Thursday, July 24, 2008

BSNYC Product Review: King Kog Crass T-Shirt

After tagging Trackosaurusrex in yesterday’s post, I clicked on over there to see if they had picked up the questions and run with them. Unfortunately they hadn’t (at least not last time I checked), but I sure was glad I stopped by. Because if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have learned that a new King Kog t-shirt had “dropped.”

This latest t-shirt is based on the Crass logo. If you don’t know what Crass were, here’s a gross oversimplification: Crass were basically to anarchist punk what John Coltrane was to jazz, or what Kiss were to schlock rock, or what the Grateful Dead were to being really stoned and smelly. Take every anti-establishment sentiment you can think of, multiply it by a self-righteousness factor of 30, and then play it through a bullhorn at a protest. So naturally as a fiercely anti-consumerist and anti-commercialist enterprise their logo is an obvious choice to place on an American Apparel t-shirt promoting a bicycle fashion boutique.

Looking at the King Kog t-shirt immediately transported me back to my youth and evoked fond memories of bringing home my first Crass record. I knew immediately I had to have a Crass record, not only because their logo was much more enticingly esoteric and knotty than the logos of other bands like the Dead Kennedys, but also because the people who wore it seemed themselves somehow more esoteric and knotty. (Though that was mostly because of their dreadlocks.) Sure, I had no idea what Crass were about, and there was no Wikipedia to tell me, but I sensed I was on to something. This notion was immediately validated for me when I opened the record, which was wrapped in a poster of a badly burned baby or something. Paydirt! I put it on the turntable and was suddenly transported from my bedroom to a squat in England somewhere. Crass seemed to be very upset about the Falklands War. Did I know anything about the Falklands War? Not really. Did I know what they were fighting over? Something to do with sheep, though that might have been a metaphor. Did I know where the Falklands were? Well, I had thought it was that place in Jersey where the Giants play, but if that was the case I wasn’t sure why Crass were so angry about it. Did I know anybody who had been in the Falklands War, or who had been killed there? No. Did I have any idea the Falklands War had actually ended years ago? Nope. Did I like what I was hearing and did I draw their logo on my pants? Absolutely. Did I do my homework that night? Absolutely not. How could I? People were dying in the Falklands!

So needless to say, I was grateful for the opportunity King Kog was giving me and the rest of the cycling world to once again celebrate cluelessness. “Will I pay $22 to own a t-shirt that has been egregiously appropriated from an icon of my youth I didn't adequately understand in the first place?,” I asked myself. And the answer came back, “Yes sir, I will.”

Excitedly, I slipped it on and straddled the orange julius bike with the intention of parading my affection for both Crass and fixed-gear bicycles all over Brooklyn, but I realized right away that this was not like other garments I own. It was ironic, sure, but not in a good way. My Iron Maiden Vans are ironic, but it’s that kind of tongue-in-cheek irony that ridicules both the band and the wearer. “Sure, Iron Maiden are patently absurd,” they say. “But I’m not afraid to be absurd. I’m stupid, Iron Maiden is stupid, and so what! Let’s party!!!” My UNDFTD World Champion/Cinelli/Eddy Merckx/Black Flag/who-knows-what-else rip-off t-shirt is also ironic, but that’s also tongue-in-cheek irony. The notion that I’m a world champion is as patently absurd as Iron Maiden, Cinelli is a cool old-skool company to which I want to give mad props, Eddy Merckx is another cool old-skool company and also a guy from the 70s who rode a fixie sometimes, and Black Flag were mostly about suburban alienation, drinking, and puking, which is also what fixed-gear bikes are about now. Even my Major Tailored hat is ironic in a fun way. Sure, it might be a brazen misappropriation of a sporting icon’s name and a tasteless attempt to make money off of somebody who died without any himself, but it’s also a great pun and a tight hat. (That's "tight" as in cool--it fits fine.)

