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Metal Merch

URBAN OUTFITTERS’ “CLASSIC ROCK BOYFRIEND TEE” IS AN INSULT TO GIRLS, METAL, IRON MAIDEN, EVERYTHING

 Thursday, March 25th, 2010 at 2:00pm by

classic rock boyfriend teeSo many things wrong with this. SO many. Is this worse than the time Drew Barrymore wore an Iron Maiden shirt? Way worse.

But I’m not gonna rant and rave because The Deciblog‘s Jeanne Fury has already done a mighty fine job of that. Sample:

Tagging band t-shirts with the “boyfriend” label is doubly offensive. The slightest notion that a girl can’t have her own Iron Maiden t-shirt is ridiculous. It’s 2010. Chicks listen to metal. Like, actually listen to metal. Not because their boyfriends or brothers are into it, but because they love metal. Seriously, how long is this ignorant and annoying misconception gonna go on? Looping back to the original argument, clothes—band t-shirts especially—have no gender. Unless this Maiden shirt comes equipped with a penis and testicles, it’s just a fucking t-shirt.

If my girlfriend steals my Iron Maiden shirt and wears it I’d classify that as a “boyfriend shirt.” Boyfriends do not come prepackaged at Urban Outfitters. Neither does metal cred. I dare the anorexic bitch at right to name ONE Iron Maiden song. Why if I ever see anyone wearing this shirt Ima… Enough… gotta stop ranting…

-VN

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  • Double D

    I qore my Maiden ‘Killers’ shirt to a trendy bar (got dragged there by clubbing chicks) the other day and the bartender asked, “If you like Maiden so much, who’s their lead singer?” Suck it, douche bag.

  • Edrattlehead

    You should have said Blaze Bayley, and test that SOB

  • vmanv

    I like browsing the racks at Urban Outfitters, tons of smokin chicks shop there, at least the one I go to in Boston.

    • Alex_P

      I’ve been to Boston, and I have to agree. Hipster chicks are almost always hot.

      Of course, Montreal is the tights-as-pants capital of the world. It’s basically the greatest thing ever.

  • SP420

    Ok. So what? This decision was undoubtedly brought on by jaded overweight white execs in the company who feel the need to outreach more to their whore daughter’s “alternative” audience. Don’t like it? Ignore it. That store has always been full of upscale hipster horseshit anyways.

  • http://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=nf#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1036866088 Ana FuckYouToo

    Well dammit Im proud to have a lot band t-shirts, from Carpathian Forest to Kataklysm and Opeth, I mean so what if I am a girl that doesnt mean I cant wear some band t-shirt!

    • Someone

      The point is these shirts actually say “boyfriend” on them, implying that the only reason you’d wear a Metal shirt is because your *boyfriend* is into Metal. (I mean, you couldn’t possibly be into it *yourself*, could you?). THATS why these shirts are so insulting to, as the headline says, “girls, metal, iron maiden, everything”.

      • Someone

        …or not. Looks like I may have mis-read the first time through =^p.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Deven-Marie-Laney/674055234 Deven Marie Laney

    Here, here, Jeanne. Maiden’s been my favorite band since I was like, a fuckin’ fetus. I can’t see how they figure Iron Maiden only appeals to one demographic, much less one gender.
    I mean, If Drew Barrymore or whoever is actually into them, that’s fine. Cause ya’ know, people who hate metal still love Iron Maiden.

    • http://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=nf#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1036866088 Ana FuckYouToo

      I agree totally

  • Who Gives A Damn

    stupid anorexic bitches, you said it Vince

    • IWRESTLEDYOURMOMONCE

      “Rich cunt don’t wanna eat? Fuck her!” – George Carlin (R.I.P.)

  • brandonmetal

    i don’t know about this argument.
    the sex ratio at shows is no different today than 10 years ago, from my observation.

  • http://www.reigninblonde.com Angela Gossowski

    When something is called a “boyfriend tee” that refers to the style and FIT of the t-shirt. Get the sand out of your vagina’s and calm down. Jesus.

    • Johnny Death

      So is that must be why all those awesome “babydoll” shirts never seem to fit me right??

      • http://www.metalsucks.net/category/scraping-genius-off-the-wheel/ Gary Suarez

        1

      • Shinaain

        This.

    • http://reaper-x.deviantart.com/ Reaper-X

      Nevermind the fact that it’s a PLAIN FUCKING T-SHIRT?

