Designer clothing a good thing, or a backdoor into our childrens subconscious?

Note. Mods please move if in wrong forum. I didn't know where else to put it.

Me and my wife were in Austin this weekend and were out eating when i saw this kid, probably around fourteen or so wearing this hat that caught my attention.




Now this wasn't my first time seeing this clothing line in public, but this time it just made me think. I'm gonna keep this short and sweet and get feedback from the community.

I get what the clothing line is doing, I think, in bringing attention to propaganda. I just simply don't trust it once it hits a level of corporatism where it becomes watered down and plastic so to speak.

Did this kid wearing the hat "get it"? Was he truly socially aware at such a young age? Or is this the target age to plaster this stuff on so that the image that creeps into our childrens subconscious is to simply obey what they are told. Follow the cool kids, don't question the authority. It seems like an over the top version of They Live without the glasses.

Now, I could be over thinking the whole thing, but thats why I bring this to you guys and gals. Have I looked too far into this, or are we now walking billboards being told to sit down, shut up, and follow the status quo?

Interesting... Why would any cool kid want to wear that though?

reply to post by DarknStormy


Because it appears that more and more it is becoming a trend. It is an urban trend and that is being cool in our youth culture these days. All it takes is some top echelon hip hop artist wearing it, and it sells like crazy whether the kids know what they are buying or not.

reply to post by wondermost


I have seen this clothing line previously, and thought to myself "man, I really hope people are wearing it because they get the point." Then I thought just wearing it would be perpetuating the cycle, regardless of intent.

Either way it's over priced crap. I'll stick to my cheap comfortable jeans and plain t-shirts.

reply to post by watchitburn


No doubt, and this is my point. I simply just don't believe that these kids understand it. I'm positive some do, but for the most part its "I saw such and such celebrity wearing it, so I've gotta have it!"

We all did this when we were young, but the slogan worries me. I see it as having a very dangerous message if not understood.

MANIFESTO


The OBEY sticker campaign can be explained as an experiment in Phenomenology. Heidegger describes Phenomenology as “the process of letting things manifest themselves.” Phenomenology attempts to enable people to see clearly something that is right before their eyes but obscured; things that are so taken for granted that they are muted by abstract observation.

The FIRST AIM OF PHENOMENOLOGY is to reawaken a sense of wonder about one’s environment. The OBEY sticker attempts to stimulate curiosity and bring people to question both the sticker and their relationship with their surroundings. Because people are not used to seeing advertisements or propaganda for which the product or motive is not obvious, frequent and novel encounters with the sticker provoke thought and possible frustration, nevertheless revitalizing the viewer’s perception and attention to detail. The sticker has no meaning but exists only to cause people to react, to contemplate and search for meaning in the sticker. Because OBEY has no actual meaning, the various reactions and interpretations of those who view it reflect their personality and the nature of their sensibilities.

Many people who are familiar with the sticker find the image itself amusing, recognizing it as nonsensical, and are able to derive straightforward visual pleasure without burdening themselves with an explanation. The PARANOID OR CONSERVATIVE VIEWER however may be confused by the sticker’s persistent presence and condemn it as an underground cult with subversive intentions. Many stickers have been peeled down by people who were annoyed by them, considering them an eye sore and an act of petty vandalism, which is ironic considering the number of commercial graphic images everyone in American society is assaulted with daily.

Another phenomenon the sticker has brought to light is the trendy and CONSPICUOUSLY CONSUMPTIVE nature of many members of society. For those who have been surrounded by the sticker, its familiarity and cultural resonance is comforting and owning a sticker provides a souvenir or keepsake, a memento. People have often demanded the sticker merely because they have seen it everywhere and possessing a sticker provides a sense of belonging. The Giant sticker seems mostly to be embraced by those who are (or at least want to seem to be) rebellious. Even though these people may not know the meaning of the sticker, they enjoy its slightly disruptive underground quality and wish to contribute to the furthering of its humorous and absurd presence which seems to somehow be antiestablishment/societal convention. Giant stickers are both embraced and rejected, the reason behind which, upon examination reflects the psyche of the viewer. Whether the reaction be positive or negative, the stickers existence is worthy as long as it causes people to consider the details and meanings of their surroundings. In the name of fun and observation.

