According to an article in the Washington City Paper Urban Outfitters is selling Minor Threat t-shirts to urban hipsters for $28. One might expect a serious backlash from the punk community but is it justified if Ian MacKaye himself gives his consent?
From the original article:
“Dischord doesn’t make T-shirts,” MacKaye clarifies in a phone call. But Minor Threat is another story. Because so many bootlegged Minor Threat shirts are constantly floating around the universe, MacKaye decided the band had to do something about it. The solution: Get another company to oversee their official shirts, and when a bootleg crops up, let them deal with it. “It’s fucking absurd the amount of bootlegs are out there,” MacKaye says, and “my time is better spent doing other things.”
“It’s not a political thing for me,” MacKaye says. “I just don’t give a fuck about T-shirts.” At some point, the former Minor Threat frontman said to the band, “This is crazy. I spend so much of my time” chasing down bootleggers. He found that when he contacted the responsible parties about their bootlegs, they just gave him hell. “They get in your face… or they deny it,” he says. “It’s a complete waste of time.”
Just because the shirt is licensed doesn’t mean MacKaye approves of the sweatshoppy clothing chain selling his band’s shirts, though. “Do I think it’s absurd? Yes, I certainly do,” he says. He also thinks the asking price is ridiculous, but he’s more or less resigned to it. “Motherfuckers pay $28, that’s what they wanna pay for their shirts.”
Next up, Black Flag hoodies at Nordstrom!