Part of the D-Tour Collection

January 23, 2012 11:18 AM

"Inspired by the iconic sleeve of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures album, this Waves Mickey Mouse Tee incorporates Mickey's image within the graphic of the pulse of a star. That's appropriate given few stars have made bigger waves than Mickey!"
posted by obscurator (95 comments total)

This is wrong.
posted by cjorgensen at 11:19 AM on January 23 [17 favorites]

I used to sell (and order) band t-shirts. Next to the Rolling Stones lips, the Dark Side of the Moon prism and the Led Zepplin angel, there is no design I can think of with as many variations-on-a-theme pieces of merch as the Unknown Pleasures cover. So, this comes as no surprise.

Also, I must own it.
posted by griphus at 11:22 AM on January 23

Oh god I'm in the Other Universe again aren't I?
posted by The Whelk at 11:22 AM on January 23 [20 favorites]

Be sure to check out our new attraction at Disney Land, the fun and exciting ATROCITY EXHIBITION© !
posted by koeselitz at 11:23 AM on January 23 [26 favorites]

I can't wait until Epcot's new Depeche Mode-themed ride, Violator, opens!
posted by etc. at 11:25 AM on January 23 [10 favorites]

And apparently it's only available in XXL. Surely someone is having a laugh.
posted by obscurator at 11:25 AM on January 23 [3 favorites]

At first I was going to be like "does this deserve a whole FPP" and maybe flag it but then I went to the link and no, yes, this definitely deserves a whole FPP. Hell, the model's facial hair and sassy posture probably deserves a whole one on its own.
posted by penduluum at 11:26 AM on January 23 [1 favorite]

I have, on several occasions, opined that Unknown Pleasures has the most disparate ratio of wearing the shirt to actually listening to the album of any band symbol, logo, etc. It really is a great album, though.
posted by The World Famous at 11:27 AM on January 23 [6 favorites]

I must own this.
posted by Think_Long at 11:27 AM on January 23

I don't want to know about Micky's unknown pleasures.
posted by The Whelk at 11:27 AM on January 23 [2 favorites]

(which is why I avoid Deviant Art)
posted by The Whelk at 11:28 AM on January 23 [3 favorites]

Funny - I thought this was a mistype for Wavves' Mickey Mouse
posted by phong3d at 11:28 AM on January 23 [2 favorites]

As seen on the back cover of "Live From The Reedy Creek Improvement District." Oy.
posted by mintcake! at 11:28 AM on January 23 [2 favorites]

"You don't have permission to access /tees-clothes-waves-mickey-mouse-tee-for-adults/mp/1295574/1000228/ on this server."

SCREENSHOT, PLEASE!
posted by cilantro at 11:28 AM on January 23

fury in his eyes that says it all
duck's lost control
harshly quacks as his nephews pass him by
duck's lost control
and he gave away his sailor suit’s pants
and said "wauugh lost wauughtrol again"
and of a voice that told him where and when to quack
and said "wauugh lost wauughtrol again"

duck's lost control again
duck's lost control
duck's lost control again
duck's lost control

posted by Shepherd at 11:29 AM on January 23 [24 favorites]

Related: the exclusive pod-racer t-shirt.
posted by The Tensor at 11:32 AM on January 23 [1 favorite]

"We are Disney. We will add your cultural and ontological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile."
posted by Celsius1414 at 11:35 AM on January 23 [9 favorites]

Seeing as how Joy Division fans include a lot of nihilists and depressives, I'm going to pretend that this isn't Mickey, but Quimby the Mouse.
posted by Capt. Renault at 11:36 AM on January 23 [3 favorites]

Did we just click-bomb the disney store? If their servers can't handle a little extra attention, it says a lot about their overall business model... Hint: It has little to do with sales.
posted by kaibutsu at 11:38 AM on January 23 [1 favorite]

Funny - I thought this was a mistype for Wavves' Mickey Mouse.

