Shania Twain's Ramones T-shirt: C/D?

I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THIS, JOhn DARLELLE

Why thank you :o) I kinda dove right in and haven't introduced myself yet....I think there's a thread for that!

People wear clothes to express themselves and send messages and maybe surprise people shockah!

I think my basic gripe here (and my position has been softened quite a bit since my initial reaction and post, because someone pointed out to me that Shania wearing a punk band's t-shirt pissing me off basically = punk, because punk is supposed to piss people off, right?) is that there's a real disconnection between Shania Twain and the Ramones, and that yes, it does seem hyper-calculated. That AC/DC shirt above I can definitely see with her small-town background (oh and the fact that her husband produced the album in question on the shirt). I have no problem with Shania liking things other than her own genre, but there's still something about this that smacks of image consultant or desperate cred-grabbing.

*though there is a lot more interesting stuff to say about her than this - putting out 3 versions of the same album is both amazingly cynical and artistically significant in terms of a big mainstream artist demolishing the idea of the 'original version'.

I think there are bigger questions about the culture of celebrity being raised with Shania and her Ramones T-shirt though -- a person who likes Shania might well enjoy the Ramones (or the Subhumans, which would have been a much savvier choice of T-shirt I must say) but in the rarefied air of unimaginable wealth like that enjoyed by Shania, doesn't it seem like the ability to process the data of the outside world gets compromised, or the nature of how it's done changes considerably? What I mean is: sure, Celine Dion could like any kind of music...but isn't it kind of difficult to imagine her listening to any kind of music at all?

I think probably the wealthier you are the bigger the chances of your enjoying *everything*, not nothing - whether you enjoy it in the same way or in more of a 'diverting novelty' sense I don't know, not being incredibly wealthy.

The photographer is trying to convey sleaziness - that nice Shania also has a dirrty side. It's not a very good picture so I wouldn't say it worked.

(Also in any marketing exercise designed to appeal to/create a demographic, answering a strong "no" is as useful to Them and Their profiling as answering a strong "yes".)

if one believes that ppl hearing heard the ramones would — for example — immediately begin to question their allegience to shania, then why complain when she gives the ramones a free endorsement? why is it so awful that outsiders and newbies find out about the ramones?

And the Ramones legacy is at least as much about fashion as it is about music, anyway--hasn't that been kind of obvious for a long time now?

same w/ Shania's shirt, it doesn't say like RAMONES on it, you'd only recognise it as a Ramones shirt if you were already familiar with the logo.

also, one-shouldered tight punk-band shirt = rhinestoned metal shirt etc., which particular band is being referenced really doesn't matter. I'd be more likely to believe Shania really liked the Ramones if she were to wear just an ordinary (not chopped-up) t-shirt of them. Okay yeah chopping up yr garments is "punk" but you know wot I mean.

I can't get up much righteous ire at the idea of her wearing it when the emo/punk kids at my high school are wearing it too. You can either say "It's fashion and you're only into punk because all of your friends are," or "how neat that you and your friends found out about this interesting music you'd never heard before." I can't see any of them going "oh maybe Shania's not so bad, I should try listening to her," though, they'd just all yell "POSER, I HATE HER!" so it can't be a very good promotional strategy.

well, I meant recognizably from a distance! :p Anyway, this Atomic Kitten thing disturbs me way more for some reason (dammit, why should I even give a shit about what people's shirts say??) There's some sort of unwritten (oh it's prob. been written by now on the band t-shirt etiquette thread) thing about wearing your band shirt sincerely vs. ironically, which is somehow being violated here and driving me insane ARGH

Worrying that Shania's Ramones shirt "demeans" punk concedes that Shania is stronger than the Ramones.

Which I actually think she is, but then I don't particularly mind. Remember Joey (?) supported Reagan but Shania won the "world's sexiest vegetarian award" one year (i shit you not).

She's giving a metaphorical finger to those who despise her work, and the righteous ire shown by those who find her appropriation of these images is just more fire in her belly. As they used to say, if you wan't to defeat your enemy sing their song.

..and don't talk about fire in Shania's belly so early in the morning... I have to scroll up to take a look at it.