Gotta love a

March 29, 2003 4:01 PM

Iraq T-Shirts - Nuff said.
posted by betobeto (50 comments total)

AAAHHHHH! Midi hell, with all that jingoistic non-goodness.
posted by Wulfgar! at 4:04 PM on March 29, 2003

Hey Bob, I can click 'back' in 2 notes.

Avoid that MIDI.
posted by askheaves at 4:10 PM on March 29, 2003

Man, those are hilarious! What great satires of redneck American warmongering! A pro-war peace-sign (huh?) and a picture of Saddam in a bullseye!

Wait, what do you mean, "They're not kidding"?
posted by Shane at 4:13 PM on March 29, 2003

I'm gonna order one, right after I get one of these.
posted by boredomjockey at 4:13 PM on March 29, 2003

These jackasses have been spamming me 2-3 times a day for the last week (along with many similar sites). Thanks for giving them more traffic!
posted by malphigian at 4:24 PM on March 29, 2003

The commercialization of war. This is going to take us down a very very ugly road.
posted by MrLint at 4:24 PM on March 29, 2003

Can you hear the wanking?

...
USA USA USA USA
fap fap fap fap fap
USA USA USA USA
fap fap fap fap fap
...
posted by Eloquence at 4:29 PM on March 29, 2003

"Sher got a purty mouff!"
posted by LouReedsSon at 4:34 PM on March 29, 2003

Wow. We respond to jingoism, with....cheap-shot redneck jokes, glad to see this is all so high minded and everything...
posted by jonmc at 4:37 PM on March 29, 2003

I like these better.
posted by gramcracker at 4:39 PM on March 29, 2003

Why the fuck do you idiots post this crap to the front page? Seriously! What are you expecting to come out of it?
posted by Witty at 4:46 PM on March 29, 2003

I sent them an email to find out where the shirts are made. How much do you want to bet they're from sweatshops? Hopefully they'll prove me wrong...
posted by drstrangelove at 4:48 PM on March 29, 2003

Those t-shirts would go great with these thongs.
posted by homunculus at 4:51 PM on March 29, 2003

Witty - perfectly justified and succinct. Nice work.
posted by davebush at 4:52 PM on March 29, 2003

I wonder if it would be terrorism if someone started selling tshirts with GWB in the crosshairs?
posted by re_verse at 4:54 PM on March 29, 2003

When your Iraq t-shirt's in the wash, stick it to the French.
posted by Frank Grimes at 4:56 PM on March 29, 2003

I just ordered a bumper sticker from here.
posted by goethean at 5:13 PM on March 29, 2003

Why the fuck do you idiots post this crap to the front page? Seriously! What are you expecting to come out of it?

Umm, sales of t-shirts or derision of those who would buy them? Get a grip, "Witty". This is stupid-ass profiteering. Do you have an objection that doesn't involve condescension and stupid namecalling? (Just so's you know, "you idiots" implies a plurality, and only one person posted this. You are smart enough to figure that out, aren't you? *wonders*)
posted by Wulfgar! at 5:14 PM on March 29, 2003

I wonder how people would react if I went around in a t-shirt that just had the word 'iraq' o nit, with no graphics or anything... good thing I'm not american or trying such an experiment might put my pretty face in danger :)
posted by Space Coyote at 5:21 PM on March 29, 2003

ugh. What a great way of selling inherent tragedy and death. Like when Time Life Video sold that hi-fi version of the Hindenberg going down ["Oh, the humanity!"] or when James Cameron capitalized on the sinking of the Titanic in "Titanic".

Only difference here is it's selling shirts before the expected outcome (of the sellers) - making it "preemptive victory".

puke.
posted by phylum sinter at 5:30 PM on March 29, 2003

Has anybody else noticed the co-option of the peace sign by the pro war movement? I keep seeing that stars and stripes peace sign with slogons reading "Bomb Iraq" etc.