But the Crass shirt just wasn’t working for me. It wasn’t making fun of something stupid, because while Crass may have taken themselves extremely seriously they weren’t stupid. Also, it wasn’t an homage to cycling’s past, because really Crass don’t have very much to do with the history of cycling. Instead, I kind of felt that wearing a copy of the Crass logo on a t-shirt advertising a boutique was somehow offensive—like I had slipped a pig’s knuckle into their vegan broth. I also felt that the act of purchasing and wearing this t-shirt professed not a familiarity with and an understanding of Crass but rather my own ignorance as to what it is they actually represent. It was like wearing an "I'm With Stupid" t-shirt that points to yourself. Sure, maybe Crass themselves might consider this t-shirt an homage and an expression of the DIY ethic. They may even approve of someone wearing it while making metal horns in order to sell it. Still, I felt like that friend of a friend you meet at a bar who can lecture you about politics, 70s punk and French cuisine with equal superficiality, and then move on to tell you everything that’s wrong with the beer you just ordered.

Of course, if you’re one of those people, the King Cog Crass t-shirt might be for you. But it wasn’t for me.


143 comments:

Anonymous said...

wins

Anonymous said...

podium! first time!

Anonymous said...

3RD

Shiny Flu said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shiny Flu said...

Ouch my chin.... I crashed again, and they named ME as a contender too.

Anonymous said...

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!!"

Anonymous said...

3rd time in 3 days top 10

Anonymous said...

king cog- i don't get it

Anonymous said...

yawn. top ten. i got caught in a thunder storm today.

Anonymous said...

Fixie hipster culture is the greatest working class ripoff. Oi oi oi.

Anonymous said...

You think they would have at least chosen to rip off Conflict, which is a much better fit: shady ethics, misguided attempts to appropriate other musical styles, and basically taking Crass's oeuvre, removing everything unique and challenging about it and replacing it with easily digestible metal leanings and sing-along choruses.

BeastGP said...

Surely to be undefeeted you just wear no socks?

Anonymous said...

DO A BURNOUT!

Anonymous said...

Why is the guy in the King Kog photo also wearing a bandana/scarf? Isn't it like 85 F in NY and so humid you can swim across the street?

the witness said...

"So naturally as a fiercely anti-consumerist and anti-commercialist enterprise their logo is an obvious choice to place on an American Apparel t-shirt promoting a bicycle fashion boutique."

haha thats such a good line.

its like punk really is dead.

Anonymous said...

It's not for me either.

Anonymous said...

anon 12:25 - that's an ascot. go back two spaces and do your research!!

Anonymous said...

Number four deleted his comment, therefore I claim it! Huzzah! Top ten!

AH said...

That was the punkest thing I have read in a while. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

The other symbol on that UNDFTD shirt is the 3Rensho logo...I think. Ugh. When is this whole "fixie" phenomenon gonna die out?

Have you ever listened to Crass ON WEED?!?

Anonymous said...

its funny that the kids buying this wouldn't be caught dead wearing a circle a shirt from hot topic.

it's kind of like how orchid started selling shirts despite their hatred of band shirts because people were making them and selling them on ebay for a lot of money.

Anonymous said...

Proof yet again that for those in the know, BSNYC is the real favorite peep during art history.

As for me, an ironic cycling cap with "BROOKLYN" across the bill does the trick.

I saw a messenger wannabe wearing one and figured his discomfort at seeing me with the BROOKLYN bill peeping out from under my helmet would be well worth it.

But of course, I'd have to assure him I vibe hella.

Anonymous said...

I predict the next king kog shirts to be either the Minor Threat black sheep or the DRI slam dancing dude symbol on a fixed gear freestyler and an SOD rip off shirt that says "Can you do the Milano MASH?"

Ryan said...

Yeah, the punk/goth/emo/(hipster?) kids in school who sharpied band logos or bore their patches and pins on book bags and clothes (usually with safety pins to boot) seemed so cool because they stood out and (maybe) stood for something, without knowing what the hell it really was. Glad to see you grew out of that, RTMS, and figured out where the Falklands are.

In the same vein, this has become a favorite of mine:

http://www.thoseshirts.com/checap.html

The need to express one's identity on easily consumable T-shirts and bumper stickers seems to be one the of the great achievements of the U.S. Bearers of the "one less car" sticker, etc. are equally guilty.

$$$=prepackaged lifestyle, no work or sacrifice necessary

Just live your lifestyle, don't advertise it.

