anyone get chastised for the Reaper tee?

24

Comments

  • PJLadie
    PJLadie Posts: 32
    I bought my 11 year old the reaper shirt at Mansfield II and she wears it proudly!
    She's been listening to PJ since she was in the womb, and Mans II was her 1st concert.

    She is in VERY BASIC understanding of what is going on in this country right now, and agrees with Ed's views, or what she can comprehend of them.

    After the show at Mans II, she asked me if George Bush ever heard "No More" and I explained the story of Thomas Young to her (I will let her see the movie when we can watch it at home so I can TRY to answer any questions).
    She said she doesn't understand it all - I told her we don't either...

    Then when I saw Ed solo last weekend, she couldn't wait to hear if he sang the song.

    I see nothing wrong with the shirt. I'm proud when I see my daughter with it on. Those who don't like it or don't think it's appropriate simply don't have to wear it or look at those who do! :)
  • bicyclejoe
    bicyclejoe USA Posts: 1,203
    2-feign-reluctance wrote:
    recently saw a good friend, who let's just say is a bit opinionated, and he really went on a long diatribe about my black reaper concert t-shirt. said it looked like it was disrespectful to the flag (tattered flag) and that the reaper reminded him of a klu klux klan member.
    of course i interpret the shirt completely different and had been wondering if anyone else on the board has had any trouble with others, looks, comments, etc., re: this fucking awesome shirt.

    Just ask your friend what's the difference between that image and what the Bush administration has done to the flag as a symbol of tyranny in the past 8 years?
    My Pearl Jam Road: 10/22/90 Seattle | 12/22/90 Seattle, Moore Theater | 9/29/92 Seattle, Magnusson Park, Drop in the Park | 9/5/93 The Gorge, with Neil Young and Blind Melon | 7/20/06 Portland, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with Sleater-Kinney | 7/22/06 The Gorge, 10/21/06 Mountain View, Shoreline Ampitheatre, Bridge School Benefit | 9/21/09 Seattle | 9/22/09 Seattle | 9/26/09 Portland, OR | 7/14/2011 Eddie Vedder, Portland, OR | 11/29/13 Portland, OR
  • dunkman
    dunkman Posts: 19,646
    bicyclejoe wrote:
    Just ask your friend what's the difference between that image and what the Bush administration has done to the flag as a symbol of tyranny in the past 8 years?


    sounds like his friend would be like "eh tirranie... what the shit is tirrannee!"
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • Kilgore_Trout
    Kilgore_Trout Posts: 7,334
    PJLadie wrote:
    Then when I saw Ed solo last weekend, she couldn't wait to hear if he sang the song.
    atleast we know theres *one* fan of that song... :p

    fingers crossed we dont gotta hear it in chicago
    "Senza speme vivemo in disio"

    http://seanbriceart.com/
  • norm
    norm Posts: 31,146
    Get_Right wrote:
    I am not a fan of that design
    I dont care that the flag is used, its a political statement

    but its too dark and morbid for my tastes


    +1
  • LloydChristmas
    LloydChristmas Posts: 224
    Having several friends in the military we had the discussion before about using our flag for designs like this shirt. Most of them agree that its disrespectful to our flag. I was going to buy it but I thought about the flag idea and decided not too.
  • PearlJamaholic
    PearlJamaholic Posts: 2,019
    i like it so i bought it. death dressed in the american flag holding dog tags. seems to make a pretty honest statement.

    as for trouble with the shirt not for me. i have the old bad religion crossbuster shirt and the dead kennedys in god we trust inc shirt. both seem more offensive. no one i know said anything about the pj shirt, its pretty tame.
    http://db.etree.org/PearlJamaholic
  • morgie2
    morgie2 Posts: 1,065
    LloydChristmas wrote:
    Having several friends in the military we had the discussion before about using our flag for designs like this shirt. Most of them agree that its disrespectful to our flag. I was going to buy it but I thought about the flag idea and decided not too.

    I think if the Grim Reaper was shrouded in a Republican party flag, or some anti-Bush symbol I'd have no problem with it. I don't like our whole country being "broad-stroked" like that. But you have to hand it to PJ and Klausen, they have us talking about it and thinking about it's symbolism.
    Boston II 94 Boston II 06 Mansfield I 08 Mansfield II 08 Seattle I 09 Seattle II 09
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  • Kilgore_Trout
    Kilgore_Trout Posts: 7,334
    morgie2 wrote:
    I think if the Grim Reaper was shrouded in a Republican party flag, or some anti-Bush symbol I'd have no problem with it. I don't like our whole country being "broad-stroked" like that. But you have to hand it to PJ and Klausen, they have us talking about it and thinking about it's symbolism.
    oh yes... the message is as original as the lyrics to a rage against the machine song :rolleyes:

    the only thing that couldve made it more cliched was if it was bush specific... the dems are just as much to blame
    "Senza speme vivemo in disio"

    http://seanbriceart.com/
  • PearlJamaholic
    PearlJamaholic Posts: 2,019
    the one at the shows were black right? atleast the one i got is. but why is the one on the site brown? it doesnt look the same in brown.
    http://db.etree.org/PearlJamaholic
  • Vedderlution_Baby
    Vedderlution_Baby Posts: 2,535
    PearlJamaholic wrote:
    the one at the shows were black right? atleast the one i got is. but why is the one on the site brown? it doesnt look the same in brown.