Heh. So did I at first.
posted by mykescipark at 11:38 AM on January 23

"Mommy, why is the band called Joy Division?"
posted by exogenous at 11:40 AM on January 23 [1 favorite]

Where will it end? Where will it end.
posted by freebird at 11:41 AM on January 23 [5 favorites]

holy fucking shit
posted by mr_roboto at 11:41 AM on January 23

I'm trying hard to figure out how this isn't a shill for an unremarkable tee shirt.
posted by cmoj at 11:42 AM on January 23 [4 favorites]

Dear World,

Please stop co-opting the very small list of things I hold dear.
posted by humboldt32 at 11:43 AM on January 23 [7 favorites]

.
posted by Artw at 11:44 AM on January 23 [4 favorites]

I was going to say that linking to an ironic shirt design is pretty thin for a FPP and then I realized that this is being designed and sold by the actual Disney Corporation. Weird.
posted by codacorolla at 11:44 AM on January 23 [2 favorites]

Forbidden

You don't have permission to access /tees-clothes-waves-mickey-mouse-tee-for-adults/mp/1295574/1000228/ on this server.

So, I'm assuming this is more than a link to a pic of a T-shirt? Otherwise it wouldn't be "a good post for Metafilter", right?
posted by Decani at 11:44 AM on January 23

The ad copy, Decani, you're missing the ad copy:

Inspired by the iconic sleeve of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures album, this Waves Mickey Mouse Tee incorporates Mickey's image within the graphic of the pulse of a star. That's appropriate given few stars have made bigger waves than Mickey!

posted by griphus at 11:45 AM on January 23 [1 favorite]

I mirrored the photo here, if the FPP link isn't working.
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:47 AM on January 23

Oh, wait, the ad copy was the text of the FPP.
posted by griphus at 11:47 AM on January 23

OK but where do they sell the Mickey glove where the little lines on the back are the Black Flag logo
posted by theodolite at 11:47 AM on January 23 [11 favorites]

Next do Frankenchrist.
posted by Artw at 11:48 AM on January 23 [9 favorites]

I have, on several occasions, opined that Unknown Pleasures has the most disparate ratio of wearing the shirt to actually listening to the album of any band symbol, logo, etc. It really is a great album, though.

Surely the Ramones?

[Sidenote: "surely the Ramones?" may be a useful answer to many questions].

The link is 403 for me, too.
posted by Infinite Jest at 11:50 AM on January 23 [3 favorites]

I can't wait until Epcot's new Depeche Mode-themed ride, Violator, opens!

It just plays "Never Let Me Down Again" through the entire ride.

"True Faith" plays on repeat while you're in the exit queue.
posted by furiousthought at 12:04 PM on January 23 [1 favorite]

Ahhhh, dammit, even though this FPP is pretty funny, we're just making Disney more money!

New Order indeed.
posted by not_on_display at 12:05 PM on January 23 [1 favorite]

Somebody at Factory Records needs to get going with the DMCA takedown notice already.
posted by atbash at 12:05 PM on January 23 [2 favorites]

You know, I think there are a lot of French marxists who would consider this only too, too appropriate. American imperialism, Disney, fascism, etc etc.
posted by Frowner at 12:06 PM on January 23

Dammit I knew I should have bought one of these when I was at Dland 3 weeks ago :(
posted by Senor Cardgage at 12:08 PM on January 23

No, really. Can someone explain this?
posted by cmoj at 12:08 PM on January 23

Ahhhh, dammit, even though this FPP is pretty funny, we're just making Disney more money!

Well, if they offered it in a size other than XXL they would be... it's very irritating.

