Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/04/26/new-nyc-clothing-store-called-fugazi-is-not-a-fugazi-t-shirt-store.html
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Given that the term existed prior to the band using it as their name, could they still sue? I think an argument could be made that there could be confusion? I’m not sure Ian would care, though?
That they smeared a veneer of anti-consumerism on top of their cash grab? Consumerism-critical fashion is an untapped market!
Other than that the marketing pukes have discovered postmodernist discourse…
I’ll be making DIY bootleg Fugazi not a Fugazi shirts.
This is like some kind of late stage capitalism satire I’d hear on a Negativland album alongside phrases like “candid media saturation campaign”.
I read Fugazi®’s statement and was reminded of “Tell me what you’re going to tell me, then tell me, then tell me what you told me.” That is NOT the definition of ANY style of humor, so I can only assume they earnestly meant every word - which makes me sad.
Store Number One is not a Fugazi store…
Cool. Maybe they can do a colab with Nike’s old Major Threat campaign.
We need to educate people to never do this and why.
Well, that’s a lot of unnecessary wankery to just say, “it’s streetwear.” They’re trying to make themselves seem revolutionary while just doing the standard shit that’s an inherent part of the nature of streetwear. (It’s a consumerist phenomenon! It’s aware of itself! It deconstructs itself! It’s a charade, but it has social power! It’s both sincere and cynical! Yeah, yeah dudes - you just described… fashion. And not even with any new insight. So clever. I get it - you went to art school and read a text too.)
Yeah, I think they are, at least to some degree, deliberately trading on the (band) name while being aware that they picked someone least likely to want to get involved in any sort of fight about it.
Fugazi is Vietnam war slang:
F - Fucked
U - Up
G - Got
A - Ambushed
Z - Zipped
I - In
Fucked up. Got Ambushed. Zipped In.
“Zipped In” refers to getting zipped into a body bag.
Don’t worry, they don’t know either.
It’s a contraction of Fugly And Lazy
Ahh, I thought there was another specific acronym meaning that I couldn’t remember. Too bad Google is fucking useless these days!
That’s how far I got into their market-drivel before I passed out and hit my head on my desk on the way down. Sadly, the head wound didn’t manage to erase this nonsense.