Nothing is sacred anymore… nothing. Urban Outfitters is now selling Minor Threat t-shirts for a mere $28.00! What’s next? The Nation of Ulysses hoodie?

According to Washington City Paper even though Dischord doesn’t make t-shirts, Minor Threat is a different story because of all the gazillion bootlegs out there. Ian MacKaye and Co. hired a company based out of California to “oversee their official shirts, and when a bootleg crops up, let them deal with it.”

“It’s not a political thing for me,” MacKaye says. “I just don’t give a fuck about T-shirts.” At some point, the former Minor Threat frontman said to the band, “This is crazy. I spend so much of my time” chasing down bootleggers. He found that when he contacted the responsible parties about their bootlegs, they just gave him hell. “They get in your face… or they deny it,” he says. “It’s a complete waste of time.”

Just because the shirt is licensed doesn’t mean MacKaye approves of the sweatshoppy clothing chain selling his band’s shirts, though. “Do I think it’s absurd? Yes, I certainly do,” he says. He also thinks the asking price is ridiculous, but he’s more or less resigned to it. “Motherfuckers pay $28, that’s what they wanna pay for their shirts.”

He compares the pricey T-shirts to people happily blowing their money on expensive shoes. Why do they do it? “I guess it makes their feet feel fuckin’ rich,” he says.

And there you have it. You’ll be seeing a lot of youngins around town sportin’ a t-shirt of a band they probably don’t even know who the fuck they were. Or even if it was a band at all.

Below, Minor Threat live at 9:30 Club, June 23, 1983:

 
Via Washington City Paper and h/t Jeff Albers