  • Truthfully

    Ah, the “ironic” metal shirt. You know the trend is over when it reaches Urban Outfitter. This trend has been going on for the last 2 years in bullshit neighborhoods (like Williamsburg). And to answer Jeannes question of how long is this ignorant misconception gonna go on? Thats easy to answer, as soon as stupid, sheep-like women stop playing into the stereotype and stop purchasing these items from stores like that.

  • Discipleofthewatch

    Yeah, I love metal, and I wear shirts. Indeed! That is condescending, how they worded the advertisement.

    My favorite Iron Maiden song is the Ides of March, but it’s so short.

  • 700

    This sexist talk is bullshit…. if girls genuinely like metal bands, they will have original maiden t-shirts, not some trendy crap bought from Urban Outfitters. nobody is saying that any female that wants a Maiden T-shirt has to wear one of these ones! Get off your high horse!

  • builtforsin

    I can not name a Iron Maiden song either, but its mostly b/c I think they suck.

    • Bianca

      You should go die.

    • GayHateMachine

      Man speaks the truth.

  • iolanach

    Ladies got all their panties in a twist.

    Get a fucking grip, it’s Urban Outfitters.

  • Gunt, hey fat chick!

    Ah, fuck off. It’s a shirt. I’d rather chicks didn’t wear shirts at all. Life sucks, get a fucking helmet.

    Worn-out ball-in-the-sock tits are still boobs, too!

  • bearbomb

    If I’m judging the above photo correctly it seems these shirts are simply designed to better fit a girl’s body. Really don’t see how that’s a bad thing. Hell I’m a scrawny dude and 80% of the shirts I’ve bought at shows are too big and/or awkward fitting.

    • Lordassenfroth

      i have that problem, mine usually end up getting shorter and to wide

  • Lordassenfroth

    i could care less about the whole “boyfriend” tee argument, the fact that urban outfitters sees metal, which is something i live, breath, bleed, and shit, as some trendy fad that makes you popular at your high school upon purchasing and wearing said band shirt. Im ready for the second wave of grunge to come back around and be popular so metal can take its rightful place in the dark underground again.

  • http://www.twistedcritic.wordpress.com Chris

    I can’t tell what’s more annoying…the “ironic” metal tee, or the ’70s/early-’80s “tour” shirts worn by someone born 10 years after said tour happened.

  • Gecko

    I was pre-packaged in an Urban Outfitters.

  • Octillus

    All I remember is 5 years ago as a wide-eyed Freshman at my university at the campus dining hall trying to pick up on a girl in a Sepultura t-shirt. Now, I know Sepultura isn’t the greatest band in the world, but cute girl in that t-shirt plus a few tattoos screams “GO FOR IT” loudly in the back of my head at least.

    So I say hey, and we talk for a second, and then I ask her about the band, and she says:

    “Oh, they’re a band? I just liked the shirt.”

    Never have I been more disappointed trying to talk to a random girl. And, trust me, that usually ends in disappointment.

  • Deth

    Everyone’s arguing “demographics” but Maiden does appeal to one – fans. The definition of “demographic”, from a marketing perspective, is a collection of people who share a similar value or taste. In that regards, fans of Iron Maiden are their own demographic, even if that term is being used in the most generic sense.

    The target audience, on the other hand, for merchandise (for metal in general) is always going to be males 18-35. That’s just the majority of who listen to the music and buy the merchandise. It’s not a reason to get upset and go off like Jeanne did, it’s just simple supply/demand.

    I’ve seen a lot of female oriented gear pop up at shows in the past five years. Fitted shirts, thongs (wrong, IMO, but whatever), and hats. I know someone who sells this merch for all kinds of bands (Judas Priest to Arch Enemy) and the female gear doesn’t sell all that well. They usually end up with an excess stock.

    For that reason, females can’t bitch when merch geared towards them starts to disappear or isnt’ available. If you don’t make a profit on the items you’re paying to manufacture, you’re going to stop making those products.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lauren-Vega/100000288146013 Lauren Vega

      The girly shirts won’t sell because they’re over simplified. They’re almost always just the band’s name over the boobs and that’s it. No thank you. I would rather wear guy clothes if it means you get the album art and tour dates on the back.

      As for the shirt in question… it doesn’t really matter. You can always tell the hipsters from the metal fans. These type of “i’m-different-i-like-general-vintage-hard-rock-see-my-tshirt” girls are easy to spot.. They accessorize.

