You've got to Express Yourself.

Well, I'm now officially humming Madonna's Express Yourself as I sit here and write this post.

"Express yourself

[you've got to make him]
Express himself
Hey, hey, hey, hey
So if you want it right now,
make him show you how
Express what hes got,
oh baby ready or not"

Of course these lyrics don't have a lot to do with what we're discussing today, but I thought it was interesting how in a society of people commanding us to "express yourself," we fail to actually pull it off without upsetting someone else, which brings me to my point today.

Can you express yourself effectively through custom t-shirts without upsetting someone?

In custom t-shirts news today, I read two more articles on people being upset with custom t-shirts representing what they feel to be inappropriate subject matter. The word "controversy" keeps popping up alongside custom t-shirts, making me wonder why we have such a problem with the concept of "express yourself."

I received a comment from ValleyGirl on yesterday's post and I wanted to explore it a bit in today's post. Thank you ValleyGirl for leaving a comment. I really appreciate it.

"I think people should wear whatever they want, as long as its not spreading hate."

I completely agree. We should be able to wear custom t-shirts without offending someone else. Is the problem then that some people are just too touchy, or that we (as a culture) just have too much to say?

Freedom of Speech is supposed to allow us to discuss whatever we want, but what do we do when some people are discussing socially or morally taboo subjects? What about those who don't believe the Holocaust happened? If they wear custom t-shirts saying "The Holocaust Never Happened" are they spreading hate? It's a fine line we draw. It all leads back to the question of what is truth? And what are we allowed to say? Freedom of Speech definitely has some flaws.

Custom t-shirts are supposed to be fun, but at the same time allow us to express our opinions, our viewpoints and our personalities. Create a design, generate some discussion and make a difference.

Want to contribute to this discussion, or suggest another? I love hearing from you. Leave me a comment below.

-Katie

George Bush T-Shirt Causes Controversy on Airline

Okay, so this isn't exactly breaking news as it is a story from just about a year ago, but I figured why not write about some t-shirt "news" anyhow... This is one of those moments in history where the entire "freedom of speech" thing seems to just go out the door.


"An Australian was barred from a London-Melbourne flight unless he removed a T-shirt depicting George Bush as the world's number one terrorist." - Mark Dunn (News.com.au)

I was surfing the internet under the heading "t-shirt news" just to see if there was anything interesting to discuss today here and wouldn't you know it, this article on t-shirts comes up. After reading through the article and sitting in utter shock, I now feel as though I have some things to say. Brace yourselves.



It is unbelievable to imagine that a man, who is not even in the United States of America would be hassled on an airline going no where near the United States of America simply for wearing a t-shirt that depicts George Bush as a terrorist. What happened to laws of Freedom of Speech and the ability to have an opinion? T-shirts are historically used as walking canvases to display a message. They've helped presidents win elections, why shouldn't they be allowed to express valid opinions on presidents? I don't see a difference, frankly.



Custom t-shirts are supposed to exist in order to express oneself. While I do appreciate the fact that George Bush wouldn't be too thrilled to be called a terrorist, he has still placed himself in a position where he's bound to be discussed by running for president. Is it really so wrong for someone to sit on an airline with a custom t-shirt on?

If we can't express ourselves through our clothing and especially with t-shirts, then what's the point of having an opinion at all? Freedom of Speech shouldn't have limitations when it is peaceful.

What do you think? Let me know your opinions. Leave me a comment below.

Cheers!