Provocative ideals on clothing. How far should freedom of
speech go? Some companies have been called out for their controversial slogans
on tee shirts, and some have had to cancel styles. However, there have been
plenty of others who pride themselves on what they might say is "making
a statement".
I came across an article which talks about the first image
below. It is from an Urban Outfitters advertisement featuring a girl that
appears to be in her teens wearing a tee shirt which says in fuzzy letters "I drink you're cute". Many complained that this encourages teen
drinking and teen sex.
This next tee is from another article I came across on a similar issue. Gap
came out with the tee below which featured a term that was coined during a
time of mass genocide in the United States. This caused an upset in the
Native American community. Gap's response was to apologize and pull the shirt
from stores.
The question comes down to this: Are companies responsible for keeping
the ideals they portray to a certain standard? And if so, who gets to set the
standard? Is it just a free for all until too many people complain, and then it
gets cancelled? This is a question that stands not just for fashion, but all
industries.
Some
might say that it's freedom of speech and expression. Others would argue that
when you are wearing something, you are influencing everyone around you, including children.
Fashion being a quick, cut-throut, profit driven
industry; companies are constantly coming up with ways to get attention. But
they also may want to be seen in a "clean" light.
This question is often asked about the music industry. Should artists
consider their influence before putting out music that may push the limits? Or
is it the parents' responsibility to shield their children from unwarranted
messages?
The business world would say give the people what they want, but keep
your hands (or image) clean. But no one is stopping people from printing their own shirts
with whatever they want on them.
My take on it is this: I personally would not design anything that I feel
would offend someone culturally, morally or religiously. However, there are companies who are selfish enough to put that aside in order to gain a
dollar. I would also never wear something that offended someone in that manner.
As I discuss all the time in this blog, what you wear says so much about you.
The companies that produce these tees and the customers who wear them seal
their own fate. If you are comfortable portraying that image, then you should
be aware that people may have objective judgmental opinions and think of you in
a certain light. You get back what you put out, simple as that.
A couple more examples below:
A couple more examples below:
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