Shepard Fairey, 1990

www.obeygiant.com...

Originally posted by clay2 baraka

MANIFESTO


The OBEY sticker campaign can be explained as an experiment in Phenomenology. Heidegger describes Phenomenology as “the process of letting things manifest themselves.” Phenomenology attempts to enable people to see clearly something that is right before their eyes but obscured; things that are so taken for granted that they are muted by abstract observation.

The FIRST AIM OF PHENOMENOLOGY is to reawaken a sense of wonder about one’s environment. The OBEY sticker attempts to stimulate curiosity and bring people to question both the sticker and their relationship with their surroundings. Because people are not used to seeing advertisements or propaganda for which the product or motive is not obvious, frequent and novel encounters with the sticker provoke thought and possible frustration, nevertheless revitalizing the viewer’s perception and attention to detail. The sticker has no meaning but exists only to cause people to react, to contemplate and search for meaning in the sticker. Because OBEY has no actual meaning, the various reactions and interpretations of those who view it reflect their personality and the nature of their sensibilities.

Many people who are familiar with the sticker find the image itself amusing, recognizing it as nonsensical, and are able to derive straightforward visual pleasure without burdening themselves with an explanation. The PARANOID OR CONSERVATIVE VIEWER however may be confused by the sticker’s persistent presence and condemn it as an underground cult with subversive intentions. Many stickers have been peeled down by people who were annoyed by them, considering them an eye sore and an act of petty vandalism, which is ironic considering the number of commercial graphic images everyone in American society is assaulted with daily.

Another phenomenon the sticker has brought to light is the trendy and CONSPICUOUSLY CONSUMPTIVE nature of many members of society. For those who have been surrounded by the sticker, its familiarity and cultural resonance is comforting and owning a sticker provides a souvenir or keepsake, a memento. People have often demanded the sticker merely because they have seen it everywhere and possessing a sticker provides a sense of belonging. The Giant sticker seems mostly to be embraced by those who are (or at least want to seem to be) rebellious. Even though these people may not know the meaning of the sticker, they enjoy its slightly disruptive underground quality and wish to contribute to the furthering of its humorous and absurd presence which seems to somehow be antiestablishment/societal convention. Giant stickers are both embraced and rejected, the reason behind which, upon examination reflects the psyche of the viewer. Whether the reaction be positive or negative, the stickers existence is worthy as long as it causes people to consider the details and meanings of their surroundings. In the name of fun and observation.

Shepard Fairey, 1990

www.obeygiant.com...

So I guess I fall under the paranoid or conservative viewer? lol. I think I will be paranoid some more and dig around and see if I can see who this Shepard Fairey has ties to.

Originally posted by wondermost

So I guess I fall under the paranoid or conservative viewer? lol. I think I will be paranoid some more and dig around and see if I can see who this Shepard Fairey has ties to.

No worries, I'll make you paranoid..
upload.wikimedia.org...

Right off the bat, we find our author of the manifesto has ties to Obama. I swear to your deity of choice that I had no idea who the designer was before I started this thread.

Shepard Fairly

Yes its a wiki link, but he is the credited artist.

I find myself a bit more paranoid now.......

reply to post by clay2 baraka


GAAAAAH! Beat me to it!

So the guy drew inspiration from They Live, and the goal is to make you question your surroundings and everything around you. Question everything. Then he goes on to make the famous "Hope" Obama campaign poster.

I don't trust it. Not one bit.

We should have all question the hope that we put into Obama in the first place, so I guess looking back his campaign poster was a success.

consider that in the past, children, and adults, have killed for Nike shoes. NOT, not because they were the last shoes anywhere and NOT because they were othodically perfect, but SOLELY BECAUSE THEY WANTED THE CORPORATE LABEL ON THEIR SHOES!!!!!!!!!!!

I say this again, children were killing for Jordan shoes in order to advertise for the company via the logo. The idea what one would buy a shirt, FOR the logo, then advertise for the company by wearing the logo around is absurd, let alone perceive value in the logo shirt which is made by slave labor making ALL the different logo shirts. Why isn't the company who puts the logo on paying folks to advertise for them, they pay TV stations, billboard companies etc., but the people who wear the logo have to pay to wear it.