Merry F—ing Christmas?

"Merry F-ing Christmas!" Hardly a traditional Christmas greeting is it? I thought so too until I saw it for sale on a T-shirt available from the Urban Outfitters website. I am all about business, and I am all about giving the customer what they want, but this just might be my line in the sand. What makes this holiday insult worse, it’s on a page directed at teens.

If the “Christmas T” is not to your liking you can always get a nice, “See You In Hell,” version or perhaps a “Blood Is The New Black,” would send a more cordial holiday greeting to your favorite adolescent.

The Real Message

What is the real message that apparel like this demonstrates? To me it screams that there is a large enough market of teens that are totally disconnected from their parents and from what is permissible in society. It’s one thing for a teen to actually wear clothing with obscenities emblazoned all over it in public, but it’s another for responsible parents to have to shield their younger children from these messages.

Free Speech,

Unfortunately the 2^nd amendment also protects stupid speech as well. We’ve come a long way from the, “I’m With Stupid” shirts that were once so popular. Public obscenity laws vary all across our country. Some fall under local city ordinances and extend to federal laws as to what can be worn in federal buildings and offices.

Commercialism

Christmas clothing is a $200 billion dollar business. Some consumers believe that demand creates products. I have a hard time believing that teens complained that there just aren’t enough tops with obscenities on them. There are also those that believe that this type of clothing is a form of rebellion by teens against their parents. They might leave home dressed in acceptable wear then change to the offensive clothing later.

Some Final Thoughts

I know, to some, I’m sounding like an old prude. But I guess my upbringing is to blame. I can never remember my parents ever using obscene language. That seemed to be reserved for my older brother and me. But obscenity has become big business. A Google search for “obscenity clothing” will bring up many sites where you can get as explicit as you like in shirts or hats.

Obscenity has worked its way into our culture, our literature, movies, video games, and the biggest culprit, the Internet. What used to be the F-Bomb is now just an f-hiccup. Unfortunately its use is hardly noticed in public or private conversation.