Current Release: April 28th, 2009 | Vol. XXX Iss. 10

Photos Courtesy of Crazydogshirts.com

Graphic T s speak for themselves

By Meagan Richardson

mbrichardson@vwc.edu

It s spreading. Everyone is exposed. Resistance is futile.

Admit it. You ve seen them in class, making appearances in the Grille, and sweeping across campus daring innocent voyeurs to stop and read. Coming to a closet near you, one of pop culture s greatest phenomenons: graphic screen T-shirts. Because the First Amendment ensures everyone s personal freedoms, there is practically no end to what gets expressed on a shirt.

The graphic T-shirt has been a cultural favorite for decades. Some of the very first shirts circulate back to the early 1970s. During the Vietnam War, hippies and other protesters alike wore graphic shirts protesting the war. Etched on these shirts were slogans ranging from  Peace & Love to  Peace IS Patriotic.

Graphic shirts aren t just for everyday citizens; in fact celebrities are often spotted wearing these shirts. Sean Combs or  Diddy is the creator of the  Vote Or Die shirt. This in-your-face shirt urges young people around the country to get out and support the political race. A variety of other stars, including Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and Mariah Carey, are just a few supporters of this politically conscious shirt.

Not all graphic shirts take a serious approach. Well-known lines and parodies from movies have also made it on shirts. Celebrity catch phrases are no exception to this rule. Paris Hilton s  That s Hot has graced the front of many screen T-shirts across the country.

From self-proclaimed slogans to popular catch phrases, you find the good, the bad and, at times, controversial. These shirts are a sure-fire way to say something without even moving your lips.

Numerous students at Virginia Wesleyan also take part in the graphic screen T scene. On any given day shirts can be spotted with Greek letters, athletic team support, collegiate pride, and club and organizations symbols.

Dressed in a black T-shirt with the phrase  Drinking makes doing my homework easier, a Wesleyan junior states that shirts like these display what he feels at the moment.

 It s all about the shock factor, he said, tossing a few of his favorite screen T-shirts out of the closet.  Nothing beats the look on someone s face after they read something outrageous on your shirt.

Despite the humor he finds in some of his more  rated R shirts, the anonymous junior recalls some less than funny situations he s encountered due to them.

 One of my professors didn t like what was printed on a shirt of mine, he said.  It had a reference to the south on it. He didn t say anything to me about it, but I could tell by the way he looked at it he didn t find it funny.

A lot of Wesleyan students enjoy wearing graphic shirts. It allows anyone who crosses their path a not-so-formal glimpse at their personalities. People can see their likes or dislikes, their sense of humor and whatever else they want to broadcast to the world.

The most recent trend in these popular shirts: awareness. According to TrendHunter Magazine, shirts now are aimed to inform and spread a message. The magazine reports a rape victim reversing her traumatic experience into something positive. Heather Corianna wears and endorses a shirt pictured with a safe on it. Inside is a slip of paper that reads,  I was raped. Corianna believes that wearing this shirt sheds light on a subject often hushed up.

 Because wearing it lets others know they are not alone, she said.  Because being public shatters the very silence that enables rape to be so common.

Because graphic shirts are so commonly worn, they can be found at any local retail store. Stores such as Target, Wal-Mart and various department stores stock a variety of slogan-based garments. If customizing is your aim, there are numerous websites that aide in do-it-yourself designs; Indieshirt.com allows customers to pick their garments of choice, then upload their own ideas. The product can then be purchased by credit card and shipped as requested.

Before you rush out and purchase that hottest catch phrase splattered across a shirt, stop and think for a second. Graphic T-shirts represent a lot about the person who wears them. The brave who bear them become walking billboards, advertisements for the masses. But beware, you never know what thought-provoking conversation a slogan, graphic or symbol will strike up. Everyone is watching.

What will your shirt say before you get a chance to?