I hate to sound like a cranky middle aged man, but that’s exactly what I am so… Why does everyone now buy shirts for bands they’ve never heard and probably wouldn’t even like if they did hear them?
I agree it’s kind of shitty to interrogate someone about their T-shirt, so I never say anything about it but it just doesn’t make sense to me…
I don’t walk around wearing shirts for Taylor Swift or Jason Aldean because I don’t listen to their music and I don’t want people to assume that I do because then they might want to talk to me about it lol
Edit: apparently I didn’t explain myself clearly… I wear band shirts all the time for bands that I listen to and other people who like those bands frequently come up and talk to me about it, and I’m generally happy to talk to them if I’m not in a hurry. I have no issue with people wearing band tshirts, I just don’t get wearing shirts for bands you either have never heard or even actively dislike. Personally I would never wear a shirt representing myself as a fan of something I’m not familiar with even if it “just looks cool”. What if the logo is something racist? What if it turned out to be some band that supports right wing extremists? Why would I want to plaster myself with logos and symbols for something that I don’t understand?
Once saw someone wearing a Friends T shirt. They never heard of the show. So not just bands now either. Today’s kids just do this and I don’t know why. Fuck we are old.
Cause they look cool, bands sell the rights to big clothing companies so it’s available, labeled as fashion and often cheap.
If you walk into a Walmart and see a cool looking Metallica shirt for 10 bucks, why do you have to know the band or songs of it?
I myself also only buy band merch from bands I really like. But I buy it on festivals, concerts or on the internet after I looked for a specific shirt. So my ways of buying this stuff is completely different from fashion oriented people.
I think you’re missing the point a bit… bands represent things too. Wearing shirts from bands that you know nothing about runs its owns risks that are not dissimilar to the risks of wearing anything that sports a design or symbol you know nothing about. For all you know, they could be causing the same level of “harm” which, in its purest sense, is none since it’s just a shirt but could also be advertising something you’re completely ignorant to.
But sure… keep wearing that Lostprophets shirt because you think it looks cool…
So… Expect people who are interested in that band to start a conversation? Some will be shitty about it (name 3 songs), some will be better (hey I love that band, saw them back in '98).
If you have no idea about the band, it may seem like a challenge. Like some middle aged guy chasing you. Really I think it’s just people reaching out trying to connect with fellow humans. Some do it shittily, sure. But the impulse in its purist is to make a friend.
Band shirts are usually a good ice breaker for me. Met a lot of cool people and close friends by them talking to me about a shirt I wore. I only buy band shirts of people I really like so it leads to good conversations usually.
I learned to not ask people about band shirts though unless they are obscure-ish. It was fun a few years ago talking to people about Misfits who thought it was just a brand. I personally don’t understand why people would wear a band shirt because the pattern is cool, but it doesn’t really upset me anymore.
Edit: except shirts that use the Unknown Pleasures design. I saw one awhile that used the design, but the lines made a bird and said “Love” at the bottom. My wife had to escort me out of the store before I made a fool of myself.
Just before your edit, i wanted to write about Unknown Pleasures. I didn’t see the bird love version, but lots of other versions and i don’t think, they all got the idea from The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Astronomy.
It doesn’t really bother me, i just somehow feel bamboozled by the sight of it.
Because many of these bands’ symbols and logos are culturally iconic. It’s not my style but still
Also idk I just assume people listen to the band if they wear the shirt. I don’t bother them about it either. Like if you see me in a hemispheres shirt no I don’t want do discuss Cygnus pt2 with a stranger on the street, especially not one who likes rush enough to stop a lady on the street to discuss their music.
and probably wouldn’t even like if they did hear them
Yes, you’re cranky. Rethink this ethos. Never mind whether you can tell that someone hasn’t heard a band, you absolutely do not have the psychic ability to tell what someone likes from how old they are.
I hate to sound like a cranky middle aged man, but that’s exactly what I am so… Why does everyone now buy shirts for bands they’ve never heard and probably wouldn’t even like if they did hear them?
