81 lines
4.7 KiB
Plaintext
81 lines
4.7 KiB
Plaintext
AUGUST 2, 1983
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T-SHIRTS
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THE HUMAN BUMPERSTICKER
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WHAT THE BUMPERSTICKER IS TO OUR CAR, THE T-SHIRT HAS BECOME TO OUR BODY.
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THE FACT IS, OF COURSE, THAT THE T-SHIRT, WITH ITS WIDE OPEN SPACES FOR
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GRAPHICS AND ART, OUTPERFORMS THE BUMPERSTICKER ON MOST FRONTS (NO PUN
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INTENDED). IT OFFERS A SCOPE, IMPACT AND INDIVIDUALIZED MESSAGE BEFITTING A
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PERSONAL MEDIUM OF EXPRESSION WHICH GOES AROUND WITH ONE'S FACE HOVERING
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PERPETUALLY OVER IT.
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T-SHIRT PORTENTS PRIMARILY FALL INTO THE CATEGORY OF CRYPTIC COMMENTARY,
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ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND THE PLACE AND/OR EVENT SOUVENIER SORT WHICH BOAST WHERE
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AND WITH WHOM THE WEARER HAS ASSOCIATED - (OR WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ASSOCIATED BUT
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COULDN'T GET THERE AND SO WAS REDUCED TO PURCHASING THROUGH THE MAIL.) "GET
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STUFFED" WOULD BELONG IN THE FIRST CATEGORY, A WRAP-AROUND PRINT OF PICASSO'S
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"GUERNICA" IN THE SECOND, AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE THIRD. THE
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THIRD CATEGORY IS BY FAR THE LARGEST AND CERTAINLY THE ONE TO WHICH MOST
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T-SHIRTS WORN AROUND WILLIAMSBURG BELONG.
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COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG ITSELF DOESN'T GET INTO T-SHIRTS (EXCEPT ON WEEKENDS,
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AROUND THE HOUSE PERHAPS). THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT WOULD ONLY SAY, WITH A
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SLIGHTLY DERISIVE AIR, THAT T-SHIRTS "ARE NOT OUR LINE." BUT
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WILLIAMSBURG-ORIENTED T-SHIRTS ARE THE MAJOR ITEM AT T-SHIRT OUTLETS LIKE
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PEABODY'S OUT ON ROUTE 60: EVERYTHING FROM THE UBIQUITOUS AND INFURIATING "I
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LOVE WILLIAMSBURG" WITH THE UBIQUITOUS AND INFURIATING HEART, TO "I SURVIVED
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THE ECONOMIC SUMMIT." AND T-SHIRTS ARE "A TOP ITEM" AS WELL AT BUSCH GARDENS,
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ACCORDING TO DEBRA JENNEMANN OF THE BUSCH PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE. SHE SAYS THE
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MOST POPULAR MODEL IS THE "I SURVIVED THE LOCH NESS MONSTER" FEATURING THE
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DOUBLE, INTERLOCKING LOOPS OF THE BEAST EMBLAZONED ON THE BREAST.
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TOURISM T-SHIRTS, LIKE ROCK CONCERT T-SHIRTS, SHOW THAT THE WEARER HAS
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SURVIVED SOME EXTRAORDINARY RITE OF PASSAGE. THOSE WHO HAVE ATTENDED ROLLING
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STONES CONCERTS HAVE, IN FACT, THE RIGHT TO CONSIDER THEMSELVES BATTLE-HARDENED
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VETERANS. THIS IS SIGNIFICANT IN THAT THE VERY FIRST T-SHIRTS WERE STOLEN OR
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BOUGHT OFF FRENCH TROOPS BY AMERICAN DOUGHBOYS IN WW I. THE US ARMY HAD
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ORIGINALLY SENT SOLDIERS OFF TO FIGHT IN LONG-SLEEVED, WOOLEN UNDERSHIRTS.
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EASY TO GUESS WHY THE LIGHT, COTTON-KNIT, SHORT SLEEVE SHIRTS WERE PREFERRED.
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THE AMERICAN MILITARY DID CATCH ON, THOUGH, AND BY WW II THE NAVY HAD
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REPLACED THE OLD TANK-TYPE, TWO STRAP UNDERSHIRT (THE U-SHIRT?) WITH THE NEW
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"SKIVVY" SHIRT. BUT THE T-SHIRT REALLY HIT ITS STRIDE WHEN MARLON BRANDO,
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PLAYING STANLEY KOWALSKI IN PROVOCATIVELY TORN T-SHIRT, YELLED "STELLAAAAH!" IN
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THE 1951 FILM "A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE." JAMES DEAN, ELVIS AND AMERICA SOON
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FOLLOWED SUIT (OR SHIRT, IN THIS CASE).
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IN THE LATE 50'S THE ART OF THE AIRBRUSH, ORIGINALLY APPLIED TO CARS IN
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, BEGAN TO APPEAR ON THE FORMERLY STARK WHITE T-SHIRTS OF
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DRIVERS: FLAMES, SKULLS; IMMODESTLY DRESSED WOMEN. LIKE OTHER PLAGUES FROM
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THE WEST COAST, THIS ONE SOON SPREAD, HITTING TRUE VIRULENCE IN THE 60'S WHEN
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T-SHIRTS AND JEANS BECAME THE UNIFORM OF YOUTH. EDITH MAYO, A POLITICAL
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HISTORY CURATOR IN THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE'S MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY ADDS
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THAT "AFTER THE MID-60'S, T-SHIRTS BECAME A MAJOR FORM OF POLITICAL
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COMMUNICATION AND EXPRESSION -- A POLITICAL STREET MEDIUM..." YES, THE
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SMITHSONIAN, LIKE THE REST OF US, HAS ITS OWN COLLECTION OF T-SHIRTS, INCLUDING
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A RARE "DEW-IT-WITH DEWEY" MODEL FROM THE '48 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.
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CHECK YOUR OWN BOTTOM DRESSER DRAWER. YOU MAY HAVE A COLLECTOR'S ITEM LYING
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WADDED UP AND MILDEWING IN OBSCURITY. HOW ABOUT THAT FADED BUT BEAUTIFUL 1948
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ROY ROGERS JOB, OR THAT OLD ELVIS T WITH HIS GREATEST HITS ON IT? OR MAYBE YOU
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HAVE THAT REMBRANDT OF T-SHIRTS, THE 1939 CLASSIC "OZ" SHIRT FROM THE FILM OF
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THE SAME NAME. AND THERE ARE OTHERS: THOMAS JEFFERSON'S WILLIAM AND MARY
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ATHLETIC GREY T-SHIRT; RICHARD THE LIONHEART'S "THE CRUSADES WERE A GROOVE"
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DAY-GLO T; OR THE LEGENDARY "I SURVIVED THE FLOOD" T-SHIRTS SUPPOSEDLY WORN BY
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NOAH'S TEENAGE BOYS.
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THE T-SHIRT, AS WE KNOW IT TODAY - A MODE OF PERSONAL EXPRESSION - IS AN
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APPROPRIATELY AMERICAN PHENOMENON. AMERICANS EMPLOY AND ENJOY FREE SPEECH TO
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AN EXTENT UNKNOWN ANYWHERE ELSE. EVEN THOSE TOO RESERVED TO WEAR THEIR HEART
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ON THEIR SLEEVE ARE OFTEN FOUND WEARING THEIR RELIGION, POLITICS, ART,
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PHILOSOPHY, OR MOST RECENT WHERABOUTS ON THEIR CHEST. IT'S ALL PART OF THE ART
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OF COMMUNICATION. AND THEY SAY CONVERSATION IS DEAD.
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OH. HOW THE T-SHIRT GOT ITS NAME? WELL, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE ORIGINAL
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FRENCH ARMY UNDERSHIRT WAS ACTUALLY SHAPED LIKE A "W" AND CALLED THE "C-SHIRT"
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- "C" FOR "CHAMOIS," OR SOMETHING INSCRUTABLY FRENCH, WHICH IS THEIR WORD FOR
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"SHIRT." THE "T" IS SIMPLY A MISTRANSLATION. HONEST.
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