Kurt Cobain suicide note T-shirt - bad taste, or acceptable?

 
Last year marked the 20th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death, but we had to wait until 2015 for the most tasteless memorial to the Nirvana frontman's life.
 
Kurt Cobain's suicide note has now been replicated in its entirety into a baseball shirt that can be purchased on eBay. A similar tank top depicting a replication of the note was also available until recently on Etsy, until a Reddit discussion drew attention to it, prompting the site to take it down. The image can still be seen via Styleite's post.
 
This means at least one person decided it would be cool to market Cobain's most personal sentiment into a shirt. Sixteen of the eBay baseball tees have been sold so far.
 
In the handwritten note, Cobain mourns his loss of enthusiasm for performing before Nirvana's massive crowds and details his admiration of wife Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean.
 
 

 
 
(Billboard)

Meh... I'm actually a HUGE Nirvana/Cobain fan (don't judge me!) and I've got no problem with it if the family doesn't (well his daughter and mother anyway... Courtney can go do something that violates the TOS to herself as far as I'm concerned). He was a bizzarro wordsmith and from what I recall of the letter it seemed to be written knowing it would be read to his fans/released to the public. Knowing his dark sense of humor he'd probably like it.
 
But yeah... if the Bean or his Mum have a problem with it then naw... have some class. If they don't then really it doesn't seem particularly out of place considering the man's mindset in life. Considering it is copyrighted material though (everything is as soon as you write it down) whoever is doing this best be paying royalties lest they feel the wrath of the Hole.

Are you implying that "bad taste" and "acceptable" are mutually exclusive? 

Beepster
 
Of course you're totally right but I guess I'm just numbed to the depths capitalism can sink to.

I can totally get that, and I think it somewhat had the opposite effect on me. Back in the days, I'm not sure I'd have reacted the same. But nowadays everything seems to be mostly form over substance, biographic details are more important than music, and I tend to shy away from that stuff and focus on the artist's music. In most cases anyway.
 
As for the rest, you hit the nail on the head as far as I'm concerned.
 
First thing that came to mind when I read this was the song "Rape Me"... 

slartabartfast
Is Kurt complaining?
 

Ever heard a song of his which wasn't complain one way or another? :P The Cure almost sound frivolous by comparison.

I had a bad taste of sour grapes once.

This ended up as topic of discussion here at the fort. The wife and I agree. It is in bad taste. I still don't think Kurt killed himself. But then again I've been known to run around the house with an aluminum foil helmet swearing that space aliens are trying to control my mind.

sharke
Well it's tacky as hell of course, but it's a free market...
 
Personally I think that kids going around wearing CCCP t-shirts with the hammer and sickle is far worse, considering the 10's of millions of Russians who were slaughtered. They might as well cover themselves in swastikas. And then of course you have the Che Guevara t-shirts, because murderers are très chic aren't they. 
 
But this Cobain suicide note design...yes it's in poor taste but then again people are quite comfortable wearing crosses to symbolize the thing that Jesus was nailed to, is that really any worse? Maybe in a few hundred years time, this suicide note will be considered some kind of holy document. 

Those kids are worse IF we make the assumption the kids are thinking of it in those terms.  i hate to go into the whole perspective and relativism angle, but sometimes it does come down to that. People who wear those kind of shirts tend to fall into two categories (that i have witnessed personally..i am sure there are more): those who have no clue about the history of the Soviet Union (and yes, those people exist) and those who have a different take on the history of the Soviet Union.  i remember asking the wannabe communist kids why they would support such an oppressive regime?  The typical answer fell along the lines of the answer i get when I ask a similar question about any group with a lot of supporters and blood on their hands; dismissal, denial and redirection. try it out now.  Go ask a muslim about the recent attacks and i doubt you get a lot of direct, unconditional support for such acts. I don't know any Christians who are not kkk themselves that see the KKK as a representative of Chrsitianity even though many cells claim just that. Every communist wannabe i spoke to condemned soviet atrocities in the same way most Americans condemn atrocities of our past and so on.They do not define communism by the acts of Stalin anymore than Americans define the USA by slavery or Muslims define islam by 911 or Christians define Christianity by the Inquisition.  They point to what they feel are ideals (often utopian in nature) and see atrocities as the collateral damage of those not adhering to those principals. I'm not defending brutal regimes or abuses done in the name of race, politics, religion, etc.  Just pointing out that most adherents to various ideologies do not see themselves through the same lens as their detractors.  in theory communism is a Utopian notion.  A society where everyone is equal and well cared for.  We know (with the exception of primitive cultures) the actual reality is much different.  That doesn't stop people from dreaming and focusing on the dream.  I guess my point is that those kids are probably more guilty of being ignorant or delusional and under the impression they are showing support for a form of idealism rather than sending the message they want some Stalin style brutality.
 

In my own experience, most people over there just don't talk about it. It's a bit taboo. In 3 months, I've heard one girl refer to the communist era - in a derogatory way. If I remember correctly, we were advised beforehand not to bring up the subject.
 
I personally tend to believe that young people who fall for socialism and communism are mostly ignorant - and the majority of the time, they come from families where money has never really been a concern. They reach that age and want to re-invent the world...
 
College = pot = socialism/communism. It's one of the few constants in this universe.
 
But I just broke the TOS. :/

Rain
In my own experience, most people over there just don't talk about it. It's a bit taboo. In 3 months, I've heard one girl refer to the communist era - in a derogatory way. If I remember correctly, we were advised beforehand not to bring up the subject.
 
I personally tend to believe that young people who fall for socialism and communism are mostly ignorant - and the majority of the time, they come from families where money has never really been a concern. They reach that age and want to re-invent the world...
 
College = pot = socialism/communism. It's one of the few constants in this universe.
 
But I just broke the TOS. :/

In all honesty you will find that there's an overwhelming number of people who are either "communists" or rabid anti-communists who all have one thing in common - none of them have actually ever read Marx (or Adam Smith for that matter).

drewfx1

Rain
In my own experience, most people over there just don't talk about it. It's a bit taboo. In 3 months, I've heard one girl refer to the communist era - in a derogatory way. If I remember correctly, we were advised beforehand not to bring up the subject.
 
I personally tend to believe that young people who fall for socialism and communism are mostly ignorant - and the majority of the time, they come from families where money has never really been a concern. They reach that age and want to re-invent the world...
 
College = pot = socialism/communism. It's one of the few constants in this universe.
 
But I just broke the TOS. :/

In all honesty you will find that there's an overwhelming number of people who are either "communists" or rabid anti-communists who all have one thing in common - none of them have actually ever read Marx (or Adam Smith for that matter).

Adam Smith the Scot or the congressman?? lol

Figured that but since the latter is congressman in my district I would ask.

I know this thread is about good or bad taste t-shirt logo design, and I agree with the sentiments being expressed, but please try to hold off the politics...