Georges Rouan said...

It's not for me either...it reeks. It is akin to Gucci putting out a Sex Pistols loafer...actually it is worse since Crass wanted nothing to do with any sort of the trappings of a rock n' roll life style and Lyndon and co needed SOME money for the H habit.

The fixie culture now reminds me of St Marks in the mid 80's with all the faux punk kids from the upper east side coming down on Saturday to buy their "uniform" so come Monday they would look the part at school.

broomie said...

The good times of painting leather jackets, sleeping on a stained mattress on the floor, stealing cigarettes from the other people sleeping on the floor and watching A Clockwork Orange over and over over.... Isn't that what CRASS is all about?

broomie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I'm waiting for the King Kog shirt modeled after the Big Black shirt I had in college. The Big Black logo on my shirt was modeled after the logo of a tool and die company and even made it clear that the band was from Chicago, IL. I think it was supposed to be an ironic take on the tool company logo that could be seen on the back of satin jackets of the redneck blue collar workers from that company.

Now, if King King Kog could adapt the Big Black shirt it would be DOUBLE IRONIC. And Big Black also has hipster cred since it involved Steve Albini. That would confuse the shit out of people.

El Duke said...

Nice tat

Anonymous said...

Crap, I wore that exact big black shirt this past weekend. "Big Black power tools - from Chicago's finest forges - power where you need it most"

It's a little threadbare, but wow, was I ironic, even if no one gets it anymore.

Anonymous said...

Snob, great post. One has to think about age-appropriate attire. For example, do you remember the Obey T-shirt you posted a few months ago with the poser in tight jeans on a fixie and wearing a gas mask? I showed it to my son because I thought he would find it cool, and lo and behold, you'll never guess what I ended up getting for Father's Day. If you see a middle-aged man in that Obey t-shirt, be sure to give me a shout-out.

Anonymous said...

**It's not for me either...it reeks. It is akin to Gucci putting out a Sex Pistols loafer**

Why not??? The Sex Pistols were manufactured by a fashion mogul anyway.

Anonymous said...

How lame is it that Lance is campaigning for McCain?!

vermicious knid said...

It was like wearing an "I'm With Stupid" t-shirt that points to yourself.

the prefect description of any t-shirt that appropriates an inappropriate logo...the mishka bauhaus logo rip-off tee comes to mind. wait...is that double or triple irony? jesus.

hellbelly said...

Crass was a band I wanted to like way back when the Faulklands war was still going (yeah, I'm an old punker). They had all the cool ultra anti-everthing angst I could appreciate at the time and that logo was great. However, the message was not enough as I wanted to listen to bands that rocked (Minor Threat/SSD/Black Flag/Circle Jerks/GBH...). I came to realize that I had some oddball pop sensibility in that if the music it did not move me (hum, snap my fingers, dance whatever) I was never gonna be a big fan. Their label mates Crucifix however, were great on record and live.

Scottie said...

What do the horns have to do with Crass? Wouldn't it make more sense to pair it with a Dio shirt?

On second thought, if King Kog put out a Dio shirt, I might actually buy that and wear it. Not in an ironic way, but because I still like Dio.

jza said...

"because really Crass don’t have very much to do with the history of cycling."

Really?
How many embers did they have?
8-9. Full squad.

Did they like paying rent? No.
Sounds like every bike racer I know.

Were they constantly altering their look to avoid being pigeonholed? Yes, but not so much to prevent anyone from pigeonholing them.

Are they still basking in former glories? Steve Ignorant has toured in the past few years. Some of the others still write manifestoes about how to have a truly revolutionary off-the-grid vegan potluck.

Who does this sound like?
ROCK RACING!!!!

Bike sponsor never worked out.

Anonymous said...

My shirt:

"Street cred, not applicable"

AnnaZed said...

If they had a logo Consolidated:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_(band)

would be appropriate.

Georges Rouan said...

Bike Slob 80220: You are totally right about the pistols being a band born from a fashion house. Mclaren and westwood were in it to sell the clothes....Long Live the Sex Pistols Gucci Loafers!!!!

