Not feeling it.

Devil possession free last time I checked!

7-11, not 9-11 =DIVISIVE

Seconded, Fazgun.

The funny thing is, if these shirts were made by some white people, there would probably be a post on Sepiamutiny about how racist, offensive and inappropriate they were.

First one's okay, second NOT, third really good.

7-11, not 9-11 =DIVISIVE

It's a play on 'dot, not feather.'

First one, on red blue and white.

Second one is awesome. So much post-9/11 bridge building was based on "We too are monotheists begat by Abraham", that's pretty divisive. As if my rights in this country are determined by how far my religion deviates from the Old Testament

6 · Manish Vij said

It's a play on 'dot, not feather.'

8 · louiecypher said

Second one is awesome. So much post-9/11 bridge building was based on "We too are monotheists begat by Abraham", that's pretty divisive. As if my rights in this country are determined by how far my religion deviates from the Old Testament

I think you should have represented the 11 in 9-11 with the twin towers. So you can really drive (or was it fly) home the message you want to convey...

I am slamming advocacy groups whose conception of "American-ness" is faith based and not all that different from Ralph Reed's (and progressives like you with your double standards)

9 · i slam islam? said

I am slamming advocacy groups whose conception of "American-ness" is faith based

Didn't realize that was what the second tee said. Forgive me for thinking it said "I am Indian, not Middle eastern." I also didn't realize Sepia and UB were all aboard the Joe Biden train now.

(and progressives like you with your double standards)

Hey, now. I was just giving a helpful suggestion to make the point clearer.

So what are the msgs on these shirts really supposed to mean? Don't see any humor at all, maybe some art....that too lifted from other designs we have seen on underwears, flip-flops, toilet seats etc. So much for being original and ultrabrown!!! I second the feeling of Captain Umrica. I guess Mr. Vij is going to wear these t-shirts on his next trip to discover India

The first image is from an Indian Newspaper...Hindu philosophy is rooted in the concept that we can have a personal interpretation of everything and anything. These tshirts are supposed to be light hearted, just don't buy one.

That being said, I would like to lay a side bet with anyone who cares, that the second tshirt will get far more objections; the first one is only offensive to Hindus and consequently most people who will not like it will be labelled Modi-lovin-onanists.

Thus need their objections to be met with condescension

The second t-shirt is both offensive and divisive. I'm sure if we give it time we can add other "-ives" to the list. It's not comparable to "dots, not feathers."

In my humble opinion both of these shirts are offensive.

I don't like any of these ideas. and frankly speaking you are pissing me off with your crappy designs that only strengthens misconceptions and incorrect stereotypes about desis.

Wow, all the t-shirt designs that have been put up have been pretty fugly.

I don't know if you have designers working on the images, or you're just knocking them up yourself, but go to www.uneetee.com to see how t-shirt images should look like. Clean, visually distinct, and simple.

You have a slew of ugly, badly designed photos, that don't seem to be as smart/funny as the creators think they are.

Someone above mentioned that "If they were designed by white people, the shirts would be considered racist/offensive." Right on.

Is it possible for bloggers to be trolls on their own websites? This post seems to be a blatant provocation designed to hurt the sentiments of Hindus.

I thought the original TOI picture with Obama and Hillary was actually pretty funny. The first T-shirt doesn't offend me, but I just think its lame since its essentially ripping off the TOI theme.

The second and third ones are just tasteless, but the fourth one is cute.

I like the second one. The responses to it are standard and expected. Yawn.

19 · JGandhi said

Is it possible for bloggers to be trolls on their own websites? This post seems to be a blatant provocation designed to hurt the sentiments of Hindus.

saffron provocation? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Paging Saffron Balls of Salvation!!!! Between alpha and omega...there is Saffron!!! Seriously, didn't anyone play titty-twister as a child?

