You might not have much of a strong opinion about it. You might not give a s*t about it. But you need to start now, because I think it’s actually contributing to most of the world’s problems. The straw that broke the camel’s back for me was last week in a supermarket that won’t be named, but please do subscribe to the channel because every little helps.
two T-shirts side by side. The only two remotely colorful, vibrant or vaguely interesting T-shirts on the entire rack, (and the rack was, like, FOUR wide.) Walkers Crisps. I wasn’t in the wrong aisle, trying to squeeze myself into a Pringles tube. I was looking at a T-shirt that just had the Walkers Bastard Crisps logo on it, and next to that, a big cartoon version of Elton John’s face.
Now, who watching this or listening to this on Spotify or whatever is is the UK’s center point on the Venn diagram of Tesco T-shirts? Who is the guy listening to this who goes, “Oh, do you know what I’m really short of? Crisps T-shirts. Not had a fresh one in ages. I’m short on cartoon Elton’s as well and you know, I love my crisps and my Elton. Well, cartoon Elton.
Do men want to look like crisps?
Who’s in the marketing team? Who do I have to speak to? “I’m thinking Elton John… and crisps. Oh, come on, men love that, man. Love that. Don’t worry. We won’t do anything about the Star Wars range that stays. That stays forever. But Elton John and Crisps needs needs to be added to the range.” Depressing.
Are men as fashion conscious as women? Generally speaking? Okay, maybe not, but you’re not even giving us the chance. As I look at the menswear section, and then right next to that I see fruit and veg. I don’t feel like I’m looking at clothes, I’m looking at packaging. I’m just working class dad meat that needs fresh packaging every now and again so he doesn’t go off.
That’s what shopping for menswear feels like to me in the supermarket. If you go to the menswear section at the rival supermarket in town and have a look at the menswear section there, which by the way, is right adjacent to the rotisserie chicken and the spicy barbecue chicken wings (so thanks for stinking out the dressing gowns, guys. Love that,) There is a back wall of Loungewear. They call it Loungewear. Visit the Loungewear section.
Gray slippers, Gray lounge pants, gray loose fitting lounge tops. Great socks, gray pajama ensemble sets and gray vests, All gray. This clinically gray wall of Loungewear, this shrine of unconsciousness. These clothes that they expect men to put on, give up and just fall asleep to, It looks like what they’re saying is, “yeah, we know you’re a man, but wouldn’t it be great to go to women’s prison?”
