Hostile Takeover
Just read this Pitchfork report on Nike's co-opting the artwork of legendary hardcore punk band Minor Threat for their new Nike skateboarding East Coast tour, dubbed "Major Threat" (Get it? So witty, those swooshy bastards!). If you click the link and compare the images (I really do need to figure out how to post pictures, don't I? I mean, it can't be that hard, can it?), you'll notice two differences: the color has been changed from red to blue, and the word "Minor" has been changed to "Major." That's it!
Let me tell you: This is complete bullshit.
I know that punk rock stopped being relevant and truly rebellious somewhere around the time I was bar mitzvah'ed, and I know that corporate culture circa 2005 holds absolutely nothing sacred, no matter how important or iconic it may be to some, but this is crossing the line. Some might even say that Nike, in this instance, is behaving as a "habitual line-stepper," if you were so inclined.
And you know what the bitch of it is? Minor Threat isn't even getting paid! From the Pitchfork report:
"No, they stole it and we're not happy about it. Nike is a giant corporation which is attempting to manipulate the alternative skate culture to create an even wider demand for their already ubiquitous brand. Nike represents just about the antithesis of what Dischord stands for and it makes me sick to my stomach to think they are using this explicit imagery to fool kids into thinking that the general ethos of this label, and Minor Threat in particular, can somehow be linked to Nike's mission. It's disgusting," a representative from Dischord Records (Minor Threat's label) said.
How can that be? I'm no lawyer (perhaps I should consult my parents, who are indeed lawyers, about this-- feel free to enlighten us in the comments, Mom and Pop!), but that's gotta be illegal, just to up and straight up steal someone's artwork, right? My first thought was that Dischord should sue the shit out of them, but then I realized that Dischord is a tiny, DIY punk label, and Nike is a huge corporation with its tentacles in everything. Swoosh lawyers would manipulate and maneuver, and at the end of the day, Nike would probably end up owning it's own boutique punk label on legal fees alone.
Now, as I said, I realize that the true punk rock, challenge everything, DIY spirit died a long time ago. Most people's perceptions of punk rock are bands like Green Day and Blink-182, bands that cover themselves in tattoos and piercings and utter punk rock quote-by-numbers in the media to dress their flimsy little pop songs up in edgy, punk rock clothing. I know that the individualistic spirit of punk died when the first Hot Topic store opened.
Except that didn't happen for Minor Threat, and Dischord. Dischord still do everything DIY, from the production of the records, to the touring, to the distribution. Sure, you can buy Dischord records in most major retail chain stores nowadays, but if you flip to the back, you'll notice a little sign that says "This record available for $10 post paid." Minor Threat frontman Ian McKaye went on to form Fugazi, a much beloved band famous for charging a measly $5 for tickets to their shows. These guys still believe in the ideals that sound so great at age 14 when you first discover punk rock, yet usually get discarded by the age of 20 after the Real World has slapped you on your ass.
And that's why I'm so pissed off by this. Nike co-opted an image which stands for something much more than a simple band when they ripped off Minor Threat. They co-opted a culture, a belief system, an ideology that represents a great deal to many people. It's almost as if Nike sat down and said "Let's find an image that is the exact opposite of us, an image that resonates with a large number of people, and fuck with it, just because we can." As Dischord themselves notes, this is the very antithesis of what Dischord and Minor Threat represent. And indeed, it is disgusting.
Ian McKaye and Minor Threat once declared "I'm seeing red."
Well, right now, so am I.
Let me tell you: This is complete bullshit.
I know that punk rock stopped being relevant and truly rebellious somewhere around the time I was bar mitzvah'ed, and I know that corporate culture circa 2005 holds absolutely nothing sacred, no matter how important or iconic it may be to some, but this is crossing the line. Some might even say that Nike, in this instance, is behaving as a "habitual line-stepper," if you were so inclined.
And you know what the bitch of it is? Minor Threat isn't even getting paid! From the Pitchfork report:
"No, they stole it and we're not happy about it. Nike is a giant corporation which is attempting to manipulate the alternative skate culture to create an even wider demand for their already ubiquitous brand. Nike represents just about the antithesis of what Dischord stands for and it makes me sick to my stomach to think they are using this explicit imagery to fool kids into thinking that the general ethos of this label, and Minor Threat in particular, can somehow be linked to Nike's mission. It's disgusting," a representative from Dischord Records (Minor Threat's label) said.
How can that be? I'm no lawyer (perhaps I should consult my parents, who are indeed lawyers, about this-- feel free to enlighten us in the comments, Mom and Pop!), but that's gotta be illegal, just to up and straight up steal someone's artwork, right? My first thought was that Dischord should sue the shit out of them, but then I realized that Dischord is a tiny, DIY punk label, and Nike is a huge corporation with its tentacles in everything. Swoosh lawyers would manipulate and maneuver, and at the end of the day, Nike would probably end up owning it's own boutique punk label on legal fees alone.
Now, as I said, I realize that the true punk rock, challenge everything, DIY spirit died a long time ago. Most people's perceptions of punk rock are bands like Green Day and Blink-182, bands that cover themselves in tattoos and piercings and utter punk rock quote-by-numbers in the media to dress their flimsy little pop songs up in edgy, punk rock clothing. I know that the individualistic spirit of punk died when the first Hot Topic store opened.
Except that didn't happen for Minor Threat, and Dischord. Dischord still do everything DIY, from the production of the records, to the touring, to the distribution. Sure, you can buy Dischord records in most major retail chain stores nowadays, but if you flip to the back, you'll notice a little sign that says "This record available for $10 post paid." Minor Threat frontman Ian McKaye went on to form Fugazi, a much beloved band famous for charging a measly $5 for tickets to their shows. These guys still believe in the ideals that sound so great at age 14 when you first discover punk rock, yet usually get discarded by the age of 20 after the Real World has slapped you on your ass.
And that's why I'm so pissed off by this. Nike co-opted an image which stands for something much more than a simple band when they ripped off Minor Threat. They co-opted a culture, a belief system, an ideology that represents a great deal to many people. It's almost as if Nike sat down and said "Let's find an image that is the exact opposite of us, an image that resonates with a large number of people, and fuck with it, just because we can." As Dischord themselves notes, this is the very antithesis of what Dischord and Minor Threat represent. And indeed, it is disgusting.
Ian McKaye and Minor Threat once declared "I'm seeing red."
Well, right now, so am I.
posted by Black Charles at 6:22 PM
1 Comments:
Dan,
this must be one of my favorite posts, and although im not exactlly an avid fan of Punk Rock, i certainly empathize with you on the whole corporate America screwing with individuals core ideals by monopolizing the market. That same market which allows them to express their convictions to the rest of the world.
Rock on Baby!
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