Harry Fokker, the T-shirt terrorist who runs a website selling T-shirts with controversial designs, on Sunday criticised Africa Christian Action for targeting Markham T-shirt designs it found offensive and which were eventually pulled.
“I do see where they’re coming from, but the response was out of line, uncalled for,” Fokker said.
Africa Christian Action and other bloggers raised a furore in response to T-shirts like one that read “I recycle girls” with a green recycle symbol. They called for people to complain to men’s fashion retailer Markham and to sign an online petition that received 226 signatures.
Scott Tubman, who saw the designs in a Kenilworth Centre store in Cape Town, wrote a series of e-mails to Markham that were posted online: “These messages are neither funny nor cheeky. They are destructive for our whole community.
“Our country already has unacceptably high rates of HIV and Aids, child sexual abuse and rape. By stocking this merchandise you are complicit in these evils.”
Fokker criticised this view and wrote to Africa Christian Action: “Nor can seeing, buying, wearing T-shirts displaying sharply categorised funny, deliberately offensive (read: satirical) slogans impact negatively on individuals who have a strong ethical code instilled in them.”
In response to the complaints, however, Markham pulled and destroyed several pieces, including the “I recycle girls” shirt and another shirt it had paid for but had not produced yet.
“The recycle one was definitely offensive,” said Kathryn Sakalis, communications director for Foschini, which owns Markham. “The shirts were supposed to be tongue in cheek, never offensive.”
On whether shirts are offensive, Fokker wrote, “We should be allowed to make these decisions for ourselves … Some issues, for example violence against women, can only truly be addressed if all parties are constantly aware of these issues. Satirical T-shirts draw issues that are sometimes avoided into the public consciousness.”
Fokker said the Markham recall was an “unfortunate outcome”.
“I make satirical T-shirts … Some do cross the line, but they’re meant to be humorous, to use controversy.” - The Mercury