i would say that it is a form of distinction -- a way for people to distinguish themselves from one another that is possibly only emerging recently. in the past, when moms were going to college in their forties, it was because it was no unusual for a mom not to go to college because most women didn't. e.g. -- my mom. but now, when 50% of the population goes to college, there needs to be another marker of shame, to distinguish one group from another. in this case, i'd guess that it's not yalies who wear the shirt but maybe kids who go to state colleges, etc.
what is your experience?
On Jan 11, 2008 12:56 PM, B. <docile_body at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Response to Dennis and "berber carpet bomb":
>
> Dennis, no, I don't think a PiL tee would look bad on
> you. Do it! They did some great stuff, esp. early on.
>
> Anyone remember, from the early 90s, the "Fuck Me and
> Marry Me Young" t-shirts? or the "Fuck You, We're From
> Texas" t-shirts?
>
> The "Your Mom Goes to College" shirt is just
> especially egregious because it's basically saying the
> wearer is coming from a higher social caliber; your
> mom has had to go back to college or may be going to
> college the first time, something working class
> parents often do (community college) when they're
> jobless later in life, or it's ageist in the same way
> making fun of "there's a guy in our class over 30!
> haha!" is a big joke to young college kids. It's of
> the "kick them when they;'re down" school of obnoxious
> crap. "Haha, your parents are trying to make their
> lives better -- they must have fucked up and had kids
> and been trashy earlier on," or something. What's
> galling about it is it slams someone for trying to do
> something good -- get a college education. But they
> didn't do it the right way.
>
> It stings personally because my mom had me at age 20,
> no college degree, had to move back in with her
> parents, single mom, tried to go back to college a
> that point, her parents would only help her out if she
> chose to be a teacher or nurse (I'm dead serious;
> cliche yet very true here), but she couldn't juggle it
> all and never got a degree. Seeing some smug shit in a
> t shirt like the one I posted would make me see red
> for a lil' bit.
>
> -B.
>
>
>
> Dennis Perrin wrote
>
>
> "Dennis(wondering if wearing a Public Image Ltd. tee
> at my age would look pathetic)"
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