Before I reveal my earth-shattering, awe-inspiring score, I implore you, the readers, to join me in this experiment. Bustedtees.com has long been the ironic t-shirt epicenter of the interweb, providing devastatingly exclusive, inside joke supported clothing that only the wittiest of your friends understand (usually your friends that wear glasses, 9 out of 10 times). The references are wide and varied (read as: if you can’t remember 10th grade history class or you don’t own a TV, then you need not apply). That is, if you are over the age of 32 or under the age of 15, I triple-dog-dare you to understand more than 50% of the t-shirts sold there. Attending or having attended a liberal arts university couldn’t hurt either.
But maybe it can be a learning experience, or a way to “bond” with your kids just before they pretend to love you on the one day a year where they feel obligated to. A brand new Xbox 360… for the 2nd solarium in our house in Aspen? Mom, you really are the BEST. My current total is an impressive 298/310 references, which is roughly 96%. Granted, some of the shirts aren’t quite inside jokes, but consider them freebies for all you noobz0rz. After you’ve tallied it up, post your score here, and then consider your percentage as your “cool” factor or your “essence.” More importantly consider it your “self-worth” in the eyes of the Gods of popular culture (e.g. Lifting Fog editorial staff). Good night, and good luck.
Lifting Fog 
November 29, 2008 at 10:47 am |
Okay, so if I understand this correctly, you’re just asking for a tally of all the ones that we “get” — even if we can’t point to a specific pop-cultural reference, right?
(And then there are the gray areas. Like this one, which may have been designed just out of a general American Pie/Beavis & Butthead sensibility, or may refer to some other movie or song or TV show whose reference I don’t get — but could almost certainly pertain to a scene in Diner (Mickey Rourke and date in the movie theater). So could I safely be said to get it? Could I get triple credit for recognizing three different possibilities? Could I overthink this any more?)
November 29, 2008 at 10:51 am |
Busted Tees has some great shirts, but some I just can’t wear outside. Slogan t-shirts are very hard to make “just right”. Most of the slogan tees out there have been done before, may be funny but are so offensive you won’t wear it in public, just not funny, and some are almost funny – but just miss the “it” that would make it funny. I personally like to find the indy type of shops, Buzzy Multimedia
& Think Geek while not all their tees are off the charts with funny, there are many very clever ones to be found.
November 29, 2008 at 6:16 pm |
are we allowed to play if we worked there?
November 30, 2008 at 4:56 am |
Everyone’s allowed to play!
December 1, 2008 at 1:48 pm |
I think we’re all more interested to know the 12 that you didn’t get.
December 1, 2008 at 4:52 pm |
I’m actually surprised they don’t already have an official version of this “pop cultural awareness” quiz in place on their website. Dudes should be on top of it – isn’t this type of cool-factor categorization the primary function of their t-shirts, anyway? This seems like the PERFECT opportunity for a Lifting Fog-Busted Tees cross-promotion.
Also, this one.
December 2, 2008 at 4:12 am |
Worst part is we are advertising for them, albeit for a small audience, but advertising nonetheless and we won’t see a dime for it… yet
December 2, 2008 at 10:23 pm |
Well,
I guess I’m in JES’ camp. I “get” a large swath – maybe most – but what “counts” as a get? I mean – if there’s a quiz and ratings – where’s the rules, here?
April 29, 2010 at 11:22 am |
I completely agree.
Another one of my favorite designers is Wrong Sports Shirts. These guys do the same thing but with collegiate sports.