meaningless. I'm better off buying a $8 American Apperal t-shirt and feeling good that no one was oppressed in it's manufacturing.

I don't mean to poke fun at you, but the beard and mussed hair is pretty much the style (OK, maybe 2 years ago). I remember when everyone was wearing Dickies, but that was co-opted.

If we wore what was truly comfortable, we would probably wear robes. However, many people wear blue jeans or work clothes (dickies, ben davis, etc.) and have never busted a sweat in their lives. I am wearing jeans right now, but I have never been a cowboy or worked on a dude ranch. I wear them because, to a certain degree, I am a lemming. I freely admit it. The dungarees came into fashion in the 60's because that was prison clothing, and hippies wore it as a sign of rebellion... I wear jeans because that's what people in this country wear. If I lived in Saudi Arabia (heaven forbid!) I would most likely wear a robe.

MTAR wrote:btw, I love me some Genesis.

Their great stuff is quite great... However, explaining this to someone who has never heard Selling England By The Pound, and is only familiar with "Momma" is impossible. To a vast extent, they did the greatest diservice to their band's image.

yut wrote:I'm better off buying a $8 American Apperal t-shirt and feeling good that no one was oppressed in it's manufacturing.

Except for possibly their employees.

[Dov Charney] refuses to apologize for his open sexualization of the workplace, such as conducting interviews in his underwear and frequently making objectifying comments to female employees,

And Here.

The workers efforts to organize and gain the right to collective bargaining were immediately met with serious resistance from the company. Owner Dov Charney and his management team immediately launched an anti-union campaign, even though Charney had publicly stated that he would never interfere with employee organizing and would remain neutral in the process. Through intimidation, interrogation, and threats of closing the facility, American Apparel created an atmosphere of fear that quickly chilled the workers attempts to organize.

The company's activities included holding captive meetings with employees, interrogating employees about their union activities and sympathies, soliciting employees to ask the union to return their union authorization cards, distributing anti-union arm bands and t-shirts, and requiring all employees to attend an anti-union rally. The company's most devastating tactic though was threatening to shut down the plant if the workers organized.

One worker reported that a supervisor told him and others "if the Union came into the Employer, it was possible that the Employer would have to shut down and move locations. He said that where Unions enter companies, problems are created and companies choose to move locations." The worker also reported that he was told that his support for the union "would put 1200 jobs in danger."

yut wrote:I think wearing any band t-shirt (whether you are in the band or not) is kind of juvenile. If you are under 25, it's not crap, but after that age, it becomes a bit pathetic.

Dude, I'm 46 years old and I'm wearing a Mission of Burma shirt as I type this. Why? Because I fucking love Mission of Burma ... same reason why I wore a Ramones or Buzzcocks T-shirt when I was 18. I also still buy shirts at shows because I know it throws a few extra bucks into the band's gas tank or dinner fund, which is a noble thing to do (though thank the fates the guys in MoB have day jobs). So if I bought the damn shirt, why not wear it? And someone has to counteract the slobby dudes at Menards I see wearing Ted Nugent or Styx shirts. If they can proclaim their bad taste through clothing, I can proclaim my better taste in the same manner.

Oh, and once at the gym a pleasant and attractive woman was asking me about my Rocket From The Tombs "Warning! Take Cover!" T-Shirt. I'd say that's a good reason to wear that particular garment (though for the record I'm married and wish I'd had that shirt when I was single).

What if the shirt has your face on it?

Mark Lansing wrote:

yut wrote:I think wearing any band t-shirt (whether you are in the band or not) is kind of juvenile. If you are under 25, it's not crap, but after that age, it becomes a bit pathetic.

Dude, I'm 46 years old and I'm wearing a Mission of Burma shirt as I type this. Why? Because I fucking love Mission of Burma ... same reason why I wore a Ramones or Buzzcocks T-shirt when I was 18. I also still buy shirts at shows because I know it throws a few extra bucks into the band's gas tank or dinner fund, which is a noble thing to do (though thank the fates the guys in MoB have day jobs). So if I bought the damn shirt, why not wear it? And someone has to counteract the slobby dudes at Menards I see wearing Ted Nugent or Styx shirts. If they can proclaim their bad taste through clothing, I can proclaim my better taste in the same manner.

