The CdM campus is filled with a variety of fashions and styles, and every day you can find someone wearing anything from a nice dress to a cool pair of jeans, from a tank top to a team polo shirt. As most students at our school know, variety is an important part of CdM. But where do you draw the line? What should be the limit? What do we call “school appropriate?”
Joke T-shirts are a classic example of these questions. Known for their clever, yet often questionable themes, these shirts are often worn by the many of the fun-loving population that inhabit CdM’s campus, and are subject to numerous laughs and thoughtful nods. When worn in good humor, these shirts can definitely cause uplift in the serious and routine mood of a school day.
“ I think that joke shirts are important because I like people to laugh,” said sophomore AJ Santa Maria, “so it makes sense to wear shirts that are funny.”
However, there is not just one category of “joke shirt.” All types of jokes make their way onto the fabric, and any type of joke from political references to raunchy humor and sometimes even sexual references have made their way among the CdM population. This variety in humor is one of the main reasons why these shirts have, and still remain, popular and in high demand among future comedians.
However, despite their humorous and possible harmless intentions, the joke shirt can definitely be an offensive thing. Many of the things depicted by these shirts are not always nice, and can be very harmful if taken seriously. This, combined with inappropriate images and possible drug reference, can be a serious violation of the school dress code and make for one cruel and/or inappropriate message.
“ I think that [joke shirts] are funny,” said freshman Austen Boyce, “but it depends on what the shirt is and what it says.”
Despite the possible implications of the joke shirt, there is a fine line between funny and offensive, and it is often difficult to make this distinction. As funny as some people may think, such things as references to alcohol and drugs can get you into serious trouble at CdM, and can definitely get you on the wrong side of the administration.
“Joke t-shirts can be harmful,” said counselor Allison Lent, “Sometimes people can be insensitive, and not fully understand the weight of what they are wearing.”
But will this stop you? Sometimes the jokes can be too hard for people to resist, and the dress code is often ignored in an attempt to defy the school routine. Other people might simply work their way around the dress code, and still others are simply going for a laugh. What do you think about joke shirts?
“Joke shirts are funny,” said sophomore Fraizier Anderson, “I would wear one.”
