Tisk Tisk Tisk

1. After considering the arguments, how do you respond to the visual rhetoric of this shirt? Is there a middle ground? How does your exposure, participation, or lack of participation in a spiritual faith influence your decision?

I can’t believe that advertisement has come to a point where they have completely lost their sense of decency. Wearing a T-shirt that has a mockery of the real image of Jesus and calling him “my homeboy” is not only enormously disrespectful, but it is degrading to all religions. It is as if Jesus is your buddy and you go to the club with him on weekdays and get drunk. That is how preposterous the saying “my homeboy” is. I , like Mitchell, believe there is absolutely no middle ground. You do not wear or advertise your piety and deity. One’s religious faith and connection with God is something so sacred and is not to be mad light of. I come from such a religious family that has taught me to give others the respect that I would want. If this is Jesus, whether you believe in him as the son of God (as Christians do) or the Prophet of God (as the Muslims and Jews do) you do not use his name or even image in vain.

2. Use one of Mitchell's quotes to refute his argument.

Mitchell disgracefully said, “Sadly, I even know Christians who wear them.” which means that even some Christians themselves find this T-Shirt rather effective. What kind of message would this shirt be sending out? That we know Jesus and have connections with him to finagle our way into heaven? Come on now, by no means is Jesus anyone’s “homeboy”.

3. If the t-shirt only contained the text, would the impact be less controversial or less persuasive? How would the rhetoric be influenced if the shaded "bubble" letters in this shirt were changed to Gothic lettering?

If the t-shirt only contained the text the impact would be less controversial because it is not as disrespectful and commercial. Without the text the shirt would still be comical but not as degrading If the bubble letters in the shirt were changed to Gothic lettering it wouldn’t make that much of a difference because the statement “Jesus is my homeboy” is where we encounter a problem

4. How would you interpret the image's role in the rhetoric of this t-shirt? Do you see the image as a parody? Consider the way Jesus is depicted, including the halo, facial expression , and his positioning in relationship to the text in your response.

It is too much of a slang and informal phrase that should never be directed or even about someone of Jesus’ spiritual level. I see the image as a parody solely because if a person is wearing a shirt with JESUS on it, could you imagine going into a stall of a bathroom and walking out with Jesus on your shirt? It is just as disgusting when someone doesn’t wash their hands after they use the restroom. Jesus was depicted as some “fella” or some ordinary person that you can “kick it” with. There is zero respect and zero propriety.

5. Would the black t-shirt connote something different than a yellow one with the same text and image? Explain.

No it would not because the problem here is with the image, rhetoric, and text. I don’t think people are paying much attention to the background color although it would be much brighter and conspicuous if it were in yellow. The shirt would still be giving off the exact same impolite, degrading, and ludicrous message.