Anonymous said...

What is it with hipsters and those ornate neck napkins

Luck E. 7 said...

YIKES! I just can't wait to see how many people start sporting the Iron Maiden Vans/Major Taylored brim/UNDFTD jerz as the new street uniform after today's post.

Nice soft placement, Snob.



A

Anonymous said...

Maiden rocks!
They've been around since before bikes had gears, and will be around after hipsters are done denying bikes their gears.

Anonymous said...

Great post Snobby.
If you're going to misappropriate someone's image, at least to it to piss them off, like to advertise a CycloCrass and BBQ festival.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Iron Man,

You're probably right. And I definitely wouldn't refuse a ride in the Maiden jet with Bruce Dickinson at the helm.

--RTMS

Anonymous said...

Lance is a media whore. His Tour "wins", "cancer fighting" foundation, and dating barely legal anorexics are just lame excuses to get himself some attention.

Anonymous said...

Tailgunner!!!!

Luck E. 7 said...

Maybe Bruce Dickenson and John Travolta can have a dog fight!!


A

Anonymous said...

Oh crap...this is weak sauce compared to the throng of 15 year olds wearing Dead Kennedy's T-shirts who have never heard the music. I fixed this with my 1.5 yr old, who hates DK and Black Flag, but prefers baroque flute music. Time to refill my homocil prescription.

Bad week, my wife came home with some new jeans...Rock&Repugnant. Barf. She looks much better with them off.

J. O. Applegate said...

Lance isn't campaigning for McCain. He invited both candidates to attend the Cancer awareness event, and Obama turned him down because of his overseas trip.

A little background research next time before declaring lameness please.

Anonymous said...

You knocked this one out of the park and way the hell over everybody's heads.

Anonymous said...

E.X.P.L.O.I.T.E.D!

We're the exploited barmy army, don't threaten us!

I'm sorry, I couldn't let a thread mentioning Crass go by without at least a reference to The Exploited. I've always felt that the true spirit of punk was angry, drunk and stupid. This would suggest that there is far more common ground between fixie riders (as well as Critical Mass) and bands like Exploited than they'd ever admit.

Crass still wins for indignant pseudo-political posing, however.

Kirk said...

Ya' know when I see the young people in the DK's logo clothes I want to duck around the corner change into a suit and tie then walk up to them and say. "Oh wow, The Dead Kennady's I was really into them back when I was your age!"

Anonymous said...

Ok Joseph, I think it's incredibly lame that the Livestrong foundation pays a salary to Armstrong and hires lobbyist to promote his future political aspirations, while running the maximum overhead allowed by charities. It's not about the Cancer.

www.charitywatch.org

The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF), founded by the champion bicyclist and cancer survivor of the same name, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year. Wouldn’t you think a charity that receives massive publicity for having one of the most popular causes and most admired celebrities as the face of the organization would be able to easily raise lots of money? Unfortunately this is not the case. LAF spent as much as $45 to raise each $100, exceeding AIP’s 35% recommended fundraising ceiling by a significant margin. While LAF had difficulty raising contributions efficiently, it did prove to be a savvy merchandise marketer. LAF sold over $24 million in merchandise, including the ubiquitous yellow “LIVESTRONG” wristband, as well as clothing, sports gear and even dog leashes. Yet after spending $10 million in solicitation costs, the group brought in only $22 million in contributions, according to AIP’s analysis of LAF’s 2005 financial statements.

Anonymous said...

I think Linda Lovelace there has shown that Lance's integrity gleaned from cycling will do him well in federal politics.

---- Ed ---- said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I remember being really into the idea of Crass: everything, that is, except for the actual music....DK - I saw them live: saw Black Flag with Henry Rollins, too...I'm really old.....

Anonymous said...

Kirk, I do this dressed up as a transvestite prostitute.

Which is legal up here, by the way.

Anonymous said...

Kudos BSNYC. To quote Crass' very own "White Punks on Hope":


"...They can stuff their punk credentials Cause it's them that take the cash. They won't change nothing with their fashionable talk, All their RAR badges and their protest walk, Thousands of white men standing in a park,
Objecting to racism's like a candle in the dark. Black man's got his problems and his way to deal with it, So don't fool yourself you're helping with your white liberal shit....

