Ignorant White People Can't Get Enough of These "Caucasians" T-Shirts
Finally, white people have the non-native American mascot they deserve.
A "Caucasians" t-shirt that lampoons the racist "Chief Wahoo" logo Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians have been using since 1947 is flying off the shelves at Shelf Life Clothing.
It's been around since 2007, but sales of the parody tee have recently taken off thanks to the growing backlash against Native mascots and team names (especially noted asshole Dan Snyder's Washington Redskins) and an endorsement from Ojibwa musician DJ NDN of Canada's A Tribe Called Red.
NDN, real name Ian Campeau, successfully complained to the Ontario Human Rights Commission about the Nepean Redskins, after which the football team renamed itself the Eagles. When A Tribe Called Red faced a backlash as a result, supporters started buying the Caucasians shirt in droves, the Toronto Star reports.
Shelf Life's Brian Kirby told the paper sales have "skyrocketed" since the DJ NDN controversy, and the company has been "working around the clock" to meet demand. Canadian orders now make up 25 percent of the shirt's sales.
Although the message behind "Caucasians" seems pretty straightforward—using a race of humans as a sports mascot is regressive and offensive—Kirby says some of his sales are coming from white folks who wear it to argue there's nothing wrong with racial caricatures.
"We are selling tees to a wide range of customers – indigenous peoples and Chief Wahoo supporters alike," Kirby told the Star.
If you prefer a less ambiguous fuck you to Snyder et al, Shelf Life also sells a "Your Team Name is Disparaging" shirt, with Washington Redskins-style feathers hanging from the text.