I agree it’s kind of shitty to interrogate someone about their T-shirt, so I never say anything about it but it just doesn’t make sense to me…
I don’t walk around wearing shirts for Taylor Swift or Jason Aldean because I don’t listen to their music and I don’t want people to assume that I do because then they might want to talk to me about it lol
Edit: apparently I didn’t explain myself clearly… I wear band shirts all the time for bands that I listen to and other people who like those bands frequently come up and talk to me about it, and I’m generally happy to talk to them if I’m not in a hurry. I have no issue with people wearing band tshirts, I just don’t get wearing shirts for bands you either have never heard or even actively dislike. Personally I would never wear a shirt representing myself as a fan of something I’m not familiar with even if it “just looks cool”. What if the logo is something racist? What if it turned out to be some band that supports right wing extremists? Why would I want to plaster myself with logos and symbols for something that I don’t understand?
Once saw someone wearing a Friends T shirt. They never heard of the show. So not just bands now either. Today’s kids just do this and I don’t know why. Fuck we are old.
Did they think it was a shirt about friendship? Like “Oh, here’s a shirt about having friends! I enjoy having friends, so I will wear it!”
Maybe all those young people wearing Nirvana shirts are Buddhists lol
Cause they look cool, bands sell the rights to big clothing companies so it’s available, labeled as fashion and often cheap. If you walk into a Walmart and see a cool looking Metallica shirt for 10 bucks, why do you have to know the band or songs of it?
I myself also only buy band merch from bands I really like. But I buy it on festivals, concerts or on the internet after I looked for a specific shirt. So my ways of buying this stuff is completely different from fashion oriented people.
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Yeah cause wearing a hate symbol you don’t know and a band t-shirt you don’t know are totally causing the same level of harm.
I think you’re missing the point a bit… bands represent things too. Wearing shirts from bands that you know nothing about runs its owns risks that are not dissimilar to the risks of wearing anything that sports a design or symbol you know nothing about. For all you know, they could be causing the same level of “harm” which, in its purest sense, is none since it’s just a shirt but could also be advertising something you’re completely ignorant to.
But sure… keep wearing that Lostprophets shirt because you think it looks cool…
It isn’t the same level of harm, but it’s the same level of stupid. If you do one, what’s stopping you from doing the other?
Turn your brain down a little.
The shirts look cool. I see a cool shirt, maybe I don’t care about the band and it just looks cool. So what.
So… Expect people who are interested in that band to start a conversation? Some will be shitty about it (name 3 songs), some will be better (hey I love that band, saw them back in '98).
If you have no idea about the band, it may seem like a challenge. Like some middle aged guy chasing you. Really I think it’s just people reaching out trying to connect with fellow humans. Some do it shittily, sure. But the impulse in its purist is to make a friend.
The only shirts to bands I wear are ones that I like and listen too. Same with shirts I have of tv shows and movies.
Band shirts are usually a good ice breaker for me. Met a lot of cool people and close friends by them talking to me about a shirt I wore. I only buy band shirts of people I really like so it leads to good conversations usually.
I learned to not ask people about band shirts though unless they are obscure-ish. It was fun a few years ago talking to people about Misfits who thought it was just a brand. I personally don’t understand why people would wear a band shirt because the pattern is cool, but it doesn’t really upset me anymore.
Edit: except shirts that use the Unknown Pleasures design. I saw one awhile that used the design, but the lines made a bird and said “Love” at the bottom. My wife had to escort me out of the store before I made a fool of myself.
Just before your edit, i wanted to write about Unknown Pleasures. I didn’t see the bird love version, but lots of other versions and i don’t think, they all got the idea from The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Astronomy.
It doesn’t really bother me, i just somehow feel bamboozled by the sight of it.
I thought about that, but it was in the band shirt section next to a tie dyed Slayer crew neck so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Because many of these bands’ symbols and logos are culturally iconic. It’s not my style but still
Also idk I just assume people listen to the band if they wear the shirt. I don’t bother them about it either. Like if you see me in a hemispheres shirt no I don’t want do discuss Cygnus pt2 with a stranger on the street, especially not one who likes rush enough to stop a lady on the street to discuss their music.
Yes, you’re cranky. Rethink this ethos. Never mind whether you can tell that someone hasn’t heard a band, you absolutely do not have the psychic ability to tell what someone likes from how old they are.
Licencing, its cheap to print and for consumers easy to find