That Aint Cute.

I was at Carroll Park yesterday enjoying the glorious weather, watching to make sure that Ella doesn’t put all the crud she picks up in her mouth, when I noticed a two year old girl running around in a long sleeve tee with a black and white graphic on it.

I turned from Ella’s crud related activity to see that the graphic was a B&W close up of a man drinking from a liquor bottle and in the top right corner it said in a scrawl, “bukowski.” That isn’t cute. A little girl should not have an image of a drunken wife beater on her shirt. More over the person who dressed her should know better.

It’s bad enough that the Boomers have forced their pop culture down the throats of every generation after them, but now we have to see kids like François running around in band t-shirts for Iggy Pop and ridiculous figures like Bukowski being commemorated on t-shirts for kids. My wife and I bought Ella a t-shirt with a caricature of The Beatles on it. It is a cute cartoony image of the Fab Four. I debated for a moment or two but figured that it was OK. People have even said, “Oh that’s cute.” They may be being nice but I don’t say, “Oh that’s cute,” to the kids in Ramones shirts.

I think it would be funny if I had Ella in a t-shirt with an image of Ian McShane as Al Swerangen shouting “Cocksucker!” But I would never, ever, actualy do it.

I’m not sure what it is parents are thinking, or not thinking. These are our kids. It is our job as parents to protect them and allow them to grow up at their pace. I don’t think it is appropriate to start our kids sucking on the “cool” teat before it’s time. I love The Who and I’m 35 and I don’t have a t-shirt why would I buy Ella one?