A T-shirt is often like a valued friend. Wearing it will make you feel happy and comfortable. A humorous slogan will make others laugh. It may even open their eyes and get them thinking. This is the power of offensive t-shirts.
When a slogan is provocative, people will talk about it. This encourages dialogue and deeper thinking about the message. It is after all not necessarily the message itself, but rather the way that people react to it, that can offend, especially when the slogan touches on human rights issues like gay rights or women's rights.
There are many different types of slogan or design that can be provocative. Most of these are designed with the intent of shocking or at least provoking dialogue. Often they're political or they comment on religious or societal attitudes. An example would be one with a slogan that calls for gay marriage to become legal. This may upset many people, but some of them may start thinking about their own attitudes toward homosexuality and whether these are justifiable.
A great time for interesting and clever slogans are during an election campaign. Designs with 'Vote for Candidate A' are everywhere and the message may become lost. However, a humorous design that pokes good-natured fun at Candidate B will explain to people why they should be voting for Candidate A instead. They may not even realize that you are trying to sway their vote. This is a much more effective way of drumming up support for the candidate of your choice.
A common theme for tees that are designed to offend is bodily functions. Talking about your diarrhea, for instance, will get the basest reaction from other people. Often they will simply look at the design or slogan and say 'Yuck'. However, a cleverly designed slogan can make people wonder why it is that perfectly normal functions like breaking wind, going to the toilet or menstruation aren't mentioned in polite company.
It is of course also possible that a seemingly innocent design can offend. For example, many teenage girls like wearing T-shirts that talk about how they are sexy and beautiful. This may sound like an affirmational message, but some may interpret it as sending the message that a woman is only judged by her sex appeal. The effect is that the message is interpreted in the complete opposite way.
The person wearing the particular slogan has the power to make that slogan either meaningless or to make it more powerful. This is often the case when a slogan that tries to reinforce an ethnic stereotype is worn by a person of that particular ethnicity. The person shows that the stereotype isn't valid. At the same time, he or she fights bigotry with a sense of humor, rising above the petty behavior on the part of the T-shirt designer.
When you decide to design or wear offensive T-shirts, you should carefully consider the message. There is a fine line between being provocative and being downright hurtful. That slogan that makes fun of rape, for instance, may sound clever to you but it won't to the statistical average of one in four women who has been raped.
When a slogan is provocative, people will talk about it. This encourages dialogue and deeper thinking about the message. It is after all not necessarily the message itself, but rather the way that people react to it, that can offend, especially when the slogan touches on human rights issues like gay rights or women's rights.
There are many different types of slogan or design that can be provocative. Most of these are designed with the intent of shocking or at least provoking dialogue. Often they're political or they comment on religious or societal attitudes. An example would be one with a slogan that calls for gay marriage to become legal. This may upset many people, but some of them may start thinking about their own attitudes toward homosexuality and whether these are justifiable.
A great time for interesting and clever slogans are during an election campaign. Designs with 'Vote for Candidate A' are everywhere and the message may become lost. However, a humorous design that pokes good-natured fun at Candidate B will explain to people why they should be voting for Candidate A instead. They may not even realize that you are trying to sway their vote. This is a much more effective way of drumming up support for the candidate of your choice.
A common theme for tees that are designed to offend is bodily functions. Talking about your diarrhea, for instance, will get the basest reaction from other people. Often they will simply look at the design or slogan and say 'Yuck'. However, a cleverly designed slogan can make people wonder why it is that perfectly normal functions like breaking wind, going to the toilet or menstruation aren't mentioned in polite company.
It is of course also possible that a seemingly innocent design can offend. For example, many teenage girls like wearing T-shirts that talk about how they are sexy and beautiful. This may sound like an affirmational message, but some may interpret it as sending the message that a woman is only judged by her sex appeal. The effect is that the message is interpreted in the complete opposite way.
The person wearing the particular slogan has the power to make that slogan either meaningless or to make it more powerful. This is often the case when a slogan that tries to reinforce an ethnic stereotype is worn by a person of that particular ethnicity. The person shows that the stereotype isn't valid. At the same time, he or she fights bigotry with a sense of humor, rising above the petty behavior on the part of the T-shirt designer.
When you decide to design or wear offensive T-shirts, you should carefully consider the message. There is a fine line between being provocative and being downright hurtful. That slogan that makes fun of rape, for instance, may sound clever to you but it won't to the statistical average of one in four women who has been raped.