What does Ganesha have to do with 7-11?
Are all Indians who work at 7-11 supposed to be Hindu?
t-shirts are not funny or offensive, they just don't make much sense.
YMMV

Cry for the crass commercialization of everything Hindu... everyone in India does it, why not here ? As a Hindu, I think I would feel really horrid if I see a guy wearing the second T-shirt coming out of the loo.

second one is stupid and offensive shirt

All the criticisms I would have made (and some that I wouldnt have ;) have already been made, so I'll just compliment you on the politics of the first shirt. Obama's charisma and Obama as a Black man made up in blue, and the riff on Obama as the messiah are all perfect :) It's actually a nice summary of some of the complexity of Obama and the criticisms he faces, whether intended or not :) The only thing it misses is that he's a sharp cookie, but it is just a t-shirt :) Maybe you can give him some glasses or something :)

I agree that the intended message of the 2nd shirt doesn't come across.

Like i slam islam?, I read it as some kind of "I am Indian/Hindu/a 7-11 owner, not Middle Eastern/Muslim/terrorist" statement. Which is reductionist and exclusionist, and really not what this blog is about.

Are all Indians who work at 7-11 supposed to be Hindu?

I agree.. the last couple of 7/11 stores I went into all had Sikh employees. Probably makes (as much)
sense to have a Sikh symbol as they were the ones who took most the brunt after 9/11.

i can tell you one thing, i would not have the courage to wear any of those shirts. 95% of the people i hang out with are hard core republicans (i am registered republican but voting dem all the way this year).

29 · Radman said

i can tell you one thing, i would not have the courage to wear any of those shirts. 95% of the people i hang out with are hard core republicans (i am registered republican but voting dem all the way this year).

So the company you keep keeps you from expressing yourself? This seems to be a problem. Why escape the South Asian family just to find more people who will give you $hit for who you are? :)

I think the idea behind the second shirt was that as a stereotype of South Asians, the exotic/7-11 stereotype is preferable to the terrorist one. But I think, despite potentially good intentions, the shirt falls apart because it doesn't pay attention to the idea that the stereotypes are selectively applied - which all the commenters have pointed to. But it's more of an analytical/political failure more than a moral failure of some kind, which I think people should probably pay attention to, if only because it serves us well to give benefit of the doubt in addition to our shrewd political insights :)

i can tell you one thing, i would not have the courage to wear any of those shirts. 95% of the people i hang out with are hard core republicans (i am registered republican but voting dem all the way this year).

Yeah, the work environment can stifle expression. I work in a hardcore very liberal environment. It didn't go well, when I expressed my support of Hilary and my disappointment with Obama on his campaign - some staffers couldn't understand why apparently I had hard time finding anything racist about Hilary's campaign - when the whole "racist" talk was going on the primaries. I don't really like the tees, for many of the reasons already expressed, so I wouldn't be wearing them anyways.

"So much post-9/11 bridge building was based on "We too are monotheists begat by Abraham", that's pretty divisive."

They [ISNA -Islamic Society of North America, CAIR - Council of American Islamic Relations and several other Muslim groups]are also urging the "this nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles" crowd to amend their statement to "this nation was found on Abrahamic prinicples".
And nary a peep from the political correct crowd.

f@#k man...now i feel like getting a t-shirt just because no one else likes them. :)

31 · Dr AmNonymous said

But I think, despite potentially good intentions, the shirt falls apart because it doesn't pay attention to the idea that the stereotypes are selectively applied - which all the commenters have pointed to.

t shirts are hard to analyze because one must really know the creators' intentions rather than claiming clairvoyance. Hence, it becomes a matter of, "how would this work/not work for me." The second design seems to be successful in that regard.

I will probably wash my car with those T's if you give them away for free..........yes I am possesses by the devil....always have been!!

looks like peoples in the thread needs to tingle up their irony senses. It's simple to understand peoples, it's like rain on your wedding day.