*Hand extends in from off camera holding a piece of paper, reads*

Oh! it's a co-opted victory sign!
posted by elwoodwiles at 5:31 PM on March 29, 2003

Wulfgar! why must you pretend that YOU don't know what I'm talking about? The resulting thread of such an FPP is a foregone conclusion, so there is no need to post it... not to mention that it doesn't follow the guidelines of an acceptable post. You know this. I choose the term idiots because there ARE more than one out there... incorrigible children, that keep buying into this bullshit. You call it namecalling, I call it pointing out the obvious. Would you like me to change it to left-wingin' anti-American freaks? See, idiots avoids all that silliness and just gets right to the point.
posted by Witty at 5:33 PM on March 29, 2003

I choose the term idiots because there ARE more than one out there... incorrigible children, that keep buying into this bullshit.

Please, Daddy, don't whup me. I'll be good.

Sorry the world dosen't meet you're standards, condescending jackass.
posted by jonmc at 5:46 PM on March 29, 2003

I'll manage.
posted by Witty at 5:48 PM on March 29, 2003

I have a Desert Shield era Black Bart type Simpsons bootleg t-shirt of said Black Bart, in helmet and khakis, parachuting into the map of Iraq and saying Yo! Hussein! You Can't Touch This!, which I bought in 1990 from the Korean owned hip hop accessory store that used to be by the McDonald's at Third and Pine. This current and delicious addition of postmodernist irony is rapidly enhancing it's collector's value.
posted by y2karl at 5:52 PM on March 29, 2003

That's right, Witty, fight the good fight, get them hippies!
posted by Space Coyote at 5:58 PM on March 29, 2003

Umm, I kind of agree with Witty here in one sense (although I don't often do, and the language was slightly intemperate). There's a war, people will sell t-shirts with patriotic slogans on them, and other people will buy them and wear them. It's going to happen. Bet the Iraqis are doing it to. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if all the patriotic t-shirt buyers actually went and enlisted, but fat chance of that.

What disturbs me is not the 'profiteering,' but the way this encourages people to see war as a sports event, video game, etc. (And, OT, the real b.s. will happen when some news channel portrays saddam-t-shirt wearing Iraqi kids as terrorists who deserved to be shot.)
posted by carter at 6:14 PM on March 29, 2003

America is the single greatest nation on the face of the planet and every step, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, should be taken to demonstrate our unity and support of freedom and democracy the world over.
posted by four panels at 6:18 PM on March 29, 2003

Umm, I kind of agree with Witty here

I do too.
posted by hama7 at 6:23 PM on March 29, 2003

America is the single greatest nation on the face of the planet

Define "greatest".
posted by Wulfgar! at 6:29 PM on March 29, 2003

"Excuse me, sir, but I am wondering where might one purchase a similarly delightful garment, but with an image of the American president situated in the gunsights instead? I am a newcomer to your country, and I understand that the right to freedom of expression is enshrined in your glorious constitution. After a lifetime of oppression, I would like to exercise this right. God bless America, my friend, the beacon of freedom in the world!"
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:32 PM on March 29, 2003

Simply put, I find the expression of these shirts to be distinctly anti-American. The US of A was supposed to be about acceptance, understanding and cultural melding. Those sentiments were expressed so fully on what's written on that lady in the big harbor. Instead, we have assholes marketing the idea that our country is the greatest on Earth because we can crosshair your sorry dead ass whenever we choose. You're fucked if you piss us off.

That's bully talk. And stupid bully talk to boot, because those who share the same country often don't agree and are willing and able to stand up to the bully. Being a bully doesn't make you a model American. Standing up to the bully, does.
posted by Wulfgar! at 6:47 PM on March 29, 2003

how far apart is the mindset that produced that t-shirt that proclaims "One America!" (over all?) from the madness we witnessed from "One Germany!" ???
posted by muppetboy at 7:02 PM on March 29, 2003

well said wulfgar! it IS anti-american!
posted by muppetboy at 7:06 PM on March 29, 2003

this sums up my thoughts about this
posted by mb01 at 7:28 PM on March 29, 2003

Why the fuck do you idiots post this crap to the front page?

I'm sure we all know the correct procedure when it comes to trolls and feeding.

Just don't.
posted by spazzm at 7:30 PM on March 29, 2003

Standing up to the bully, does.

