Insults on Tshirts

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Thing I hate #3435 is "T shirts with insulting one liners on them."

Really, every time I see someone wearing one of these things, I think to myself, "what a dumbass."

I dont' feel personally insulted by them, it's not that. I am just of the opinion that a pointless, unaimed insult is NOT in fact the height of wit. It's more like the depth of wit. And not even the wearer's wit. It's someone else's "wit", if you can call it that. Devoid of context or even target, it's like a one liner that someone would love to use if ever the opportunity comes up...but it never does. So it gets said anyways. A barb is only funny in context. They don't work if they are just shouted out in a vacuum...or even worse, written out on a t-shirt.

And yet, they are popular and lots of people wear them. In fact, probably a lot of the people reading this wear them, and are none too thrilled at my opinion of their fashion choice. :o

[Boozy]

I agree.

Those shirts make the wearer look stupid. Like they're trying to say, "Look at how irreverent and sassy I am! I say things with my shirt that you don't even dare to think!" :rolleyes:

[Dreamstalker]

A barb is only funny in context. They don't work if they are just shouted out in a vacuum...or even worse, written out on a t-shirt.

Exactly. The "humor" of most of them is seriously questioned by me; they're just weak and stupid.

I have a shirt that according to my mom might remotely qualify: "Go away or I will replace you with a very small shell script" (I say it wouldn't count as it does require some knowledge to get).

IMO, anyone wearing those generic insult shirts isn't worth even talking to. I regularly saw kids (10 or so, the same ones who would peel paint with their language) at the game store wearing those. Although I suppose they can't be completely blamed as they may think it's funny, but it was the parents who bought the thing (yeah, I was of such an age too, but my mom weaned me off that stage quick).

[Greenday]

I wear those t-shirts. But I don't wear them to make fun of people. I wear them for my own amusement. It's more of an inside thing. T-shirthell is amazing. I only own one t-shirt though. It makes fun of the states that voted Republican in the 2004 election.

It more depends on the shirt to me. If it's a shirt that's completely racist or something, then I won't like it too much, but if it's something small and silly like mine, then I'll chuckle some. Life gets too boring too fast without any humor in it.

[AFPheonix]

I like clever shirts or ones with obscure cultural references, but the ones like this (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/robowan/sveden/redneck_engagement_announcement-705.jpg) only serve to show how churlish you are.

I will admit to giggling a little at some shirts on tshirthell.com and others, but I would never, ever buy them, much less wear them.

I will also cop to my brother buying me a sweatshirt that had the Scarecrow on the front singing "If I only had a brain" and wearing it, but that's not insulting to random people, just to myself :) Too bad I grew out of it.

[Pedersen]

Depends highly on the shirt. I've seen some that I would wear specifically to advertise my mood.

"No, I will not fix your computer." (http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/frustrations/388b/) I'd wear it in a heartbeat. Once it gets out that I know something about computers, I get the "Well, why is IE so slow for me?" "Why does my computer take forever to boot?" "Why does it keep crashing?" etc etc etc ad nauseam. It gets tiring. Insulting? Possibly.

"Go away or I will replace you with a very small shell script." (http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/frustrations/374d/) There's at least one office I'd wear that to. I can't stand the owner. The manager. Hell, anybody there (with one exception, and I'm happily married to her). If I were there, I genuinely would not want to interact with anybody. Insulting? Definitely.

I don't work here. (http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/frustrations/38e2/) How many people would like to wear this just to avoid getting questions when out on their own? Insulting? Debatable.

RTFM (http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/frustrations/3239/) Read The F'ing Manual. See the first one I linked to. Insulting? Again, debateable. But I could definitely see me wearing it.

Your Ringtone Sucks (http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/frustrations/9cff/) Nuff said. Insulting? Oh yeah.

I See Dumb People (http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/frustrations/6b6e/) Same as with "I Don't Work Here". Insulting? Definitely, again.

Witty, any of them? Nah, not really. But I could see me wearing most any of them at various times, since they definitely can reflect my actual mood at the time. And this way, I can avoid dealing with people who don't like that mood, since they'll just shy away from me.

[Giggle Goose]

T-shirthell is amazing. I only own one t-shirt though. It makes fun of the states that voted Republican in the 2004 election.

Pics/linky? :D

[Greenday]

I couldn't find the t-shirt I have. It's a special edition one.

Though here is the link to the website: http://tshirthell.com/

Warning, if you are one of those things where a lot of stuff offends you, just do me a favor and do not click the link.

[Zyanya]

I just saw one that I like.

"My T-Shirt is smarter than your T-Shirt"

[blas87]

I guess I better not order the shirt that says "I'll try being nicer if you try being smarter"

[Boozy]

My brother has one that says "Your t-shirt sucks."

I don't like it.

[IDrinkaRum]

I don't like insulting t-shirts. I prefer to wear cute little t-shirts. However, for St. Paddy's day, I did wear a shirt that read: "Don't hate me 'cos I'm lucky".