What are the acceptable RGB values of my skin tone before I can say 7-11 and it be considered ironic instead of offensive? How much more tan would Joe Biden have to be before we find his statement humorous? Is it enough if he eats Saag Paneer and chicken tikka masala, and loves bhangra? Or does he also need to be accompanied by a lingering odor of garam masala wherever he goes?

I eagerly await the input of the cultural arbiters at Sepia Mutiny so I can appropriately calibrate my outrage levels.

Is it possible for bloggers to be trolls on their own websites?

I don't know. Is it possible for elected leaders to be terrorists in their own states?

I would like to add my voice to the offended camp. Why are these Tees not tapered? Are you saying all desis have fat stomachs, not lats, and narrow shoulders? Has Prema finally gotten to you? Would you offer SM condoms only in extra-small? I think not.

When I first saw this I was so gobsmacked I practically spit out my jalebi.

i slam: a manichean view on irony? I'm having an ironical explosion. in my pants (premptively natch.)

hey, i have some more suggestions...

Dothead, not Towelhead
wheat-n****r, not sand-n****r.

I think these would be HILARIOUS!!! And, of course, an exquisite and subtle disquisition on the exclusionary effects of Abrahamic and Judeo-christian grounds of unity, on henotheists, polytheists and atheists.

I don't follow the insinuation of the third design. Because he converted to Christianity he's an extreme evangelical/fundamentalist?

I don't remember who posted it up earlier this week but the "Community Organizer" with Gandhi pic t-shirt was pretty clever (in fact I ordered it!) Positive messages go a long way and I'm not so sure I got the mix of satire/positivity from these designs.

t shirts are hard to analyze because one must really know the creators' intentions rather than claiming clairvoyance. Hence, it becomes a matter of, "how would this work/not work for me." The second design seems to be successful in that regard.

1. I have clairvoyance.
2. Okay, I don't, but it's not just about intention but also about effect. So we make judgements about what we think that will be too - what message it sends out regardless of intention. If you draw a Hindu swastika on the sidewalk and put it in a Jewish neighborhood, I would bet you that some portion of the people there wouldn't necessarily recognize it as such - which would then might cause a big brouhahah, a bunch of blog posts here and there, an article or two, and ultimately it would be resolved by whichever social forces have the most power (whether directly or through some arbitrary mechanism of law).

It's fun :)

42 · sunzari said

I don't follow the insinuation of the third design. Because he converted to Christianity he's an extreme evangelical/fundamentalist?

I don't remember who posted it up earlier this week but the "Community Organizer" with Gandhi pic t-shirt was pretty clever (in fact I ordered it!) Positive messages go a long way and I'm not so sure I got the mix of satire/positivity from these designs.

Sunzari: Jindal claims to have participated in an exorcism, that's what the t-shirt is about. Jindal is Catholic but the Catholic church is extremely reluctant to perform exorcisms. That makes him a bit of a wingnut even within his own faith community.

As a graphic designer, my feelings on these messages aside, I think these designs are unpolished, but especially that third one, which looks sloppy, hasty, and embarrassing (granted, it could also be my annoyance over the fact that she likes to spam various communities any time she dashes off a new design--and some of her work is pretty cool, but most of it suffers from "looks okay on a computer but not on a shirt" syndrome). If you can't draw, that's fine, but don't dash something off in MS Paint (which makes even the most skilled artists look bad) and slap that onto a shirt and then ask for money for it.

The first two could be executed a little more gracefully. I've never been a fan of some random square graphic on a shirt--it would work better if you got rid of the background stripes but left the stars around them.

And actually, the more I stare at the 2nd one, the more I like the execution (it took me a little while to realize the stem of the 7 was the trunk), so nevermind. ;) It was just the low-res quality of the image that threw me at first.

(I mean none of this personally. I'm sure the designers are awesome people. And I know it's hypocritical of me to criticize their designs when I didn't submit any of my own...if I could've thought of something clever, I would have tried!)

what is your guys markup? 29 bucks for a simple tshirt? cafe press does them for 15 bucks...