I guess I'm in the minority of people who haven't seen many mashups of this seminal album and other pop culture items. I was in a Duran Duran marathon, but just seeing the album cover made me stop and listen to Joy Division.
posted by inthe80s at 12:09 PM on January 23

I lack sufficient language to express the loathing I have for Disney.
posted by Legomancer at 12:09 PM on January 23 [2 favorites]

This is what copyright law should be all about. Surviving members of Joy Division, go nuclear on Disney's ass. (And PLEASE don't tell me you gave them prior approval)
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:10 PM on January 23

I would think this was cool except that anything with Disney logos make me break out in hives. On a recent FL visit I was unprepared for the spectacle of power lines in the iconic mouse shape and nearly threw up.
posted by kinnakeet at 12:11 PM on January 23 [1 favorite]

I happened to be listening to Closer when I clicked on this. "Possessed by a fury that burns from inside" is perfectly apropos.
posted by jdfan at 12:19 PM on January 23

That is quite enough, please.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 12:20 PM on January 23

"There is nothing of value that we won't steal, nothing of merit we won't prostitute. By wearing this shirt, you'll be able to show the world you gave us money, and support our ongoing efforts to debase and monetize everything you have ever loved."
posted by mhoye at 12:21 PM on January 23 [2 favorites]

I would think this was cool except that anything with Disney logos make me break out in hives. On a recent FL visit I was unprepared for the spectacle of power lines in the iconic mouse shape and nearly threw up.


Yeah, well this is what the lightning storms look like in Orlando.
posted by orme at 12:21 PM on January 23 [1 favorite]

No, really. Can someone explain this?

(And PLEASE don't tell me you gave them prior approval)

A history of the copyright of the album cover.
posted by griphus at 12:22 PM on January 23 [13 favorites]

However, considering Disney is overtly referencing the band, they most definitely had a release from whoever owns the copyright.
posted by griphus at 12:24 PM on January 23

No, really. Can someone explain this?

Are you waiting for a guide to come and take you by the hand?
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:26 PM on January 23 [6 favorites]

I lack sufficient language to express the loathing I have for Disney.
posted by Legomancer at 3:09 PM on January 23

Well, heck! Maybe you just need the right t-shirt!

Hyuck!
posted by orme at 12:27 PM on January 23 [2 favorites]

Disneyland Calling
posted by cazoo at 12:30 PM on January 23 [1 favorite]

Disney would sue the ass off any freelancer who made this.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 12:31 PM on January 23

what is this i don't even
posted by radiosilents at 12:33 PM on January 23

No, really. Can someone explain this?

Your confusion....my illusion?
posted by Infinite Jest at 12:36 PM on January 23 [1 favorite]

That guy is too lucid and happy to be a Joy Division fan, and too skinny to be a Disney fan.
posted by Brocktoon at 12:53 PM on January 23 [1 favorite]

So when do Peter Savile's army of Lawyers pummel Disney into the ground for infringement?
posted by chimaera at 12:55 PM on January 23

Disneyland Calling
posted by cazoo

/me splutters incoherently, topples satan from hell's throne, stabs humanity in the forehead
posted by lekvar at 1:01 PM on January 23 [2 favorites]

If you think that's something, wait until you see the "GG Allin" themed Goofy t-shirt.
posted by Slap*Happy at 1:04 PM on January 23 [5 favorites]

Through the ustream,
The eyes of those subscribing looked in at her,
As into the cage of some rare creature in a zoo.
In the hand of one of the assistants
She saw her old t-shirt
Which they had that morning
Rebranded with Mickey.
She shuddered instinctively.
posted by fleacircus at 1:07 PM on January 23

This would be great if it wasn't so poorly done. There are overlapping lines and some of the wave traces go over each other giving two y values for one x. Shame!
posted by nutate at 1:08 PM on January 23 [1 favorite]

To be fair, Disney tourist brochures have been ripping off the cover of New Order's Republic for years.
posted by infinitewindow at 1:08 PM on January 23 [3 favorites]

The link is down, here is the cached version of the page.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:14 PM on January 23

griphus: I used to sell (and order) band t-shirts. Next to the Rolling Stones lips, the Dark Side of the Moon prism and the Led Zepplin angel, there is no design I can think of with as many variations-on-a-theme pieces of merch as the Unknown Pleasures cover.

