Wednesday, October 18, 2006

I went to washington d.c. and all I got was this t-shirt


now I know I am not named politic-ster but this post does include a rather relevant fashion choice. I am at the airport in washington d.c. having just landed and am heading to the hotel for my last nordstrom gig and there is a college-aged girl of what would appear to be middle eastern desent wearing a shirt that says "my name causes national security threats. what does yours do?". I know the question is meant to be provocative and it does hold some truth but I think to wear something like that on a plane in this day and age is selfish. there is a very obvious fear that lives amongst american fliers and I think to wear a shirt that has the words national, security and threat blasted across the front is a terrorist act on its own. plus, who the F is wearing shirts with sayings these days? that went out with the italian princess 3/4 sleeve joints we used to get at the busy bee mall back in the day.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

:) Peace. I make the shirts. See http://www.hijabman.com/store

And to say that wearing a shirt is a terrorist act in and of itself is exactly the kind of bs we hear from FOX news on a daily basis.

Anonymous said...

In fact, from my perspective, that woman has a tremendous amount of courage, to wear a shirt that questions and challenges the norms of today.

Anonymous said...

I think the shirt is hilarious, but dangerous - I don't know. I do know that I'd love to see Jess Zaino rocking one!

InCog

Jess Zaino Worldwide, Inc. said...

hey hijabman,
thanks for the post. I checked out your website and dig on your shirts. moreover, I support all artists of any kind (muslim included) but a shirt that provokes fear in people in an already fearful enviroment I feel is insensitive and fear-inducing, not thoughtful. p.s. my name invokes cultural jokes of the "goodfellas" kind.

Anonymous said...

Jess, I understand where you are coming from :)

But sometimes the only way a guy named Jihad can deal with his frustration getting stopped EVERYWHERE, is to make himself laugh (and people with a sense of humor laugh) It's not HIS fault that he was named that, nor is it HIS fault that we live in a society of fear, where fear is used to control people.

Works both ways, I think

Hope you are well
peace,
HijabMan

Anonymous said...

Uh, wow. Jess, I came to your blog because I've seen your work on several tv shows, and you seemed like a cool person I'd want to know more about. Now I really wish I knew less about you. I would have thought you were the type of person who might, upon seeing such a shirt, stop to think about the kind of fear an Arab-American woman feels just trying to get through her day in this society. That's what the shirt invites you to do. And that you could have such a shallow analysis of that woman's shirt is truly distressing. I can't believe you would compare being discriminated against because of an Arab name, to being the butt of "Goodfellas" jokes. I agree with Hijabman--this is all very FOX news. I am not myself an Arab--just a human being who thinks we should have solidarity with those who are targeted and singled out for ill treatment in this society. After all, I'm sure that in all your air travels you've noticed who gets "randomly" searched by security.

The shirt doesn't "provoke fear in people"--you can't just attack the shirt in the abstract. This shirt provoked fear in you, and that, I think, is a personal problem.

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