Exactly right. And in this case Saddam Hussein is the lying bully. Let's not pretend otherwise.
posted by hama7 at 7:32 PM on March 29, 2003

Could we say "lying bullies?"

Then we can include Kim Jong Il, the Iranian Mullahs, the House of Saud, and most of Bush's cabinet.
posted by namespan at 7:38 PM on March 29, 2003

I know, I know, there's an Onion story for everything, but y2karl, you should really read this one.
posted by Eloquence at 8:23 PM on March 29, 2003

I'd love to see a picture of that Black Bart/Desert Storm t-shirt. I regret not buying a t-shirt with my junior high's mascot wearing desert fatigues that was sold in 1991.
posted by Frank Grimes at 9:41 PM on March 29, 2003

Umm, I think the question even more than why is this on the front page, is why the hell are you holier-than-thou right wingers reading the thread?

Can't you, like, just think about how angry you are that people aren't marching in lockstep behind you or that Sean Hannity and Michael Savage aren't in the cabinet? Do you really need to get sidetracked like this?

I think your time would be better spent helping your fellow dittoheads or whatever the term is for your kind this year screw up our country even further.

And please save the "see, now this thread has devolved even further" comments. That would mean you're still here, reading. Go on, get out there! You know, I bet there's a welfare mother you haven't spit on all month, you've been so busy with all the anti-war people.
posted by zaack at 11:03 PM on March 29, 2003

just poking in to express my undying love of capitalism.

Ah, capitalism....

ok, i'm done now.
posted by kaibutsu at 11:05 PM on March 29, 2003

The US of A was supposed to be about acceptance, understanding and cultural melding. Those sentiments were expressed so fully on what's written on that lady in the big harbor.

The thing is that I have family and people who I consider friends or, hell, maybe it's just someone I know in passing, but they're the kind of people who might buy one of these stupid-ass shirts. Not a single one of them would I consider a bad person. They love their wives. They would do anything for their kids. They work hard.

No one's perfect, folks.
posted by Cyrano at 12:04 AM on March 30, 2003

Veblen's theory of conspicuous consumption was never more true. Buy one of those t-shirts, and no-one has any problem determining how they relate to you.
posted by riviera at 7:48 AM on March 30, 2003

It's alright zaack. I think they're all gone now. You can now go back to discussing... um... whatever...
posted by Stauf at 9:38 AM on March 30, 2003

Ok zaack... as a holier-than-thou right winger, I ask you, what kind of quality discussion were you looking for when YOU clicked on the thread? Or did you just come here to felate the rest of the anti-war folks and join in the lefty circle jerk for peace? I'm sure it was the latter. If that's what you're looking for from MetaFilter, then I'm sure you're bouncing off the walls with glee... because that's what this place is most of time these days. That's fine. I accept the fact that I'm in the minority on this site. But I will make it known when I don't agree with the FPP when it doesn't meet the guidelines or even come close, as in this case. If you want to attach that to the fact that I'm on the other side of the fence from you, then have at it. But, unless you are extremely dense, then you'll understand why this is an equally poor choice for an FPP, left on it's own. With a little more effort, a decent FPP could have been CONSTRUCTED, perhaps by posting the original link AND my link... or maybe some links to past propaganda and the commercialism of war, etc. That's the point here. See? The post in question is shit and I called it out. If YOU don't like it, then I suggest you choose to ignore my mention.
posted by Witty at 11:29 AM on March 30, 2003

What a dick.
posted by Samsonov14 at 7:25 AM on March 31, 2003

R Stevens (our very own Clango) has a nice alternative.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 7:30 AM on March 31, 2003

heh! just found this one in my referrer logs. spanks, yo.
posted by clango at 7:40 AM on March 31, 2003

I've written twice to the purveyors of these fine t-shirts, asking whether or not they were made in the USA. Since I've not heard back, can I assume they were made by the usual sweatshops in China?

Isn't that ironic? (Or hypocritical?) Wearing a t-shirt or displaying a flag made outside of the US, attempting to convince everyone else of your patriotism?
posted by drstrangelove at 7:30 PM on March 31, 2003