Last month, @jpbrammer rented a car and drove from Brooklyn to the Seaside Heights on a mission to commune with the American psyche the best way he knows how: going shopping. The Jersey Shore borough is famous for, among other things, its novelty T-shirts. You know the ones. They read, “I’M NOT ALWAYS A BITCH JUST KIDDING GO FUCK YOURSELF” or “SHUT UP LIVER! YOU’RE FINE.”
They are printed à la minute, meaning they’re highly responsive to a given moment in culture. These designs reflect what’s popular: memes, political figures, sex acts.
“If anything could speak candidly and insightfully on contemporary U.S. culture, I figured it would be commercial goods granted the gift of speech, provided they weren’t too preoccupied with ❤ing My Boyfriend or proclaiming Italian descent,” Brammer writes. What better way to see where our heads are than by taking stock of what we’re putting on our chests?
Swipe to see the five major clades of T-shirts available for purchase, and click the link in bio for all of Brammer's findings.
Photos: John Paul Brammer
a year agogretchenlieberum
Half Italian American here 🙋🏼♀️who grew up spending every summer of my childhood in Long Branch, NJ with my grandparents but lived in Berkeley, CA with my liberal hippy parents. I was a stranger in a strange land. And am also zero percent surprised at the trump love. The beach guidos (and I include my family in this) were always far, far right-wing. Zero percent surprised at the Trump love and the sub-par merchandise supporting him.
a year agojohannagohmann
I have always wanted to write about these shirts but doubt it would have been as funny or smart as this. So good.
a year agoceesini
If you think this is what the jersey shore is all about, then you’ve never been to the shore.
a year agomollyboylelicciardi
You’re missing Italian brain rot cause that’s everywhere in wildwood lol
a year agolasergutz
the best is the “America First” store in seaside, where nothing in there is made in America 😂
More posts
