No such thing as separation of kitsch and state

As I mentioned in my previous post about Gatlinburg, its tourist shops specialize in t-shirts of all sorts. Two big themes are the wearer’s love of the United States of America, and the wearer’s love of Jesus. It seems that love really is best expressed in t-shirt form.

Jesus math!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think what they meant to say is “Welcome to America, a glorious melting pot which welcomes and celebrates all cultures”. It just came out wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s air brushed. It’s an eagle with a tattoo. What’s not to love?

 

 

 

 

 

I bet Jesus would be quite tickled by this shirt, don’t you think? Actually this Reece’s-Jesus shirt was featured in the horror movie documentary Jesus Camp. I’m sure it’s a hot seller.

 

 

 

Whew, so glad to hear that someone over here has experience with this sort of thing.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, that God – always with the snappy come-backs.

 

 

 

 

 

I need someone to make me a t-shirt which expresses my love of kitschy t-shirts.

See also: One last Gatlinburg t-shirt post

9 thoughts on “No such thing as separation of kitsch and state”

  1. Y’know, you can mock these all you want, but I think I’ve fallen in love with that “Paddle faster, I hear banjo music” one in the previous post.
    If only it had an airbrushed Burt Reynolds on it I’d be sold.

  2. I think I like the Welcome to America one the most. No wait, it was your comment I liked the most!

    Very funny.

  3. My favorite by far is “Paddle Faster I Hear Banjo Music.”

    My boyfriend has one of those “Fighting Terrorism Since…” shirts. Big difference: instead of the Confederate flag, it’s got a photo of Geronimo & friends. And the year is 1492…

  4. Mark – I’m sure a custom air-brush artist would be happy to make one for you. 🙂

    Un-Swiss – they had those too!

  5. Not only has that eagle got a tattoo, he’s got an arm! American eagles are so much cooler than those stupid winged eagles in Canada…

  6. In keeping with my earlier tattoo comment, I think it would be fantastic to get a tattoo of the eagle with a tattoo. Very meta.

  7. The one on “Fighting Terrorism” is a rip-off of a T-shirt developed by a Choctaw woman, known to a friend of ours in Nashville. It features a picture of some armed Apaches, including the famous Geronimo, and reads: “Homeland Security. Fighting Terrorism Since 1492.” Makes a little more sense than the Rebel version, if you ask me.

  8. Thanks for the acknowledgement letting people know I created the Homeland Security Fighting Terrorism Since 1492 T shirt, I bet it’s Mary at Shops at the Coop or my friends at Postal Annex who made sure you got the real thing, there are so many ripoffs I can’t even find my own site practically. http://www.westwindworld.com. Yes, I saw them change it and put cowboys on it. It upsets me to see it, since like I said, that’s like making a shirt with the KKK on it and saying “Southern Comfort.” The whole point is to remind people of native identity instead of buying into the same propaganda and forgetting whose homeland this really is, and that applies to other people they declare war on to take their oil too.
    Colleen Lloyd

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