Converse's Nirvana/Kurt Cobain trainers cause a stink

Have you seen the new Nirvana/Kurt Cobain trainers? Well, they're causing a bit of a brou-ha-ha.

Converse, as worn by many-a punk, including Cobain, have put out a range of trainers (or sneakers to our American readers) featuring Kurt Cobain scribbles and doodles. This, of course, has sparked a debate amongst young men and women furiously self harming on the internet.

The shoes - versions of the One Star and Chuck Taylor styles – will feature Cobain’s signature, his handwriting, even his sketched design for a custom electric guitar, subsequently built and marketed by Fender as The Jagstang. Of course, Cobain is seen by many as an anti-establishment icon, so the sole that reads “punk rock means freedom” hasn't gone down all that well. [insert spinning in grave comment here]

If you want to read some of the fuss (to nod along with or laugh at... it's up to you) read the comments on The Daily Swarm here. If you can't be bothered, I've picked some of the more choice comments and pasted 'em over the jump.

D West says:

Grunge is dead

Kunt Kurbaine says:

Where's the blood and brain stains?

2RealEstateMidgets says:

"Punk rock means freedom" - and dead punk rock stars mean payday!

Oh nevermind says:

Aint it funny that a lot of the people here that cry sellout usually have no second thoughts when it comes to buying a Nirvana shirt or Kurt Cobain badge. Where do you think that money goes? Apparently not to some big music merchandise licensing company or to shady bootleggers, or else you'd be bitching about that too.

lfm says:

this is precisely why he committed suicide, the machine is now abusing of him, but instead of doing so while making great music, now its time for shoes. shame on you converse, sad.

spirits and thoughts live on, faceless corporate brands do not.

mrs. k says:

 

In reply to "the machine is now abusing of him, but instead of doing so while making great music, now its time for shoes. shame on you converse, sad."

thats bull shit. kurt knew this shit would happen once he died. if you think that its the media's fault for making money off of him then you're ignorant. one, its courtney's fault for taking her dead husbands property and making as much money off of it as possible. two, kurt knew this stuff would happen... anyone who has a famous status like kurt and decides to commit suicide knows that people will just try to make money off of him. and three, who the fuck cares if they're coming out with a pair of kurt cobain converses? this is paying honor to one of the greatest musical geniuses of our time. you should all be proud to have such a thing come out. if you're not, then you're not a true fan.

Megan says:

"you should all be proud to have such a thing come out. if you're not, then you're not a true fan."

That's bull shit. One, Kurt was disgusted by commercial products like that and probably wouldn't have seen that coming even if he did commit suicide because he was way too high to have that on his mind at that moment (if he was even able to remain conscious at all). They photocopied entries from his private journals, for crying out loud. The very first sentence of the published version of his writings was, "Don't read my diary when I'm gone." "If anything, he should be honored and flattered" my ass! Two, he was murdered and there's plenty of evidence to point to the fact if you know where to look. Hence three, it isn't appropriate to accuse these people of not being true fans.

Me says:

Yes, I will buy them for my daughter. Because I do what I want, not WWKD.

I laugh at the people with so much insight into Kurt. Did you know him? Meet him? Have a conversation with him? No.

Kurt was who he was. Don't be followers. Be yourselves...and if that means you want to buy a pair of shoes with his stuff on it, so be it. The others, who are gasping at the thought, are the wannabe's.

Ella says:

Wow, let's market a dead rocker and quasi punk rock ethics to a new generation, because y'know...that definitely does a just representation of what punk stood for. Oh the humanity...it's even worse than when Nike used "Revolution" for their ad campaign in the '80s! (I thank wacko jacko for that wonderus manouver...)

Thank you, All Stars, for the continued Elvisization of my favorite band. Oy.

(...and it goes on and on and on and on...)

Comments

[Orla]

Bloody hell... grunge was 'dead' some time ago love.

And so many other responses I could give. Ahh to be 15 and idealist again.