Selling Out with the Dead Kennedys
I was 14 years old when the Dead Kennedy's broke up. I did not even know who they were until a year later when a friend recommended their compilation release Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death. I fell in love with them immediately. Their songs assuaged my teenage angst and were a good soundtrack for the Ronnie Raygun era. They were an anti-corporate and irreverent band who were put on trial for obscenity charges and were investigated by the FBI. They seemed to stand for something while other bands like say the Sex Pistols were later exposed as a bit money hungry.
I was quite surprised when I saw a Dead Kennedy’s shirt at Von Maur Department Store last night. It was on sale for the reasonable price of 35 dollars alongside faux vintage shirts from the likes of AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. Of course, the t-shirts were made in a third world country. All I can say is “say it ain’t so, Jello”.
I was quite surprised when I saw a Dead Kennedy’s shirt at Von Maur Department Store last night. It was on sale for the reasonable price of 35 dollars alongside faux vintage shirts from the likes of AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. Of course, the t-shirts were made in a third world country. All I can say is “say it ain’t so, Jello”.
posted by torporindy at 5/31/2006
11 Comments:
The Alley in Chicago has losts of great classic punk shirts for much cheaper, and lots of the made in the US of A.
Like the song "punk for Sale".
I saw a Clash shirt, Led Zepplin, and ACDC, and a bunch of others at Kmart. They had that vintage look to it.
I have real old Cheap Trick shirts and Misfits shirts, etc.. that took years of hard work to get them faded like that. It's not fair.
Ah, yes, on Clark? I haven't been there in a while. I'll have to stop by on my next trip.
Nolff, I have some really cool old concert tshirts. My brother in law used to own a security company. He recently gave me a few from the late 80s and early 90s and told me to try and unload them on ebay. I've been too lazy.
$35???!
I saw a "Kermit the Frog Wore Khakis" t-shirt today. Much as I dislike the corruption of pop icons for commercial purposes, I did like that campaign, as it meant all sorts of unexpected but still wonderful pictures turned up where I least expected to see them.
You think that T-shirt is commercialization, I just picked up some Dead Kennedys Breakfast Cereal at Meijer. Where will it end?
^ Ha!
Long ago, I stopped being bugged about this kind of stuff. It's inevitable in the scheme of things.
Yeah, I know, Jim. I have mostly gotten over it, but it still bothers me when it is punk bands.
Nolff, the clash at k-mart? I am not surprised.
it isn't jello. it's the other band members. there was a lengthy legal case as to who had the rights to the name and logos between jello and the rest of them, and the rest of them won. i'm sure jello isn't happy about it.
Great article! Thanks.
Thanks for interesting article.
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