You would think, considering how much the Internet loves calling people out for random acts of misogyny, sexism, racism, and other problematic ideologies, that manufacturers would think twice before putting potentially offensive messages on their clothes. You would think. It seems, however, that is a lesson they are determined to continue learning the hard way (or not learning at all). Spreadshirt, a popular t-shirt manufacturing company, is evidently quite serious about it's "anything goes" policy, allowing retailers to print messages with cringeworthy messages ranging from pro-rape to pro-eating disorder, plus all the racist and misogynistic messages you can handle (and then a some), all of which has prompted a petition for Spreadshirt to remove its offensive content. As of right now, the petition has reached about 1,500 signatures of their 10,000 signature goal.
It's murky territory, petitioning to change a company's policies: Should Spreadshit...er...shirt be responsible for content that originates outside their company if they're the ones disseminating the products themselves? Those who say "yes", including the creators of the petition, argue that Spreadshirt is giving a platform to these damaging words, which is at least as egregious as coming up with the words themselves (if not even more so). The company prints shirts that say things like "Breathtakingly Bony" and "Alluringly Anorexic" under the banner of creating a space where "customers can let their fantasies run free." Even if those fantasies include raping people! Cool! But regardless of whose idea it was to print the shirts in the first place, it is Spreadshirt that is ultimately perpetuating these psychologically damaging sentiments by allowing the shirts to get made at all.
"TELL ME HOW TO LOVE YOU BABY Like, where do you park? Do you live alone? Do you have nosey neighbors? What floor do you live on? And when would you be least expecting it?"
And it doesn't stop there: the site includes shirts that say things like "WIFE - Washing Ironing Fucking Etc," and "SWALLOW - Or it's going in your eye!" I am sure there are people in the world who will argue that shirts like this are "harmless" or a "joke," but the truth is that even so-called jokes are slowly but surely making this kind of mindset more acceptable in real life, especially to the impressionable young buyers Spreadshirt's designers target with these messages.
Beyond signing the petition, advocators against the offensive t-shirts are encouraging people to tweet your concern to Spreadshirt with the hashtag #spreadshit.
Images: Spreadshirt(10)
