Worried about my 18 year old son buying joke shirts from Afflecks Palace

Ugh, I agree with you. This casualisation of sexism and violence is repugnant. In someone about to set out their stall and make their way in the world too. I really hope he grows out of it quickly. It's about the level of a bad Carry On film but without the veneer of gentle self-deprecation. I am mortified at some of the slogans and images I wore at that age. I grew out of them, and look back in horror at my ignorance and naivety.

You’re absolutely right. I remember scrawling FUCK THE BNP on a tshirt and walking proudly around Salford in it at 16. Let him be silly.

That’s a classic though! I have a Bukowski shirt with “find what you love and let it kill you” on it.

I think you are taking them far to literally and out of context and forgetting that people his age are very interested in sex and sexual attractiveness. His message with these T-shirts isn't anything about anyone in particular. He's signaling that sex is on his mind, while also enjoying some double entendre (a very traditional aspect of British humour). They aren't appropriate for lots of situations, but they are totally in keeping with young adult culture and have been for decades.

When I was 18 (which is many. many years ago), I had a t-shirt I thought was hilarious which had a couple of birds on it and the slogan "Fantastic Pair of Tits", and also thought the cockerel with "Massive Cock" on it that a male friend bought was the absolute best. Neither of us actually thought we had these attributes. And we weren't trying to offend anyone, they were supposed to be a bit cheeky and make people smile - and that's mainly what they did.

What do you think he means by wearing these T-shirts?

Your adult son has bought some tacky and rude/fun and offensive (depending on your perspective) T-shirts. That’s all. It’s pretty common at that age. When I was a teenager I was the proud owner of a French connection T-shirt that said “practice safe sex, go FCUK yourself” which my dad hated and as a result, I loved even more. I also had another that said “Barbie is a crack whore” and a pair of knickers with “groupie” on the arse. Would I wear any of it now? No, because I’m a mum of 3 who’s pushing 40. My younger teenage son would probably love the frogs T-shirt btw.

Your son will grow out of it at some point. In the meantime, unclench, stop trying to encourage his girlfriend to be a controlling monster like you and thank your lucky stars this is the worst thing your son has done to upset you.

he is 18, get over it!! Have you always been so uptight?

Hes a student. This is what they do. He'll grow up eventually

I’m 48 and have a dead Kennedys t-shirt with “too drunk to fuck” on the front. Granted i don’t wear it to my 5 yr old’s parents’ evening but I do wear it 😎

The fact that you have asked his girlfriend to throw away his clothes is fucking insane and a hell of a lot more abusive than wearing a t-shirt with the word ‘cum’ on it. You think encouraging a relationship dynamic where one partner destroys the other’s belongings when they don’t like them is healthy?? Jesus.

The bullying one is a gay male S&M thing, so probably no women directly objectified. MILF is generally an objectifying and misogynistic term, but if he's wearing it himself I'd think he has no idea what it means and either thought he thought the shirt was edgy or someone gave it to him as a joke and he misunderstood. The Fentanyl one just seems stupid and kind of callous. Overall, he seems a little old for this (the last 2 at least) but as long as it's his money just tell him to keep them out of your sight if they bother you.

Yes and a few new ones have opened.

The badge shop in the colosseum has gone down hill IMO

Couldn't replace my I lost teddy will you sleep me one

You will pry the 90s out of my cold dead hands. I'm not offended. Nothing is 'offensive'. I watch all of the shows and I love them all. Don't rope us all into this PC, sensitive, labelist, no humour, victim culture. We're not all buying in.

I like Afflecks for a browse with my youngest. Isn’t it where that famously outrageous alternative band Take That bought their stage clothes before they were famous?

Glad to hear his girlfriend isn't controlling like his mum. Seriously, it's just a t-shirt. Get a grip

I wouldn’t keep bringing it up. He will look back in 10 years time and realise himself that he looked like a massive knob.

As someone who, if they were on those adult websites that apparently exist but I wouldn't know about any of that filth, is old enough to be classified as MILF, I think that frog shirt is hilarious.

You realise it's a meme, right? I've seen it used loads of times with footballers with F names (because man, I love Fede).

This just makes you sound really old and boring tbh. He’s 18, at uni having fun with his mates. I said this on a previous thread but please just be happy he’s happy. So many of my students are anxious and depressed now, it’s actually lovely to hear he’s getting on well.

My Grandma actually started her working life in Afflecks back when it was Affleck and Browns

You’re massively infantilising your adult son. He isn’t a child and the fact that you are ‘hurt’ by a young adult man being amused by a mildly coarse joke suggests you’ve been babying him.

Also, I don’t think you quite understand the joke? The joke is on the bully; it’s a joke mainly aimed at macho types who bully men they perceive as sensitive or unmanly because they’re massively homophobic. The idea being that if they bully him, they’ll have inadvertently done something they’re terrified of. Surely you can see that it’s not actually someone asking to be bullied for sexual gratification?!

I also don’t see why you think it’s degrading to women. It’s not a joke about women.

Is it crude? Yes. I wouldn’t wear it. I do think it’s funny, though, and I think you need to stop treating your adult son like a nine-year-old. He can wear what he wants. He can laugh at adult humour. Most kids would have pushed this kind of boundary much earlier, to be honest.

Afflecks - in the nineties I went for the body piercings. Now I go for the ice cream.

Gingers Comfort Emporium is to die for.

Quite posdibly 😂

We were probably sat in the same pubs 😂

90s comedy wasnt offensive.

In any case you have the right to be offended.

It’s not the 90’s anymore though. I don’t understand the comments… We can’t watch half of the nineties shows because of how offensive they are NOW. Imagine justifying racist slogans because they would’ve been fine in the past.

It is distasteful because of linking bullying with sexual pleasure - is it validating non consensual sex?
Of course, you want your son to know better.

"Don't bully me, I'll cum" is an S&M joke, not a sexist joke.