Funny>Offensive
Oct. 15th, 2008 02:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jianantonicWhen we got home oh-so-early this morning, one unexpected piece of mail was a package from CafePress, which I recognized as the company from which I bought my Dick in a Box sweatshirt. But I hadn't ordered anything from them. It was addressed to me, but there was no return addressee, and no card inside to indicate who had sent it. I figured maybe the shirt itself would give me a clue:
So here's what I found:
The small print reads: PROTECT OUR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS VOTE OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT
Is this some comment about my weight? My maturity? Some strange anonymous commentary on my lifestyle? Unknown. I decided to make the most of this free gift and wear it today in public. That picture is me on my way to the gym.
Unsurprisingly, I got some looks. I was a little worried that this was a touch too offensive, even by my standards, but I figured not that many people would look that closely at it anyway, and it'd be a fun little experiment. One guy at the gym stared at it for a while, read it a couple of times, then cracked a smile. I smiled back and went about my business. Then later he flagged me down to talk to me about it. Turns out, he's also just returned from Oregon and has some friends out in Portland that he thinks I should meet. He seemed like a cool guy, so hey, so far this shirt has earned me 0 dirty looks and at least one new friend. Awesome.
As I went on with my workout, a few other people spoke to me about the shirt. They all liked it. My guess is someone who doesn't like it wouldn't talk to me about it. It was a nice conversation starter, and a great replacement for my lack of liberadar (a word I just made up that doesn't come out as clearly as I'd hoped -- point being that I have a hard time judging politics by appearances, unless you're walking around in dreadlocks with a rainbow pin on your tye-dyed shirt).
It was a fun social experiment for me. It was refreshing, now that I'm back in what was once a very red, red state, to find so many people willing to approach me and tell me they're on my team in this election.
I have since discovered that this shirt was a gift from my oldest brother, William. So maybe it is a comment about my weight and maturity (he hasn't seen me since before I joined Weight Watchers), but I think it's also his way of telling me that he liked the rant I posted on Facebook. Whatever its meaning, I appreciate the gift -- thanks William!
Peace.
So here's what I found:
The small print reads: PROTECT OUR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS VOTE OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT
Is this some comment about my weight? My maturity? Some strange anonymous commentary on my lifestyle? Unknown. I decided to make the most of this free gift and wear it today in public. That picture is me on my way to the gym.
Unsurprisingly, I got some looks. I was a little worried that this was a touch too offensive, even by my standards, but I figured not that many people would look that closely at it anyway, and it'd be a fun little experiment. One guy at the gym stared at it for a while, read it a couple of times, then cracked a smile. I smiled back and went about my business. Then later he flagged me down to talk to me about it. Turns out, he's also just returned from Oregon and has some friends out in Portland that he thinks I should meet. He seemed like a cool guy, so hey, so far this shirt has earned me 0 dirty looks and at least one new friend. Awesome.
As I went on with my workout, a few other people spoke to me about the shirt. They all liked it. My guess is someone who doesn't like it wouldn't talk to me about it. It was a nice conversation starter, and a great replacement for my lack of liberadar (a word I just made up that doesn't come out as clearly as I'd hoped -- point being that I have a hard time judging politics by appearances, unless you're walking around in dreadlocks with a rainbow pin on your tye-dyed shirt).
It was a fun social experiment for me. It was refreshing, now that I'm back in what was once a very red, red state, to find so many people willing to approach me and tell me they're on my team in this election.
I have since discovered that this shirt was a gift from my oldest brother, William. So maybe it is a comment about my weight and maturity (he hasn't seen me since before I joined Weight Watchers), but I think it's also his way of telling me that he liked the rant I posted on Facebook. Whatever its meaning, I appreciate the gift -- thanks William!
Peace.
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no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 07:00 pm (UTC)Did you get any funny reactions wearing it?
no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 07:04 pm (UTC)As for reactions, it was mostly just a lot of people doing double-takes and the like -- everyone who spoke to me about it was friendly:)
no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 07:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 08:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 08:41 pm (UTC)http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/va/virginia_mccain_vs_obama-551.html
clearly, VA is the new new york
no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 09:06 pm (UTC)On the left, there are a couple houses that have put 5 huge signs in their yards spelling O-B-A-M-A as you go down the street (both ways!)
no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 10:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 05:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-17 02:15 am (UTC)Who cares why it got to you? It's awesome!