Your T-shirt might get you slapped

Fashion is said to be used as a source of self-expression, but when your self-expression starts to offend others, it's time to pull the plug. \nRecently, controversy reared its head regarding the witty, sarcastic and sometimes offensive phrases on T-shirts. The controversy started about a month ago when a woman boarding an airplane wore a shirt that said "Meet the F-ckers" with pictures of President Bush, Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice, according to www.thepoliticalteen.net. Many of the passengers on the plane were offended by both the political message and the crude language, so she was asked to cover the shirt with a sweater. She fell asleep on the plane, and the sweater fell open, exposing the shirt once again, so she was kindly but firmly told she could not take the flight. \nWhen I first heard about the situation, I felt it was an infringement on the passenger's freedom of speech and self-expression. Then I realized airlines are privately owned, and by offending others who have paid money to fly, there was reason enough for her to be asked to leave the plane. This incident has been the first of many concerning offensive phrases on T-shirts, and I agree the issue deserves to be addressed. \nIf you look around at students on campus, you can spot many T-shirts with phrases like "Don't annoy the crazy person," "Pale is the new tan" and "You don't know my name, but your boyfriend does." It begs the question: How far is too far?\nI must admit the phrases are smart and witty but can be very offensive and degrading to certain people. As adults on a college campus, we have a right to wear what we choose, but when the shirts are plainly rude, someone has to say enough is enough. We all know what can happen when freedom of speech is used to spread ugliness and hate. It would break my heart to see a T-shirt that displays something racist or homophobic on a campus of educated adults. \nNow there is an entire movement of female high school and college students protesting T-shirts that degrade women. There was an entire segment about the situation on NBC's "Today Show" featuring girls in high school and middle school protesting shirts with some pretty racy phrases on the front, such as, "Who needs brains when I have these?" "Blondes are adored, brunettes are ignored," "I had a nightmare I was a brunette" and "Gentlemen prefer tig 'ole bitties." \n"This one is clever and witty," said a sarcastic Katie Couric referring to the last phrase. \nI will be the first to admit that upon hearing this I laughed out loud, but if we have to question the appropriateness of T-shirts like these on a college campus, I must say they are definitely inappropriate for the high school age group. Whatever happened to phrases like "Cutie," "Hot stuff" and "Big booty girl?" It would seem that the companies making these shirts have outgrown their consumers. "Abercrombie & Fitch has been the target of criticism in the past for its T-shirt slogans and advertising campaigns, but this time it has upset a portion of its prime audience -- teenage girls," read an Associated Press article titled "Racy T-shirt messages drawing girls' backlash."\nAbercrombie and Fitch should stop offending the consumers who help it earn the bulk of its money. It isn't a very smart business decision. Political views should never be expressed on an airplane -- it is too small of a space -- and freshman girls might be skinny, but upper-class women have experience and something to hold on to.