I wish I still had my Ted Nugent shirt.

Brett Eugene Ralph wrote:I wish I still had my Ted Nugent shirt.

When did you have it? That's the key -- between 1975 and 1981, there was no great shame in liking Ted Nugent. These days ... Jesus, that man is embarassing!

Mark Lansing wrote:

Brett Eugene Ralph wrote:I wish I still had my Ted Nugent shirt.

When did you have it? That's the key -- between 1975 and 1981, there was no great shame in liking Ted Nugent. These days ... Jesus, that man is embarassing!

I'm thinking 82-83, but Kentucky's always a little bit behind the times. I used to wear it proudly when Malignant Growth would play, confounding many audience members. It was cool to find out in Our Band Could Be Your Life that the D.C. punks grew up listening to Nugent, too.

I agree it's hard to champion the guy now, but I still get a kick out of "Stranglehold" when I hear it on classic rock radio, invariably late at night. Wish they'd play "Snakeskin Cowboys" or "Great White Buffalo" instead though.

Anybody remember "Little Miss Dangerous"? God...

Mark Lansing wrote:Dude, I'm 46 years old and I'm wearing a Mission of Burma shirt as I type this. Why? Because I fucking love Mission of Burma ...

I love lasagna, so I am going to get a lasagna t-shirt.

Mission is good, but Birdsongs is better... I like to listen to Birdsongs when I take a constitutional.

kerble wrote:

yut wrote:I'm better off buying a $8 American Apperal t-shirt and feeling good that no one was oppressed in it's manufacturing.

Except for possibly their employees.

[Dov Charney] refuses to apologize for his open sexualization of the workplace, such as conducting interviews in his underwear and frequently making objectifying comments to female employees,

And Here.

The workers efforts to organize and gain the right to collective bargaining were immediately met with serious resistance from the company. Owner Dov Charney and his management team immediately launched an anti-union campaign, even though Charney had publicly stated that he would never interfere with employee organizing and would remain neutral in the process. Through intimidation, interrogation, and threats of closing the facility, American Apparel created an atmosphere of fear that quickly chilled the workers attempts to organize.

The company's activities included holding captive meetings with employees, interrogating employees about their union activities and sympathies, soliciting employees to ask the union to return their union authorization cards, distributing anti-union arm bands and t-shirts, and requiring all employees to attend an anti-union rally. The company's most devastating tactic though was threatening to shut down the plant if the workers organized.

One worker reported that a supervisor told him and others "if the Union came into the Employer, it was possible that the Employer would have to shut down and move locations. He said that where Unions enter companies, problems are created and companies choose to move locations." The worker also reported that he was told that his support for the union "would put 1200 jobs in danger."

Hmmm... This is unfortunate. I think the interviews in his underwear bit is just goofy, though.

All's I know is it's much better to wear a shirt made by someone who makes $12 an hour than someone who is forced at gunpoint to work for virtually (and often literally) nothing -- and often within our borders. I remember the eggregious case of the Thai women in El Monte, CA who were slaves in America...

If I organized a union where I work, I would get the axe. This is true of many businesses.

I guess this is probably the lesser of evils. New Balance also makes fewer and fewer shoes in the U.S., and make more and more in China.

If you can find me a better clothing company, I will buy their stuff. But from my knowledge, they and New Balance are about the best you can do. I am sad that my NB Zips are made in China... I would have happily paid $30 extra if they were made here. In fact, a poll on the New Balance site reveals that 68% of their customers buy their shoes because they are made in America...

Oh, that and Nikes are shite... I bought those shox when they came out and they gave me plantar flescitis. They were extremely expensive too... But what price can you put on your knees?