The FAGBEAST Controversy

Yng Pro is about us. About our peers. People around our age, that live the kinda life we live and feel similar about our surroundings, at least to some extent. By “US” I am refering to Andrew and I, the owners of Yng Pro. Now let me start this by saying Andrew and I are VERY similar in a lot of ways, most ways really. From our apearance and the way we dress to the way we feel about political and social issues. Us being so similar is the main reason we clicked right away as friends and the main reason we have no issues living together, working across the street form each other, and starting two companys together.

That being said, let me lay this out for you… the way I see it! If Andrew has a rebuttle, I will post it. (It is posted HERE).

A few months back Andrew and I were passed an email with a music video created by this religeous group talking about how wrong gay marrage is. I really wish the video was still around so you could see it, it was super rediculous and over the top. There were shots of choirs of people from prob 14-65 singing a chorus about killing all the gays and how they will burn in hell, all you can really do is laugh and feel sorry for these people. Andrew and I are very liberal, I think that goes without saying. Religion is a pretty big joke to us and the idea that a man and woman that don’t even love each other can get married, but two men or two women that would die for each other cant is pretty much the saddest thing I’ve ever hear.

In this video (again, GOD I wish you could see it) while this 60ish year old woman is busting through a verse she decides to throw the word “fagbeast” in there for some flavor. I literally almost pissed my pants. The fact that you are against gay marrage is funny enough, but the fact that some how in your warped mind you could even fathom a situation where you could couple the word Fag and Beast really was just too much for me. Like really? What do you do with your life when your not making hate videos and spilling sparkles on to your home made “Fags Burn In Hell” picket signs, must be a sad and lonely life to have so much hate in your heart.

What I’m getting at, which I realize is not yet clear, is that as much as this video made me laugh, it made me think about how many people out there are hated for no reason. Because there insane and literally believe some dude is up in the sky telling them to. I loved the word “fagbeast”, it still makes me laugh, and I think it is a perfect staple for the confusion and narrowmindedness of some people. As the Yng Pro line builds you will see some things that might be offensive to some, but they reflect the way we feel about the world, and usually the way our peers feel as well. We might say it in a harsh way, but sometimes its needed, just to make you think about it, for a second. Make you ask questions. I wanted to, and still do, design a shirt including the word Fagbeast as part of our line. I think it would get people talking and asking questions and is a funny way of laughing at those people that hate anything different.

Well Andrew was not having it. He was concerned it would be offensive and argued that he hates the word “fag” and doesnt want it on a line that he is associated with, that it isnt explained enough (and i think hes concerned it wont sell). I think the shirt is HILLARIOUS in of itself, but hes missing the big picture. Some of our stuff doesnt need an explanation, some of it is personal, and some of it needs a little something to let people know whats up. Who ever explains there designs? Shepard Fairy’s (Obey) entire campaign is based around stencils of Andre the Giants head to get people to ask questions and think twice about there surroundings.

What do you think? Is it just offensive, or is it funny and will be affective in getting people to ask what “fagbeast” means…does it serve its purpose? Leave a comment… Sound off!

-eyes out chin up