30 · Dr AmNonymous said

So the company you keep keeps you from expressing yourself? This seems to be a problem. Why escape the South Asian family just to find more people who will give you $hit for who you are? :)

so funny...

i don't like the design of any of the shirts, personally.

these are horrible.

How about?

DESICION '08 on a white tee. And that O could be the now-popular Obama O.

43 · Dr AmNonymous said

1. I have clairvoyance.
2. Okay, I don't, but it's not just about intention but also about effect. So we make judgements about what we think that will be too - what message it sends out regardless of intention. If you draw a Hindu swastika on the sidewalk and put it in a Jewish neighborhood, I would bet you that some portion of the people there wouldn't necessarily recognize it as such - which would then might cause a big brouhahah, a bunch of blog posts here and there, an article or two, and ultimately it would be resolved by whichever social forces have the most power (whether directly or through some arbitrary mechanism of law).

I have deployed the swastika argument many times when arguing with friends over the placement of the confederate flag in public places. I actually remember some random tv show (back when I watched it religiously) that took wealthy western hemisphere families and plopped them down into a random impoverished third-world situation and let the good cultural misinterpretation times roll. This time it was a jewish family in India (bihar, I think, not sure)and once they went to the local temple, saw multiple swazzies, the 'evil guy' music started playing and it looked to become a major issue--however the 'natives is sho crazy' argument saved the day (sadly not the tv show).

The intentions v. effect idea is good to keep in mind, but we should not be ruled by it. (i.e. the time/money wasted on College Town type programs that hammer this "you own your experiences!" axiom into your head.)

Stick to Blogging.

Whoa. Tough crowd.

I am surprised nobody mentioned that 7-11-2006 is the day of the serial blasts in Mumbai. Your second T-shirt is just despicable, from that perspective.

RPT

DESICION '08 on a white tee. And that O could be the now-popular Obama O.

We could even highlight the 'DESI' part. It would help break that "spelling bee" stereotype.

No doubt. I am possessed by the devil.

thanks for sharing..

54 · Seahawks fan said

We could even highlight the 'DESI' part.

Hee, cute idea.

These shirts are even lamer [if that's actually possible] than Ultrabrown...

I wouldn't be caught dead wearing any of these + What's up with the Hindu = Brown = Indian thing going on??

What's up with the Hindu = Brown = Indian thing going on??

59 · ut_brownie said

I wouldn't be caught dead wearing any of these

That would make them more casual tees than "political tees."

I like the 1st one. 2nd one doesn't seem inclusive and 3rd is pretty weak.
With the risk of coming across as a cocky ass, I'd say my designs are better than any of these :-). And they are cheaper too!.

"I am surprised nobody mentioned that 7-11-2006 is the day of the serial blasts in Mumbai. Your second T-shirt is just despicable, from that perspective."

Despicable? can you please not read too much into the shirts?

all the talk reminded me of an episode from way back when...
Me and my Cambodien male friend were walking the mall and a female desi friend is walks along towards us, she has this shirt on with the map of Asia. Cambodien friend is a bit far sighted, he is like getting close to her chest and checking out the Map, trying to read the capitals and all. It was very uncomfortable for me and the desi friend to say the least, only after a few nudgging he stepped away realising what is going on.

The way you guys are going on and on with whats in the shirt made the 10 year old memory come back to me... I think we need to chill a bit and may be come back after few days and read our comment? see fun when its ment to be such.

my two cents

63 · jigglemyhandle said

I think we need to chill a bit and may be come back after few days and read our comment?

Dude, without exception, t-shirt threads on SM quickly unravel and uncover every cheap, sniping malcontent with a petty ax to grind and absolutely nothing constructive to say. It's pretty amazing--the effort people are willing to expend to be anonymous jerks.

The depiction of Obama and Hilary as Krishna and Radha is vulgar, offensive, tacky and
tasteless. We are bombarded by Obama's unpleasant homely image constantly on TV and the
web, must we now also see him portrayed as a deity???