Punk was once an answer to years of crap, A way of saying no where we'd always said yep. But the moment we saw a way to be free, They invented a dividing line, street credibility... Neat little labels to keep us all apart, To keep us all divided when the troubles start."

Basically... the more full-of-shit a person is, the more vehemently they declare their positions and affiliations. The more old punk junk someone buys, the less self-esteem they have and the easier they are to be sold on trends and bs radical ideologies like the fixie trend.

I met Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher (crass' principle songwriter and artist respectively) a few weeks back and yes they are old and cranky, but they're still sticking to their guns. They would not approve of this REIFICATION of their ideas, though the band predicted it all from the start. They knew their ideas would be absorbed by the mainstream before too long. That's why they pledged from the start to break up in 1984.

Once you have been reified though, the only solution is Direct Action and hoaxes. Look at Thatchergate. That was badass. The delusional "white fixie morons on dope" need a BSNYC hoax like nobody's business. Since irony has been unironically killed by an overdose of irony, perhaps it wouldn't be so hard to sell the fixie crowd on "Consumer trend whore" or "follower" or "i'll buy any/everything" tshirts. My lack of a freewheel shows my capacity for free thought.

Anonymous said...

Inspired by these comments, I am giong on holiday in Cambodia. I hear it's quite nice this time of year.

Anonymous said...

Ed sed:

Basically... the more full-of-shit a person is, the more vehemently they declare their positions and affiliations.

Which reminds me of a quote from John Irving's "a Prayer for Owen Meany". in which the American protaganist is accused of being so anti-American, it was unCanadian (inCanadian?).

Besides, if you really want to care the living shit out of those kids, come up to them wearing Clay Aiken T-shirt and tell them you were into Black Flag before American Idol.

J. O. Applegate said...

@DEEPTHROAT-
Hey, I wast just saying he wasn't shilling (campaigning) for McCain as Anom 1:05 stated. Nothing more. After all Kucinich and Clinton have spoken at his events as well. I like you, am a proponent of the true truth.

I agree with your jaundiced viewpoint DT... Personally I think the whole foundation thing is just PR so people feel bad for accusing him of doping all those years. Cynical I know.

AnnaZed said...

"...care the living shit out of those kids..."

For a minute I thought this was some new radical form of tough love or something. Then I realized it was just a typo.

Anonymous said...

If you put enough irony on one article of clothing than it's not ironic anymore, its the irreconcilable hipster conundrum

Anonymous said...

Commiecanuk ...
Here's a tip for your 1.5 year old...

Johannes Albertus Gronemann
Johannes Fredericus Gronemann

Rococo flute music. Really cool.

veloben said...

Long Live the Sex Pistols Gucci Loafers!!!!

Are they drilled for SPD?

Rags said...

King Kog owes me a living.

broomie said...

I heard the Armstrong Foundation actually injected Lance with cancer so they could sell wristbands and help him win the TdF.

And isn't it weird they have the same name? hmmmm.

Anonymous said...

I see where this is going.

BSNYC "APPROVE" T-Shirts, hoodies and bags at Brooklyn Industries and BSNYC trying to figure out how to sue anonymously.

Sigh.

However, Gucci Sex Pistol Loafers drilled for SPDs?

Heck, how could you not want to wear them?

But the rest of you dissing Lance.... Don't make me post a "Leave Lance Alone" video like the one that Britney Spears fan-boy posted on You Tube a while back.

It won't be pretty.

http://tinyurl.com/2weh76

Anonymous said...

leroy - didn't mean to pick on your mancrush. Lance is a nice, stand up guy, a dedicated father and husband, and an inspiration to cyclists and cancer patients everywhere.

Daddo said...

you guys don't even see the artistry of snob right before your eyes....

the subject matter of his blog is a microcosm of the cycling world itself...it used to be about bikes, now it's about t-shirts

BSNYC/RTMS = Super Genius

Carlos from Philly said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Hey. I love your blog. Check out this one, also about/around NYC, also interested in biking and other fun stuff in the city.

www.culturalcapitol.com

Carlos from Philly said...

dude, are you serious about having all of that hipster stuff?

i kinda don't like you anymore.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Carlos,

Are you serious about seriously thinking I might actually have any of that stuff?

