Posted on 09/03/2014 8:09:53 AM PDT by Deadeye Division
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- "Caucasians fever
Be a believer
In the Cleveland Caucasians..."
You'd be hard-pressed finding fans of Chief Wahoo singing this version of the Cleveland Indians fight song. But it's been a winning pitch for Cleveland T-shirt designer Brian Kirby.
You could say it's the All-Star, Rookie of the Year and MVP of sports T-shirts. The logo lampoons Chief Wahoo -- adding blonde hair and a dollar sign for the feather and substituting "Caucasians" for Indians.
And it's caught on – big, out of the blue.
Kirby sold $20,000 of the shirts during one recent 24-hour period – so much so that his Cleveland home is packed with stacks of orders.
"I'm working non-stop just filling orders and I had to put my wife and 2-year-old son to work," says Kirby, a New York native who moved to Cleveland after graduating from Fordham University. "I've been selling the shirt since 2007 and never imagined it would take off like this."
For years, Cleveland-based Shelf Life Clothing has been making satirical T-shirts with humorous designs. The "Cleveland Caucasians" was one of many - like the one that depicted notorious basketball player Ron Artest as Bruce Lee. Or the football helmet adorned with a pot leaf emblem in honor of weed-loving NFL running back Ricky Williams.
And then, boom: He found himself – and the shirt – caught in the middle of the debate over Chief Wahoo.
"A native American DJ group called A Tribe Called Red bought one about four years ago," says Kirby, referring to Ian "DJ NDN" Campeau. "I didn't think anything of it."
Not until DJ NDN wore the shirt in a photo shoot that sparked a controversy.
"People accused him of racism for wearing the shirt," says Kirby. "Or actually reverse racism, because he's Native American (First Nation, in Canada) and people thought he was making fun of white people."
Interesting, but not a big deal – until he checked his website and saw dozens of orders for the shirt.
"The Internet caught on fire, because it raised the issue by flipping it upside down and the orders kept on coming in," says Kirby. Sales for the T-shirt ($22) were boosted by media coverage and blogs in Canada -- and led to a full-on line of Caucasians items, from V-necks to stickers to hoodies.
"I came up with the shirt to raise a point, but in a disarming way," says Kirby. "I didn't mean any spite by it."
Kirby, a devoted Indians fan, wears the shirt when he attends Tribe games.
"People get the joke and the point it's making," he says. "I can't wear it without someone making a positive comment."
It's not the first time Kirby has thrown himself into a sports controversy. Cavs fans of years ago might remember carlosloozer.com – a comical website he created that spoofed Carlos Boozer, the ex-Cav who spurned the team 10 years ago.
"His ego got out of control and was ripe for lampooning," says Kirby. "I did it for fun and it just took off when ESPN started talking about it."
He has since retired the site and has made peace with Boozer.
"Carlos was having some personal problems and I didn't feel like doing it anymore," he says. "I'm a sports fan, but you can't take it so seriously -- it's just a game."
Sports fans, ever the serious lot, have taken the whole "Cleveland Caucasians" thing in stride.
"People always come up to me and laugh and say, 'Man, that's awesome," he says. "I was just trying to have fun. Who knew it would ever catch on – certainly not me."
I’d much rather see guys do things like this, which use the marketplace and free discourse to discuss these things, than to have an activist “interest group” use “lawfare” against these teams.
On a similar front maybe the Washington Redskins could change their name to the Washington White Boys.
Or they could pick a different offended group and choose a politically correct name like the Washington Homosexuals. Let’s see anybody DARE to make fun of homosexuals!
Well, they certainly play like that at times.
I was in a store recently and saw a rack of Cleveland Indians t-shirts featuring Chief Wahoo.
The old rendering of Chief Wahoo. With the really big nose and all from the 1940’s.
I have to admit, that was tough even for me to look at.
Hard to believe they’d produce that shirt, let alone put a rack of them out front-and-center.
In general this Indian PC stuff is way overblown, but that is a damned insulting caricature IMO.
I tell you what, they better leave Chief Wahoo alone.
I’m waiting for both the NAAWP and the Congressional White Caucus to be founded. Anyone know when that might happen?
The Palefaces.
Paleface is the historical term.
THAT will be classified by the left as “militant and racist”,
because the YTs are not supposed to be “fightin’” against anything the left wants to impose on him.
I’m OFFENDED!
Now gimme your money......................
Bring back Chief Nokahoma!
In Chile, ‘paleface’ means to MOON somebody!, IOW, ‘To show your pale face’..................
I didn’t know that.
So, never call a Chilean a ‘Pale Face’ !......................;^)
Go the monty— Washington O’fays, or Wash. Honkies.
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