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St. Patrick’s Day is almost here, and while we prep with St. Paddy’s nail art and get ready for Guinness cocktails, we’ve come across what might be the most offensive St. Patrick’s Day t-shirt of the year.
Spotted by Mic on PubCrawls.com, the “Drunk Lives Matter” t-shirt is totally courting controversy by, obvs, attempting to celebrate (?) St. Patrick’s Day by playing off of the Black Lives Matter movement. It even uses the same font as BLM.
This should be pretty darn obvious, but here we go: Using the symbol/slogan of a civil rights movement (however much you might change it) to promote drinking isn’t cool. It’s not funny or cheeky or even edgy. In fact, it’s wrong and offensive. It trivializes the fact that, as Black Lives Matter tells us, “Black women [bear] the burden of a relentless assault on our children and our families… Black girls are used as negotiating chips during times of conflict and war… Black queer and trans folks bear a unique burden from a hetero-patriarchal society… [and] 2.8 million Black people are locked in cages [prisons] in this country…”
The shirt has also popped up on Amazon in various colors — ya know, so you can be offensive on any occasion. Natch, peeps are NOT impressed…
Dude in bright green shamrock laden "drunk lives matter" shirt is lucky he didn't go in a porta potty so i could knock it over onto the door
— SüßwasserLeah (@suesswassersee) March 13, 2017
There's a guy in a green Drunk Lives Matter shirt. It's 5:30pm and I'm trying not to punch him. Happy Parade Day.
— Mary Mac (@Maryoake) March 11, 2017
This girl has a shirt that says "drunk lives matter" I find that so offensive…
— britt (@ttribsx) March 12, 2017
i gave up on St. Patrick's Day last year after seeing a band of idiots all in "Drunk Lives Matter" t-shirts
— jutt (@juttinthacut) March 11, 2017
only bad moment of South side parade for me was the very young white guys walking by trying to sell "DRUNK LIVES MATTER" t-shirts
— katherine of chicago (@kofchicago) March 12, 2017
Saw a st paddys day shirt that said "drunk lives matter". I hate this country.
— maddy (@mkruegerclu) March 12, 2017
📷 St. Patrick’s Day “Drunk Lives Matter” T-shirt is offensive on multiple levels https://t.co/2Ycf09cZEl, which… https://t.co/vGbi5FZrfP
— a ✨ (@aarielmaybe) March 13, 2017
SHAMEFUL: @Amazon is encouraging white drunk people to make fun of a movement whose goal is to save black lives #BLM https://t.co/UAuEH5ANpk
— Erika Sumner (@ErikaSumner) March 15, 2017
The cringe lowlight as a witness to the racist white people holiday festivities today was a dude bro donning a "Drunk Lives Matter" t-shirt
— Chris Henley (@craigulator69) March 12, 2017
Saw a t-shirt that read "Drunk Lives Matter" :'(
— Olivia (@livsimas) March 12, 2017
When pub crawl marketing thinks #drunklivesmatter should be their t-shirt logo 😒 #tasteless #arelivesajoketoyou
— Brittney (@brittneyfmradio) March 11, 2017
I don't mind the crowd of tipsy revelers. I do mind the person in a "Drunk Lives Matter" t-shirt. #rage #StPaddysDay
— Sean (@seantheshat) March 11, 2017
Seeing someone who's against the BLM movement wear a "Drunk Lives Matter" shirt on St Patty's Day 🤢😷
— HOOCH (@sarzimmermann) March 11, 2017
Whoever is behind the "drunk lives matter" t shirt seen on the weekend of the st. Pattys parade should really rethink EVERYTHING.
— responsible dog (@houseplaant) March 11, 2017
What do you think about the “Drunk Lives Matter” t-shirt? Let us know @BritandCo!
(h/t Refinery29; photos via Michael Nagle/Getty, PubCrawls.com)