--RTMS

Anonymous said...

Just don't misappropriate my idea of a T-Shirt with an arrow pointing straight down and the "I'm With Stupid" slogan.

Makes a great gift.

Carlos from Philly said...

Oh... sorry.

Very good, carry on.

Anonymous said...

Leroy, I understand. I feel much the same way about Contador.

There are far more interesting things that can be done with a webcam, but if need be...

Anonymous said...

Snobby-don't sell yourself short, I bet your ass would look fine in a pair of those tight jeans.

Especially if you wore your party shoes. Did you ever get that heel situation taken care of?

Anonymous said...

Somebody please make a Songs about fucking jersey.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Gaahl,

I can see a watered-down Primal version: "Songs About Biking."

Carlos,

I should also apologize for being defensive--though it was harrowing to learn the precariousness of my esteem.

Frilly,

Let's just say Shoe Service Plus works miracles.

--RTMS

Unknown said...

i'm going to sing "shaved roadies" all the way home today.

Anonymous said...

That looks like the Dead Kennedys' logo to me. Dead Kennedys' logo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:DK_logo.jpg

Crass logo:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Crasslogo_font.png

Anonymous said...

I already despise King Kog so much that the Crass appropriation somehow failed to irritate me. On the other hand, these Nike sneakers designed by Pushead really bothered me, which is weird as I always resented him for promoting awful "crossover" bands.

http://tinyurl.com/y6gzpm

Anonymous said...

Dead Kennedys, Crass... whatever.

Anonymous said...

memories of that "banned from the roxy" song just came to me like some sort of musical acid flash back...

Anonymous said...

You know, we have been so fixated on the fixie fashionista's King Kog shirt, that we've overlooked the poor model's hand problem.

Has he lopped off two fingers to one up Jerry Garcia? Is he a musical Ellen Jamesian?

Or maybe it's an attempt at The University of Texas at Austin Hook 'em Horns in a well meaning homage to Austin resident and Longhorns fan, Lance Armstrong.

Golly, I am so confused.

Salty Seattle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Beautiful.

From a post about punk ethos, to comments including, not one, but two John Irving citations, AND Rococo. Ironically, I'm not cool enough to speak to any of this, as I'm just a roadie.

Anonymous said...

leviathan of 12.44
Cycle Jerks.com have already done the Circle Jerks logo. *I should add the Sam Turner tees are cool !

Seems like half the fixed wheel riders around nowadays are old fart, ex-punk, like myself.

Anonymous said...

Nearly as bad as the younguns who wear Che T shirts and never bother to know who he was. For the facts Ernesto "Che" Guevara was a dear friend of Mr Colnago, so much so he named a bike after him. History lesson complete, class dismissed

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS8Kl282Xzw

Steve Ignorant and Avril Lavigne (and some jerkoff from Metallica?).

Doesn't get much more DIY than this. A Crass t-shirt is about as punk as Hot Topic these days, where incidentally I'm sure you can find Crass t-shirts for sale.

veloben said...

Geez, all my T shirts are just white v necks.

Bummer, no Irony.

Anonymous said...

Another sign the apocalypse is near.

Sewer Trout for President!

Anonymous said...

the thing is that it is equally like the profane existence logo as it is crass, perhaps more so...

Anonymous said...

Leave Coltrane out of it!

Anonymous said...

They jacked the idea from last year's West Side Invite shirt. Portland FTW (Fuck The World or Forever Two Wheels)

Unknown said...

I find most people wear their politics or interests on their sleeves. I think it's about making a statement of belonging and about who you are as an individual. Americans just happen to exhibit this in an over the top or crass fashion. We also have this love of buying things or acquiring things. It's pretty primal, really.

I've been buying stickers of 80's punk bands to put on my 1980's fixie. Why? I don't know, I put stickers of 80's punk bands on my skateboard and my paint box when I was growing up in the 80's and it's a bike from the 80's. I've never seen anyone else put stickers on their bike, so...

