I Saw A Teenage Girl Today At Wal-Mart Wearing A Hammer/Sickle T-Shirt

[Syrinx]

First of all I don't often go to Wal-Mart... once every few months. Only when it's going to make a real difference in my standard of living.

I'm wondering if these shirts with "CCCP" and the hammer and sickle logo are some kind of fad going on out there nowadays.

If so, what does it mean?

I'm all for a rise in socialist thought among the young people in the Deep South. But I'm worried if it represents an affection for the authoritarian impulses common to the Soviet Union and the Republic Party.

Anyone familiar with these "fashion statements?" I'm sorry if I sound out of touch, but I guess I am when it comes to "these damn kids." ;)

[Heidi]

1. Here ya go:

http://www.cccpfashion.com/

[Syrinx]

8. thanks

This is kind of depressing.

(Note: CCCP stands for USSR in Russian) We don't have anything to do with politics, we only love the beauty of the acronym CCCP and the red color that has affected the subconscious of several generations.

These CCCP T-Shirts are cool!
Don't miss the chance to get your hands on them, you won't find anything similar with such quality on the net!

I think this was the shirt she was wearing.

[Heidi]

9. They don't have anything to do with politics.

They're more focused on selling ugly stuff to kids and making a lot of money.

[bananas]

20. "Cosmic Coincidence Control Project"

or something like that...

[Syrinx]

22. CCCP isn't even an acronym!

Unless it is for "COP."

[Horse with no Name]

2. I think it is a statement

that they just like it--not that they understand it or anything.
My kids are wearing those vintage t-shirts of artists like Jimi Hendrix, etc. because they are cool. As far as I know, they have never even heard his music.:)

[MarkDevin]

3. She probably doesn't even know what that symbolizes.

It was just another fashion statement, like all those teens in the '80s with their "A for Anarchy" gear. Like those Generation X'ers had a clue about real anarchy.

[knitter4democracy]

29. Some of my friends did.

They read the Anarchist's Cookbook like it was their bible, quoted it all the time, and were a thorn in the high school administration's side.

Not everyone just follows a fashion trend--some really believe it.

[Sherman A1]

4. Just fashion

[magellan]

5. Olympics skater Johnny Weir may have started it

...via a present from a Russian skater:

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060210/SPORTS/602100341/-1/NEWS01

[Syrinx]

10. oh yeah

I think I remember that vaguely, but I guess it didn't make a big impression. Thanks for the reminder.

[citizen snips]

6. I don't know

it could be a fashion statement or she could believe in Stalinism:shrug:

[Syrinx]

11. I would hope it was at least Leninism, not Stalinism, but in this age...

But I guess it isn't even remotely related to politics.

[Selatius]

7. It's most likely a fashion statement, like t-shirts with pictures of Che

Che Guevara's face has become the romanticized symbol of struggle even though Che was closely associated with Fidel Castro.

CCCP shirts are still pretty rare. I have seen one person wearing one, and that's it. When I first saw it, I asked myself if the person knew what it meant, and I concluded no because most people also didn't know about Guevara beyond the fact that he was a guerrilla fighter.

Now, do you see the star in my signature? It's often seen with some anarcho-syndicalist groups, a form of libertarian socialism. It'd probably look "cool" on t-shirts, too.

[Syrinx]

13. yes your star looks cool

And I can support libertarian socialism without any reservation.

[mike_c]

12. there's something really depressing about the symbol...

...of the communist republic being used to sell t-shirts to clueless kids and make money for the capitalists who exploit their cluelessness....

[Syrinx]

14. more ironic than depressing in my opinion

The Soviets and the capitalists exploiting the Soviet symbols are roughly equivalent in their dishonesty, in my opinion. But yeah, I guess, if you contrast and compare the lies of the Soviets versus the lies of the capitalist fascists, it is illuminating and depressing.

[baldguy]

28. Making money & exploitation...

Isn't that what capitalism is all about?

[dipsydoodle]

15. Beginning to look like none of you

were ever young. Is wearing a CCCP tee shirt any different from those outside of the USA wearing anything with the Star 'n Stripes on it ?

[Syrinx]

17. less and less every day.

[Heidi]

19. The whole time I've lived in Europe, I've only seen one person

with a stars-and-stripes _anything_, and he was a Swiss immigration policeman who had decorated his office as a homage to the US after 9/11.

[dipsydoodle]

23. Maybe try

London sometime . :) It's getting less so these days as the the USA becomes more and more regarded as being in bad taste because of war issues.

[greyl]

16. Maybe she put it on specifically to go to Wal-Mart?

I've been known to put on my Kerry-Edwards T-shirt when I go the local "redneck" place to grab some catfood, milk or beer. ;)

Ah, probably not.

[Syrinx]

18. nah, probably not

Catfish sounds good though. Oops, you said catfood. Sorry. :)

[greyl]

21. heheh :)

Possible, but not probable, right.

[dipsydoodle]

24. You've reminded me a true story

from here in UK where Tescos home delivery service substituted Lemon Ciff < a houshold cleaner > for Lemon Jif - concentrated lemon juice for pancakes whatever.

[onehandle]

26. Most people who shop at Wal-Mart wouldn't recognize the icon.

Or know what CCCP was.

Seriously. Most Americans know Nothing about history.

Unless it's about NASCAR or American Idol.

[deutsey]

25. I saw Madonna wearing a crucifix

I don't think she meant it as an expression of religious faith.

:shrug:

[Frank Cannon]

27. Maybe this is a subtle statement about how we're living in the USSR

Highly corrupt one-party politics...check.

Rigged elections...check.

Government controlled bullshit media...check.

Gulags...check.

War in Afghanistan that won't stop...check.

People who are proud to identify themselves as "red"...check.


It's like when the Cold War ended, the Soviets won and no one told us.