[DesignFox]

It depends on the t-shirt. The shirts that are just crude and mean, I don't care for.

But I like some of the "wittier" insults. :) I guess it depends on your definition of witty though...

[AFPheonix]

True. Some people's idea of witty is to have a picture of a penis that says "cover me, I'm going in". :rolleyes:

[DesignFox]

True. Some people's idea of witty is to have a picture of a penis that says "cover me, I'm going in". :rolleyes:

I would say that's crude and tasteless. :p

But I like stuff like the "I don't work here" shirt. Just as an example. I guess I like the more vaguely insulting t-shirts as opposed to the outright insulting t-shirts...

[Seshat]

I own a sticker of the 'go away or I'll replace you with a really small shell script'. It went onto my computer case.

I don't like crudeness. I don't like gratuitous insult. I do find 'go away' witty, but because of the insult value, I chose the sticker rather than the t-shirt.

That said, I laughed when I saw a t-shirt saying 'if you are reading this, the first stage of my world domination plan is complete'.

That, I like. :D

I own a t-shirt that says 'Normal people scare me'. I'm usually in my scooter or a wheelchair when I'm out and about, so most people are free to interpret 'normal' as 'not disabled' and probably get a bit of a kick out of it.

I'd like an 'Evil Geniuses For A Better Tomorrow' t-shirt. ;)

[AFPheonix]

Threadless is having a big sale......

I may have to get some, although they're sold out of the Darth Vader clipping the Death Star arborvitae shirt :(

[IDrinkaRum]

Talking about bumper stickers, I have one that reads "Don't make me roll for initiative". :D Only geeks would understand that. LOL

Husband has a t-shirt that reads: "You have the right to remain silent. Everything you can and will be used against you." It's his fave gaming t-shirt when he's DMing.

[protege]

I like funny bumper stickers, like "Save the Whales...Collect the whole set!." The best though, was seen on the back of a Triumph at a local car show: "All parts falling off this vehicle are of the finest English workmanship" :D

[Bloodsoul]

I'll come right out and admit it; I can definitely be an immature ass at times. Those shirts that Maddox sells on his website? I've got most of them. I also picked up the "Please God, make everyone die. Amen" shirt from Dave Kelly's Purple Pussy comic (though mainly it was half for the "humor", half for supporting him after that debacle with Todd Goldsmith).

Anyway... yes, I find them funny. Some who I've talked to did so, likewise, and some have not shared my particular sense of humor. Thankfully, I've still a number of t-shirts that could be fairly more tasteful (well.. Happy Noodle Boy's probably not tasteful at all, but that's a different arguement). My favourite one so far?

"Frankie Say Relax" ^_^

[Dreamstalker]

I like the more obscure, wittier insults that don't seem to be such until you think about them. The crude, obvious and mostly unfunny ones that haunt every shirt kiosk in every mall in the US, no thanks.
That said, I laughed when I saw a t-shirt saying 'if you are reading this, the first stage of my world domination plan is complete'.

Ooh, I *want* :D

I had an old User Friendly T-shirt with a "Department of Clue Enforcement" Evil Genius In Training seal on the chest. The shirt has gone into the rag bin, the seal was carefully removed and is awaiting a new home.

[DexX]

Back in my late teens I had a very small badge ("button" in Amerispeak) that read "Okay, you found me. Now it's your turn to hide." Pointlessly but mildly insulting, and I loved it. The thing was, I bought it specifically to wear in the presence of a guy at school who shat me up the wall. I told my girlfriend at the time I bought it for someone specific, and she immediately guessed who.

I suspect that this xkcd strip (http://www.xkcd.com/23/) sums up the feelings of many people on this thread. My favourite is "Maybe if this t-shirt is witty enough, someone will finally love me."

[Sylvia727]

Immature and insulting tees are not funny. But I do admit to laughing out loud at some gems I've read on t-shirts. I also own quite a few. And there's just something funny about writing on a shirt; I suppose it's the passive element. For example, I wore a shirt that read "I used to have superhuman powers, but my therapist took them away" to an appointment with my therapist. Halfway through the session, he started laughing, and then promised he wouldn't take my powers away. Afterward, he brought me around to his colleagues' offices so they could get a kick out of it too. *shrug* I guess I'm trying to say that some of them are funny and some aren't. The funny ones are really funny, and the unfunny ones really aren't.

[XCashier]

I have a T-shirt that says, "Those who think they know everything annoy those of us that do." I've gotten a few laughs with that.

I don't mind funny or mildly insulting T-shirts, as long as they aren't racist, sexist or vulgar.

[IDrinkaRum]

I have to admit I want the t-shirt that reads: "Where am I and why am I in this handbasket?" :D I just think it's amusing, and I joke with my mom about it all the time (that I'm going to go to heck).

[BlaqueKatt]

my husband's favorite shirt is one that says-"every day I think people can't get any stupider, every day I'm proven horribly wrong"

I like it