I don't care what others do, but the King Kog shirt looks stupid and infringes on something the folks who designed it, probably don't believe in or live by. Crass, Subhumans and the lot of them were about breaking out of social modes, thinking for yourself and struggled with the fact they were the products and voice of a social/fashion movement themselves. Typical artists!!!

Matthew Ruscigno said...

It was like wearing an "I'm With Stupid" t-shirt that points to yourself.

LOLercoaster.

Jonathan said...

i would just like to say that jonathan speaks only for himself, and not for other jonathans.

thank you.

Anonymous said...

I <3 boyzz eheeheehee

Anonymous said...

Last!

Matt said...

Jeez...I don't know whether I feel more like the (once) freshly minted millionaire members of rage against the machine or Steve Albini on the morning he woke up resigned the the fact that he just couldn't make drum machines sound any angrier.

Georges Rouan said...

Sex Pistols Gucci Loafers with SPD drilling: Hardly...spds are corporate creations.

Anonymous said...

not unlike;

http://randazza.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/dischord-minor-threat-v-nike/

except the nike / minor threat thing was a little more ironic?

Anonymous said...

why the lance bashing? seriously, who cares about his charity, he is bringing $$ and attention to cancer, wtf would any of you know about it, other than what you have heard or read. and you know what, any one of us would bang hot famous chicks if we could. so shut yer holes.

Anonymous said...

anonymous 11:58 - some of us lance bash because we don't like lance. Just like you lance defend because you do. We don't tell you to "shut yer hole". It's not what he does that we dislike, it's how he does it. I would bang hot famous chicks if I could, just not one half my age, or after leaving my wife because I became famous, or leaving my girlfriend when she got cancer. And WTF do you know about it, other than what you've read? Learn how to criticize douchebag.

alliwannadoisbicycle said...

establishing the anti-establishment is the coolest!

b said...

in pdx, it's "flux of pink fixies".

Anonymous said...

Geez Snob, you listened to Crass? On a turntable?! You must be older than dirt.

Or is your's an ironic turntable?

At least the T is not $70 in colors like "Beluga".
http://www.rapha.cc/index.php?page=489

Anonymous said...

ant1st said... how do you know he left his wife because he go famous, or his gf because she got cancer? how do you know that? i don't know your age, but unless 1/2 of it is less than 18, you'd bang a hot famous chick. personally, that whole 18 years old thing doesn't bother me. so learn how to fuck, dooshebag.

Anonymous said...

Anon 12:57: Learn how to spell, douchebag. Now go stand by the fents.

Anonymous said...

Please...

i believe the phrase is 'short, famous chicks'. his wife was way hotter.

Anonymous said...

the funniest thing about this whole phenomenon is how asinine all these comments are. I designed that shirt, and i'm fucking proud of it. you got a problem with that? fuck you. go back to whining about shit at yr desk job. and bike snob... if you've got such a problem with the shit gina sells, why don't you go in there and talk to her about it. better yet i design the shit - come talk to me.

of course you won't. you're a chickenshit just like all the douchebags that comment on your site.

"at least i'm fucking trying. what the fuck have YOU done?"

semaj said...

Bill Dozer:

What is the point of the t-shirt, as you have designed it? Is it for pure aesthetics, or is it supposed to be ironic for the sake of irony?

Anonymous said...

"You tell me that I make no difference, well at least I'm DESIGNING T-SHIRTS!!!!! What the fuck have you done?"

Anonymous said...

"yes sir, I will". So funny. Also McClaren didn't invent the sex pistols. He made a lot of claims but was just a lucky opportunist.

veloben said...

Umm, I've designed a T-shirt or two.

Rate it really low on the importance-meter.

Worked sanitation for awhile. In retrospect that actually seems more important.

Anonymous said...

i miss prolly

BikeSnobNYC said...

Bill Dozer,

Thanks for the reply-it's good to hear from you. I would never go into Gina's shop and criticize what she sells--not because I'm "chickenshit,' but because to walk into someone's place of business and criticize their wares would be wrong on every level.

On the other hand, expressing my opinion about a t-shirt being offered for sale on the internet on my own blog seems perfectly appropriate. If people want to come here, read that opinion, and then express agreement or disagreement, then that's great and that's what it's all about. And in all sincerity I'm honored and glad you came here to do so as well. Who knows? This post may have actually sold you guys a few t-shirts.

Gina sells whatever she wants, I write whatever I want, and the cycling world is a better place for it. If you're proud of the shirt you designed, Gina likes it, and you sell a bunch of them, that's all that counts, right? Who cares what I think?

By the way, you can always reach me directly via email. (It's in the profile.) I'm more than happy to have a meaningful discourse with you if you'd like and trade Minor Threat lyrics, though I'm not sure what the point would be. We're all doing our respective things, and in the long run everybody wins, right?

Sincerely and respectfully,

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

well its all goodnwell n´a fine post with lotsa righteous fury at all de flippin kids who`ve jis got no clue n`all... guess the whole argument/rant outta the perspective of the older/wiser perspective IS a little bit handicapped by the fact that it sho`nuff ain`t the bleedin crass logo - but as `nother dude already pointed out - the dead kennedies one. `s a matter of fact, you listenin to that shit on yer dodgy little record player in yer room at twelve suddenly doesn't seem so believable anymore. or is just senility/ memory loss from ye good ole speed-crazed days of punk?

just joshing,
liked the post
but...

Anonymous said...

Bill Dozer taking shit badly since day one

Anonymous said...

trompe l'œil what you just did to the English language was pretty much criminal.

Anonymous said...

it's a cross between the DK's and Crass, but more importantly it's shit.

Anonymous said...

poe-tay-toe
poe-tah-toe

Anonymous said...

i would only get this if it came on an rei wicking poly shirt

Anonymous said...

also, socks prevent chafing and the spread of bacteria

Anonymous said...

cycling shorts with a built-in padded lining and velcro cargo pockets are very popular with many riders

Anonymous said...

many also adopt a "base layer" of a wicking-type fabric

Anonymous said...

avoid "messenger" type bags and opt for a conventional backpack with waistband. they are much more stable. rain covers are available in many attractive colors. you can even get a hydration system if you so desire

Anonymous said...

powder-coating rims is a mistake that is sure to reduce your cycling pleasure in the long run. use rims only as they come finished from the manufacturer

also, always wear a helmet! caps provide little or no protection. "hockey" style helmets are acceptable but remember that a conventional helmet provides the best balance between ventilation and coverage

Anonymous said...

Dude.... you didn't 'design' the t-shirt. You ripped off, reworked, whatever... someone else's.

Do that with a Metallica one and Lars will have your fixie ass in court before you can say 'douchebag' !

Anonymous said...

Ah Metalica, renown litigators and torch bearer of corporate rock

Anonymous said...

Great original shirt creation there little man from the lower east side.You should band togethor with the zionist racist jewish supremicist that sells the anti Obama shirts that are atrocious as well down there.Just a caricature of the past and a bad representation.Its perfectly great and fine for B Snob to make fun of this stuff that has left a stain on biking, and im sure Crass would agree.

Anonymous said...

This post is all about why I love this blog! (And, yes, the UNDFTD tee is lame too.)

Anonymous said...

haha i'm wearing those iron maiden vans right now, but usually i dont go for irony, i just like iron maiden

BMD said...

Ummm...
I don't see a Black Flag logo, Try F.Y.P, nitwit.

Anonymous said...

I think its a mix of the DK logo and the CRASS one actually. The snake head eating its tail is the clue.

Like Ian Mckaye, the CRASS guys, or some of them anyway, never sold out, and still do that 'commune-in-Epping-Forest' thing.

That Conflict criticism was way off the mark; they differed with CRASS over the issue of pacifism, and stood by that. And suffered the strong arm of the law for doing so. As someone said, "at least i'm fucking trying. what the fuck have YOU done?"

Anonymous said...

Кажется, это подойдет.

Custom writing said...

Your creative writing abilities has inspired me.

T Shirt Wicking said...

A very informative article. I really enjoy your discussion.

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