You must excersize sensitivity when portraying religious gods on this blog as caricatures. It can be offensive to some. Please use caution and judgment. This blog should be a safe space (and I believe it is) for people to speak; not one that sparks insults on someone's religion. I see your point in this political tees and understand the underlying humour and intention - but please do not do so at the expense of someone's else's faith.

Yeah...that 7-11 v 9/11 T shirt - that's a no go. Its stupid for one. Two, I know at least one desi 7-11 owner who is not Hindu. Three, enough of the whining - when honestly is the last time someone through a rock through your store window for slamming one of planes into the WTC? Sure, there's the odd moron who cannot tell the difference between your average store owner and a terrorist, but come on. Quit fanning a fire that aint there.

I thought T-shirt number 1 was hilarious, riffing on the Obamessaiah theme (seriously, do I have to explain it?). Design two, not so much.

65 · Mango Boy said

We are bombarded by Obama's unpleasant homely image constantly on TV and the
web, must we now also see him portrayed as a deity???

Time to get the old eyes checked, I think.

Eh, don't listen to the riff-raff. You knew as soon as this post went up that brownz love to be offended. Amen, Harbeer...hell, this kind of stupid shit is why I only lurk these days.

The t-shirts are all funny, and I'll buy #1 in a Medium, thank you. And I'll wager that if any of these whiners saw one in person, they'd laugh and ask the wearer about it.

hey, i gots another one. i promise it'll make you laugh till your belly hurts. wait for it, wait for it...

cow jockey, not camel jockey.

i told ya, it was a winner.

oh, and by the way, totally agree with you guys about those two racist white people you posted today. just can't believe the twats going around these days...

This is coming from a graphic designer's perspective.
Critiques on this piece can go down two paths:

1) the execution of the design
2) the content of the design

---

Execution
Honestly, so much of it looks like cut-and-paste work. If this were collage-work, that would be acceptable. Unfortunately, the rest of the work does not reflect that aesthetic, leading me to believe the result was unintended. Take for example the second piece. While the masking and edge work is decent, there is too much contrast in the details of the pieces. The ornate image behind the 7-11 does not work well with the simplified logo and ", not 9/11" copy. Simplify both, or simplify neither. Make the elements work together. To achieve visual balance, a design piece should either be constructed entirely of cohesive elements, or none at all (if that's what you're going for, with appropriate defense). The 7 referencing the elephant's trunk is clever, but lost in the final product.

Here is where I may come off as elitist. Anyone with a computer and Photoshop can call themselves a graphic designer. Do you go to a 4-year school and pick up the bachelor's? Or do you pick up the associate's degree in 2 years? The market is continuously becoming saturated, making it a little harder to tell who has the talent, and a little harder for designers to separate themselves from competition. But it's my belief that the cream rises to the top, and good designers will produce good design, regardless of pedigree.

Content
Coming from a Roman Catholic perspective, I cannot speak for the people of other religious views. Some may find the shirts offensive, and others may take it tongue-in-cheek. I personally wouldn't wear them. However, coming from an Indian perspective, I can without fail say I would never wear the 7/11 9/11 shirt.

Maybe it's because I have been born and raised in Dallas, and there are quite enough Southern misconceptions about Indians as is. Maybe it's because there are plenty of bubbas ready to exact vigilante justice just in case things get suspicious or 9/11-y. Now, when I say the above, I do not mean for it to be an implication of the entire South-- there are many people who have grown with the times and have good heads on their shoulders. But there is also a present minority that isn't so sharp. To me, wearing the 7/11 9/11 shirt is akin to saying "Hey, don't make a stereotype about us being terrorists!-- but you know what? It's okay to generalize us as Quick-E-Mart workers." You are trading one stereotype for another, when neither are acceptable. Any positive work the shirt does to differentiate Indians from the terrorist bombers was undermined by the 7/11 reference.

But hey, maybe that's just me.

AMEN.