    Yea, the only ones at the show were black. Apparently that's not the only difference. the letters are fuzzy too.
  • PearlJamaholic
    PearlJamaholic Posts: 2,019
    sgossard3 wrote:
    oh yes... the message is as original as the lyrics to a rage against the machine song :rolleyes:

    the only thing that couldve made it more cliched was if it was bush specific... the dems are just as much to blame

    i dont think the shirt has anything to do with bush. for me its a symbol of death dressing up as a patriot and being responsible for the death of american soldiers. seems today if you wave an american flag youre a hero and people are willing to die just for that flag without looking at whats behind it or who is really waving it. so death has exploited that naive thought. has nothing to do with politics but blind nationlism.
    http://db.etree.org/PearlJamaholic
  • out of my head
    out of my head Posts: 59
    question: what is the reaper holding in the other hand? i'm looking at a low res image and can't make it out.
    myspace.com/curtandres
    pearljamguy@gmail.com
  • Vedderlution_Baby
    Vedderlution_Baby Posts: 2,535
    out of my head wrote:
    question: what is the reaper holding in the other hand? i'm looking at a low res image and can't make it out.


    Dogtags being held by his index finger.

    http://www.expressobeans.com/public/detail.php/38168
  • Hitch-Hiker
    Hitch-Hiker Posts: 2,873
    dunkman wrote:
    its a flag... who gives a fuck if its tattered :confused:
    In the 3 months I've spent here, I have learned Americans are very weird about their flag and anthem and so forth. It's a bit of a sweeping statement, but they get offended by waay too much waaay too easily.
    I'll Ride The Wave Where It Takes Me
  • morgie2
    morgie2 Posts: 1,065
    PearlJamaholic wrote:
    i dont think the shirt has anything to do with bush. for me its a symbol of death dressing up as a patriot and being responsible for the death of american soldiers. seems today if you wave an american flag youre a hero and people are willing to die just for that flag without looking at whats behind it or who is really waving it. so death has exploited that naive thought. has nothing to do with politics but blind nationlism.

    Hey, good point! I forgot he was holding dog tags. It's the blood of U.S. soldiers on the sickle. I'm not being sarcastic, you've given me a new angle on it.
    Boston II 94 Boston II 06 Mansfield I 08 Mansfield II 08 Seattle I 09 Seattle II 09
    Hartford 10 Boston 10 Wrigley 13 Worcester I 13 Worcester II 13 Hartford 13
    NYC I 16 NYC II 16 Fenway I 16 Fenway II 16  Fenway 1 18  Fenway II 18
    E.V. Boston II 08 E.V. Albany II 09 E.V. Providence 11, E.V. Boston 11
    Troubled Souls Unite
  • Kilgore_Trout
    Kilgore_Trout Posts: 7,334
    Hitch-Hiker wrote:
    In the 3 months I've spent here, I have learned Americans are very weird about their flag and anthem and so forth. It's a bit of a sweeping statement, but they get offended by waay too much waaay too easily.
    we place WAY to much importance and significance on symbols in this country.... its really embedded into the early years of our country though and was thorougly thought out accordingly (stone masons, etc)
    "Senza speme vivemo in disio"

    http://seanbriceart.com/
  • TransplantedNewf
    TransplantedNewf Posts: 805
    Vedderman23 wrote:
    Great poster. Bad t-shirt.

    I agree. It's an awesome poster but it's a little too much for a t-shirt.
    <a href="http://www.last.fm/user/Krisdababe/?chartstyle=Krisdababe"><img src="http://imagegen.last.fm/Krisdababe/recenttracks/Krisdababe.gif&quot; border="0" /></a>

    "To is a preposition.
    Come is a verb"

  • PJBuckeye
    PJBuckeye Posts: 1,102
    I have mixed feelings on this shirt. I love the design. It is very cool looking. It was more of an impulse buy.

    However, the shirt completely conflicts with my values. I think it can give off a sense of disrespect to the US and Christians. Thus, I really don't wear it around certain people. In fact, I think I wouldn't buy it again.
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  • TransplantedNewf
    TransplantedNewf Posts: 805
    PJBuckeye wrote:
    I have mixed feelings on this shirt. I love the design. It is very cool looking. It was more of an impulse buy.

    However, the shirt completely conflicts with my values. I think it can give off a sense of disrespect to the US and Christians. Thus, I really don't wear it around certain people. In fact, I think I wouldn't buy it again.

    I kinda of feel the same way...not that it conflicts with my values but it's most definitely a certain time/place kind of shirt. (like most Iron Maiden shirts)
    <a href="http://www.last.fm/user/Krisdababe/?chartstyle=Krisdababe"><img src="http://imagegen.last.fm/Krisdababe/recenttracks/Krisdababe.gif&quot; border="0" /></a>

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