Tragically hip in Sweden

[Stockholm]

Have seen this piece doing the rounds for a while. The jeans in question are more popular than ever. If Rev. Nylund wanted to kill this trend all he had to do was to say that he thinks the jeans are "fat" and that he has a pair himself.

Swedish logo designer Bjorn Atldax did something that even the American ACLU could not do: He made walking advertisements among young Swedes for an anti-Christian message.

Atldax’s logo, a skull with a cross turned upside down on its forehead emblazons denim jeans that, because of their trendy tight fit and low price, are all the rage in Stockholm, Sweden.

There’s nothing bashful about Bjorn, who boasts, "It is an active statement against Christianity. I’m not a Satanist myself, but I have a great dislike for organized religion."

It seems that the logo creator’s "great dislike" for organized religion is making him a lot of money.

more http://www.torontofreepress.com/2006/cover010406.htm

[sui generis]

1. Europe and Stockholm have a much different view of

religion than good ol' fundie merka.

Centuries of wars over sectarian christianity, inquisitions, transubstantiation vs. consubstantiation, and religion in government have lead to a very cynical view of religion's place in the public arena.

I don't think it's tragic at all.

[Bob3]

2. Well people are going to wear what people are going to wear

and who the hell cares? Of course watching our self appointed defenders of christianity here in the US getting their panties in a twist over the logo on a pair of swedish jeans is going to be great fun.

I have to say I was a little annoyed at the snippy tone of the article esp the sentence: "It seems that the logo creator’s "great dislike" for organized religion is making him a lot of money."

I was unaware that one of the requirements of disliking organized religion was taking a vow of poverty. To me those who use a great love of organized religion to make money hand over fist are they hypocrites - not some smart ass jean designer.

[MercutioATC]

3. Yeah, but isn't Satanism an organized religion?

I certainly don't have a problem with the concept, but the designer does seem to be playing the publicity angle.

[Stockholm]

5. My take

is that he wants to clear up that he himself is not a satanist and that he is against all org. religion. The original article I think was published in the Pentecostal daily "dagen" and was then translated into english, which explains the "snippy" parts. Of course the pentecoastal movement have not been themselves since the Knutby priest murdered his wife in 2004.

Cheap Monday did stick out when their first pair of jeans "Tight" was launched in 2004. Every other brand did boot cut at the time and no brand I know about did "unwashed stretch denim" (can´t really translate).

Pictures here

http://se.zoovillage.com/store/brand.asp?BrandID=265

[sui generis]

6. well said

anyway it appeals to rebels. I have a friend in Rome who once told me he has "pope" fatigue. Another time he said he has 17th century fatigue; just wants to live in a big room with no antiques and no particular history rather than in an old palazzo that's been carved up into apartments with spotty electricity and water service.

Young'uns have the same view of religion and all its European historical baggage, and can't say that I blame them.

[NewWaveChick1981]

4. Reminds me of some of the t-shirts in Japan...

...Young girls and teenagers wearing shirts like this: http://www.engrish.com/category_index.php?category=Clothing . They have absolutely no idea what the words mean (and if you read some of them, neither did the people who wrote them!). I'm sure this is exactly what happened in Sweden with these jeans---the hipsters wearing them just think they're cool and have no idea what the symbol means.

More funny shirts: &category=Clothing&date=2005-08-23 You think anyone would be able to wear this shirt in the US without getting beaten up? My personal favorite: &category=Clothing&date=2003-04-08

[silverweb]

7. LOL

If they give the fundies apoplectic seizures, I'm all for 'em!

:evilgrin: