Badget
Being a child of the 80s there are two things that I’m always going to have a soft spot for. The first is terrible, cheesy music, the second is sloganeering.
The 80s, especially in Britain, was a time of political conflict mixed with an energised design ethic. Brash ideas and bold text were mostly the order of the day, leading to some of the most memorable symbols and slogans from that century.
Take Katherine Hamnett’s ‘Frankie says’ and ‘Choose Life’ t-shirts. As far as design goes there is almost nothing to it – Black text on a simple white t-shirt – It does what it needs to though, it takes an identifiable, branded message and creates a fashion item with it.
It was the must have style of ‘84.
That said, the 80s came and went and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone willing to wear them now… Unlike another attempt to mix politics, design and fashion…
The campaign for nuclear disarmament (CND) actually created their classic symbol in 1958… it was designed by Gerald Holtom… it’s a fantastic piece of art – instantly recognisable, simple and yet very intelligent.
The symbol itself is a mix of military semaphore symbols for ‘N’ and ‘D’ (for nuclear disarmament) and also appears to be very similar to the runic symbol for protection. It works in any colour combination (personally I think black and white is best… but I would), it was intentionally left un-copyrighted, and most importantly, it’s circular.
This circular shape helped it combine with another 80s trend, pin badges, and it quickly became the student’s badge of choice, especially during the Molesworth demos.
Actually, it was used to protest about pretty much everything from civil rights abuses through to anti-apartheid (it was very nearly banned in South Africa). Wrapped up in that simple little symbol are volumes of ideas and concepts of freedom… ideas and concepts that you can carry around with you, on your clothes for all to see… a bit like a crucifix for the publicly minded.
I remember the first time I obtained a CND badge. It was in the ‘Free Nelson Mandela Coffee House’ at my local University. Wearing that badge was not just a fashion statement, it was, for me, a statement of intent and acceptance into a non-exclusive club… I wonder what happened to that badge. No doubt it probably went through the wash once too many times.
And so it was that the other night I was thinking of obtaining a replacement. Looking online I found a few places that sold them and many more that would let you design your own badge…
I was struck by the paradox of ordering a badge that protested against the use of weapons technology that could destroy us all whilst reading the following disclaimer at the bottom of the page:
Safety Warning
Most of our badges fasten with a metal pin which may be sharp and considered to contain small parts. Care should be taken to avoid injury.
Too right it should.
Ms Em on 
justine on
Everyone loves badges.
I have a good many on my bag. At the moment, I’m going with selected parts from the works of Giger, there not being all that many protest badges around at the moment.
“That said, the 80s came and went and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone willing to wear them now… Unlike another attempt to mix politics, design and fashion…”
You sure? There was an abundance of t-shirt with annoyingly large slogans a couple of months ago, and they’re probably still around now.
But they’re not remotely political, which makes me a little sad.
I’d argue that Giger is a protest of sorts… just not sure what against… perhaps the non-scary.
I was thinking, in particular, about the white, baggy t-shirts… slogans on t-shirts are still going strong.
I’ve noticed loads recently with CMYK on them… yeah, everyone’s a designer these days.
According to my timing, you commented just 2 minutes after I posted this, the quickest time yet, beating TGJB by a whole minute.
That’s because I’m unemployed and always at my computer.
Badges feel a little too much like jewelry to me. And I never liked the way clothing with writing or pictures on it looks on my globular frame.
It’s also supposedly satanic: http://www.crcbermuda.com/reference/signs-and-symbols/87-signs-and-symbols/1254-peace-sign
Things like that always amuse me. We give symbols far too much meaning.
Oh, Christians are silly. Well, really just that really vocal subset of silly Christians, but they’re silly enough to make up for all the rest. They believe that anything they don’t like is rooted in ancient Satan worship. Even Satanism! For example, they’ve made it so that everyone things that the Sigil of Baphomet is this ancient symbol, used for time out of mind by the dark legions of Lucifer (and the Church of Satan doesn’t do anything to counter that, I’m sure they like it), when it was really designed by Anton LaVey, in the 1960’s!
(Well to be fair, re re-designed it into what we see these days, there were earlier variants, back to the late 1800’s, but that’s still hardly ancient.) LaVey was a crafty bastard.
That’s what Satan wants you to think…
From the site:
”This sign has been used by Yasser Arafat, Richard Nixon, Winston Churchill, and Stewart Meacham, Co-Chairman of Reds’ New Mobilisation Committee.”
Spot the odd one out?
Everybody knows that the CND symbol is actually the Atlantean sign for crucifixion. Those of us with yeti ancestry consider wearing one to be in shockingly poor taste.
I hate those little plastic badges.
Also nametags. They’re like
Bumperstickers for the stupid.
Do you really want someone
That you don’t know
Walking up to you and knowing
Your name and asking
End War? Is that a chess move?
Please don’t talk to me about Yetis.
Don’t say Baphomet to me ever again.
Just don’t talk to me.
Go away.
<..>
*whispers* Baphomet!
Haven’t been on here for a while.
You’re SO F****G good. But I guess you know that already.
Thank you for being black and white and grey.
Now going to read all the stuff I’ve missed.
I am really sorry to tell you Adam, but there is a shop here that sells those kind of shirts:
Supre
Best defined by,
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=supre
i found one in a chain store the other day..
“pick flowers not fights”
weak?
yes.
And also very much flowerist… I mean, why should they have to die becuase we can’t control our temper?