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"Surrounded by so many boob and beer joke tee shirts that you could almost miss it," this classic-comedy (albeit hateful) t-shirt is for sale right now at Wharf T Shirts (on Jefferson between Leavenworth and Jones) in Fisherman's Wharf. Charming, no? No.
While we understand that the store has every right to sell whatever shirts they want, SFAppeal makes an interesting point: "if our city's supposed to be putting its best foot forward in tourist-heavy areas like the Wharf, what message does it send our guests when those areas contain stores carrying shirts with messages like these?" Which: good point. (Although, we kind of totally want this shirt now. You know, to reclaim it, or whatever.)
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I understand that hate speech is hate speech -- but this shirt is in the same vein as the motorcycle tee (that I first saw in a store on Pier 39) that reads on the back "If you can read this the bitch fell off." Censoring what parts of the city you can peddle hateful, not-so-funny wares? Not likely.
Yeah, it's offensive and stupid, but the store owner's got a right to sell offensive and stupid t-shirts. If no one was buying this kind of crap, the owner wouldn't be selling it.
I don't want to sound all elitist or anything, but it is kind of telling that this shirt is being sold in an area where it's pretty much guaranteed the only customers will be tourists. Or am I way off and they sell the same shirt in Stonestown somewhere?
dear tourists,
please buy these shirts and wear them back home. you'll make instant friends and be the talk of the town, guaranteed!
I remember seeing a version of that shirt as a closeted teen. It hurt then, and I'm not about to give this asshole t-shirt vendor a pass now. Substitute "faggot" with any number of religious, racial, or ethnic slurs, and you quickly realize that there's no way this gets sold in San Francisco or anywhere nearby. Gays (and our supporters) should bring the heat. This shit doesn't belong anywhere near here.
It would strike me as charmingly ironic if I saw it on someone outside The Cafe or some other invert hot spot.
But context is everything.
Can't help think what the reaction would be if the shirt read "SILLY NIGGER."
Shame if anyone spilled, like, red blood on it, PETA/Code Pink-style. Because something tells me the vendor digs subtlety.
I remember first hearing that phrase back in the summer of 1992. My best friend's cousin used to say it as he postured and acted all manly. Everyone knew he was macho and loved women. So it was a bit of surprise when he paid me $25 to watch him masturbate and then $50 for me to give him a handy-J.
Recently, I looked him up on Facebook. Now he is married to a man and they have a kid. So in my skewed view this t-shirt helps identify gays in the closet.
Absolutely agree. 100%. Denial and repression is a bitch.
the shirt is HUGE in trailer parks
I walked through Fisherman's Wharf for the first time in years last week, and I was amazed at how little it has to do with San Francisco. Ok, so you have the fish restaurants and alcatraz tours, but most of it is the same touristy junk that you find anywhere. And Hooters? What does Hooters have to do with San Francisco?
Also, I don't understand the whole overly aggressive t-shirt thing anyways. One of my least favorites was one that said in big block letters "SHUT THE FUCK UP BITCH!"
The Wharf exists for the tourists. It's self-contained, and relatively safe, which is why they go there. Good thing too, because better they swarm there than my neighborhood.
Btw: the chicken wings at Hooters are surprisingly quite good, among the best in town.
Haha, stupid tourists! Bringing their money here and giving it to businesses that employ San Franciscans. Who needs that BS, huh?
I know it exists for tourists, and it's fine that they congregate their and get their chicken wings. It just makes me a little sad that people go there thinking they've visited san francisco, when a lot of the stuff there is just the same crap you could get in any seaside tourist strip in america. Although with an alcatraz bent.
The people who rent bikes to ride across the GG bridge are friggin' geniuses, tho. Rich geniuses, too.
Also, banning shirts for hate speech is a tricky move that doesn't seem worth the effort, especially since wearing said shirt brands you as a jackass anyways.
So, is the pictured rabbit the silly one or the one espousing the exclusiveness of The Cock?
Actually, the hidden remainder of the shirt reads "to strap on and pound their girlfriends with."
OK, no, not really.
Funny that BDSM is all good, though--at least according to the adjacent shirt.
The entire wall (from the pics on the sfappeal post) is filled with the usual misogynistic, and juvenile crap that one usually sees at T-shirt stores.
Are we tacitly giving those a pass? seems like the store/block/ industry needs to be reformed.
i'm sure all of those shirts on that wall are disgusting and offensive and if i came across someone wearing them i'd tell them so.
also: comic sans. yuck.
The words aren't the worst part; the rabbit was bashed. Ignorant and violent.
No no, the worst part is the Comic Sans.
Also, maybe it's just me, but the first thing this shirt brought to mind was pre-op MTFs. I guess I'm not really the target demographic anyway.
Oh, Comic Sans if a bad font? Never heard that one before.
Pre-op MTFs? Yay!
I know my people are gaining ground when disparaging tourist apparel is needed to keep us in check.
What leads you to the conclusion that the rabbit is bashed? I see no band-aids, no crosshatch bruising, nothing except for the crossed eyes - which would seem to indicate his "sillyness."
You see what you want to see.
the rabbit has no dick and no legs. Just sayin.
Mmmm, a fuckloaf!
It won't make our LGBT youth feel empowered when they see you wearing it, Brock. Even if your intention is to "take it back".
I would like to subsidize giving away these shirts for free. It's easier than equipping every tourist with a giant flashing neon sign that says "tourist".
i gotta get me one of these
I heard Anthony Bourdain bought one.
What are "Dix"?
I make my annual pilgrimage to the Wharf to get my Dungeness Crabs in November. 1st stand on the corner, 2 crabs, cracked and cleaned. And maybe see Danny Castro at Lou's once or twice a year, which also solves my biannual In 'N Out fix.
Free market, people! They stock the shirts because the people who go there will buy them.