Don't forget Abbey Road, which a quick Google search does not a produce an official Mickey Mouse version thereof... I smell a profitable opening!

FWIW: This one link has convinced me that Generation X has now hit the very nadirs we once roundly mocked the Baby Boomers for. *my head hangs in shame*
posted by 1f2frfbf at 1:24 PM on January 23 [2 favorites]

The shirt is only available in an XXL, which according to the handy size chart on that page is a 50-52" chest. Why, then, is the shirt shown as fitting tightly on a guy with a 36" chest?
posted by plastic_animals at 1:24 PM on January 23

The link is down
::rubs dust from palms::
posted by obscurator at 1:26 PM on January 23

I hear the new Bill Hicks thing at D-World starring Donald Duck is rad!
posted by freebird at 1:40 PM on January 23 [2 favorites]

The image came from the Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Astronomy, so I very much doubt Joy Division ever actually held an enforceable copyright to it.
posted by Navelgazer at 1:41 PM on January 23

Why, then, is the shirt shown as fitting tightly on a guy with a 36" chest?

It is a pain in the ass (photography and retouching) to get a single catalog-worthy photo of someone. I don't think even Disney has the time or energy to get one for every single size just in case they sell out of medium.
posted by griphus at 1:44 PM on January 23

Mickey blue?
posted by Thorzdad at 1:47 PM on January 23

Also, the model is 7'8".
posted by Slap*Happy at 1:48 PM on January 23 [2 favorites]

You know, I think I read on the internet once that Walt Disney was a bit of an anti-Semite.
posted by box at 2:28 PM on January 23 [1 favorite]

Now I now why Ian Curtis hung himself.
posted by w0mbat at 2:29 PM on January 23

Surely this is a sign of the end times.
posted by loriginedumonde at 2:39 PM on January 23

It's a shame that the original image isn't copyrighted. I would feel better if Disney money was funding science.
posted by arcticseal at 3:36 PM on January 23 [1 favorite]

"It's getting faster, moving faster now, it's getting out of hand."
posted by elmono at 3:42 PM on January 23

What motivates people to wear the image of mickey mouse on their person? Is it a Cory Doctorow-esque love for Disneyland? Or do they really love Mickey the character?

In my mind, the oversized Mickey sweatshirt and pyjama bottoms was always the archetypical laziest outfit imaginable.
posted by Pruitt-Igoe at 3:46 PM on January 23

We hate DisneyCorp because we love the Mickey in the old cartoons.
posted by notsnot at 3:48 PM on January 23

Other Disney/Album Covers i'd like to see:

Hewey, Dewey or Louie as the figure on this cover.

Goofy holding Chip or Dale on this cover.

Donald having a typical fit to this image. Maybe smashing a mailbox.

Obviously this cover could feature Tigger.

And let's get all Stitch of Lilo and Stitch fame on this one.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:51 PM on January 23 [1 favorite]

…and they've sold out.
posted by Houyhnhnm at 3:58 PM on January 23

SACRILEGE
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 3:59 PM on January 23

OK but where do they sell the Mickey glove where the little lines on the back are the Black Flag logo

I'm still holding out for the Mickey version of 'Smell the Glove' (the original cover, that is).
posted by slimepuppy at 4:11 PM on January 23

Eh. I gave up the first time I saw an anarchy symbol T-shirt with a little ® on it.
posted by Ron Thanagar at 4:41 PM on January 23 [2 favorites]

I'm trying hard to figure out how this isn't a shill for an unremarkable tee shirt.

Because it's sold out, sold out man! You can't shill something no one can buy!
posted by cjorgensen at 5:06 PM on January 23

Disneyland Calling

That figurine is just begging to be inappropriately recontextualized.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:55 PM on January 23 [2 favorites]

Holy cats, Sys Rq, I... I honestly had no idea...
posted by Joey Michaels at 6:27 PM on January 23

Stukas Over Disneyland
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:30 PM on January 23

I went to see the Peter Hook Unknown Pleasures show when it toured. In my callow days I was (still am) a huge Joy Division fan.