  • http://www.metalsucks.net/category/scraping-genius-off-the-wheel/ Gary Suarez

    I like how the Deciblog, the same place that published Liv Kristine’s “Top 5 Reasons Why Females in Metal Rule”, is getting angry over a t-shirt. Kristine’s piece set back the women’s movement at least seventy years!

  • TomB

    You wanna know what is an insult to girls (ref to post title)? “…the anorexic bitch at right” … ? Well, call me old-fashioned, but that seems like an insult, and a baseless one at that. You don’t know anything about her. You KNOW what Grace from Landmine Marathon looks like, but that could just as easily be her, and would you call her an anorexic bitch? The girl above is doing a job and could have every Insect Warfare album on vinyl. Unlikely, yes, but…. Your statement is hypocritical and misguided. Sure… be mad at Urban Outfitters, but the personal affront to the model above is insulting to everyone who reads it. Poor logic, poor judgment, poor writing, poor blogging. Oh, wait. I forgot where I was. Carry on.

    • Fufkin

      Agreed.

    • Robert

      I came here to say just that. I’m glad someone beat me to it.

  • Ben

    What a tool you are. Calm down. This really upsets you? You’re the kid in school who gets fired up about “misogyny” just to impress girls.

    • natsquatch

      All he’s doing is pointing out the hypocrisy here. I don’t think he needs to “calm down”.

  • natsquatch

    Chix can rawk too, yo.

    Suarez’s and TomB’s posts nailed it.

  • Ben

    What a fucking tool you are. Calm down. This really upsets you? You’re the kid in school who gets fired up about “misogyny” just to impress girls.

    • iolanach

      ha!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Deven-Marie-Laney/674055234 Deven Marie Laney

    I guess what’s most upsetting is that Iron Maiden seem to have gone the way of Journey in the ironic hipster vernacular.

    • paganheart

      Ditto! If you want to wear a band’s shirt, come by it honestly. Go to the show and buy from the merch table, or buy it from the band’s website…anywhere but an uber-hip scenester store geared to college kids with too much of daddy’s money to spend. I suspect that bands get pennies on the dollar (at best) when the corporate behemoths sell shirts with band logos on them anyway.

      And if that’s her “boyfriend’s” shirt, he’s a puny little punk… ;-)

  • Limmy_Killmiester

    I live in Sweden, you know the land who spawned H&M. A couple years ago H&M started to sell “vintage” Ramones and Motörhead t-shirts, and it became some what popular. So I nicely asked one of the girls who bought a shirt there if she ever heard the Ramones. She was like “what? Ramones? Is that a band?”. She thought it was some cool brand H&M just got, I was like *facepalm* and just walked away. And that went for the majority who bought the shirts, clueless idiots.. Damn I hate kids, and I’m only 33.

    Just wanted to get that out of me, now let’s go back to the scheduled program.

    • Fufkin

      Haha I bought a Killers shirt in H&M because it was better than the Killers shirts I’d seen elsewhere.

  • Slntpsych1

    Whether its a trend or not, let them wear shirts with metal bands, even if they’ve never heard of Iron Maiden. If they’re just following a trend, they’ll eventually move on, it doesn’t matter. I see no problem with it, the bands get free publicity.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lauren-Vega/100000288146013 Lauren Vega

    The girly shirts won’t sell because they’re over simplified. They’re almost always just the band’s name over the boobs and that’s it. No thank you. I would rather wear guy clothes if it means you get the album art and tour dates on the back.

    As for the shirt in question… it doesn’t really matter. You can always tell the hipsters from the metal fans. These type of “i’m-different-i-like-general-vintage-hard-rock-see-my-tshirt” girls are easy to spot.. They accessorize.

  • Rachel

    I’m sure the “anorexic bitch” that is modeling the shirt is making great paychecks, and likely to be higher than most of the people complaining about what she wears.

  • SourDeez

    If that girl actually does listen to Iron Maiden, she does it while not eating and sniffing mountains of coke.

  • Miasma

    Girls band shirts suck, either they only sell the most popular bands or they are too girly.
    I just stick to the men shirts.

  • farah yusuf

    i saw a picture of miley cyrus wearing a maiden tee once. (my lil sister reads alot of magazines.) if anythings worse than that she said she actually liked them and named songs. tell me this. if she has listened to the completely epic awesomeness of iron maiden, if she appreciates that then how is it that she continues to polute the pool of music that future generations have to choose from with her absolute crap. especcially knowing that the disney channels just going to spoon feed it to our mind-wiped future generations with television and snazzy products? that was insulting,