People were walking out - I was amazed, what did they expect? What they did get was a fat old guy with a semi acoustic bass (My personal theory is that a solid body was too draining to wear for a 45 minute show) who topped and tailed every song. They had a *real* bassist, but Pete handled the intro and outros.

For what it was - I had free tickets - wasn't tooooo bad I suppose. I mean I'm glad I didn't pay for it, had I - I would definitely not have walked out.

The saddest part of the event were the two encores - predictably Transmission and Love Will Tear Us Apart. The later was rendered with Pete yelling "C'MON C'MON" and waving his arms to try to motivate an audience of elderly Joy Division fans to stand and join in the chorus.

They were selling the tee for $50 a pop. Fuck that, I can get it from eBay for $10 including postage.
posted by mattoxic at 6:38 PM on January 23

That mouse lived for you, that mouse died for you. That mouse saw the madness in your area.
posted by panboi at 2:56 AM on January 24 [2 favorites]

This t-shirt annoys me, not because I hold Joy Division as precious and I hate to see them besmirched; they sell RUN DMC shirts at Target now, the war is over and we lost, I get it.

What annoys me is that this kind of shi[r]t is fucking tired. I like a good satire shirt, I own a few, I've made a few (self-link), I'm no purist; but too often it feels less like "Here are two things I enjoy that would be funny together" and more of a formula of "[fandom1] dressed as [fandom2]".

I check TeeFury and RiPT daily, and 9 out of 10 times the featured shirt has something to do with Dr. Who. or Star Wars. Or Dr. Who as Star Wars. Or characters from another property AS characters from Dr. Who or Star Wars. or the Muppets. Or Lost. or whatever. Do you remember how several Dr. Seuss stories featured creatures called the Who? Sorta like Dr. Who? How many shirt designs do you think came out of that bit of 'humor arithmetic?' Think of the number at which the law of diminishing returns would kick in, and it's about 4 more than that.

But even though I find that sort of thing tired, I understand my sense of humor is different from other peoples's, and at least with those types of sites, it's independent artists selling to one another, fans sharing things made by fans, ever pushing the boundaries of Fair Use in the process.

This is a large corporation co-opting not only the imagery of a famous band's iconic album cover, but another facet of user-generated content. It's like Hot Topic selling LOLCats shirts, or Chuck Norris actually doing Chuck Norris jokes from 6 years ago in a WoW commercial. I used to find it merely tired, but as someone who has a semi-autistic love of t-shirts, this is like, "punk rock subaru" level irritating to me.
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 7:18 AM on January 24

Uther are you familiar with this blog?

The Internets are just so lazy now with the putting Star Wars inside Dr. Who inside Lord of the Rings whatever. I've gotten so bitter about it that I have said to a friend, in reference to the infinite Star Wars fandom, "these are middle-aged men obsessed with a kids' movie!" Yeah, take that, Internet.
posted by palidor at 12:04 PM on January 24 [1 favorite]

People were walking out - I was amazed, what did they expect? What they did get was a fat old guy with a semi acoustic bass

If only they'd paid $300 for PLATINUM CLASS. Here's what they could have expected:
• 1 x Ticket (Premium Seating)
• VIP entry at the venue (no need to queue)
• Exclusive Meet & Greet with Peter Hook
• Official Commemorative Meet and Greet Laminate.
• Limited Edition A3 thick card stock tour poster
• 3 items signed
• Limited Edition tour t-shirt (not for sale)
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:21 PM on January 24 [1 favorite]

Speaking of besmirching Joy Division...
posted by Joey Michaels at 4:20 PM on January 24

I walked out of the Peter Hook Closer show in San Francisco. It's the only rock show I've ever walked out of, out of hundreds. The sound was so terrible it was listening to Closer through a fuzz box connected only to a giant subwoofer that you are trapped inside. For comparison, I saw Joy Division play live, and they sounded great.
posted by w0mbat at 9:55 PM on January 26