T-Shirt Hell Explained

T-Shirt Hell
Type:Retail
Industry:Clothing
Foundation:2001
Founder:Sunshine Megatron
Products:T-Shirts
Url:http://www.tshirthell.com
Language:English
Registration:Optional
Current Status:Active

T-Shirt Hell is a website that sells humorous T-shirts. The company is known for producing shirts that cause controversy due to their products being perceived as offensive and politically incorrect.

History

T-Shirt Hell was founded by Sunshine Megatron in 2001. Originally named Aaron Landau Schwarz,[1] Megatron legally changed his name in November 2006 following an online contest where users voted on his new name.[2]

The site has been mentioned in publications such as Playboy, Maxim, Stuff, Us Weekly, Esquire, NY Post and on radio programs such as the Opie and Anthony Show and the Howard Stern show.[3] Celebrities pictured wearing T-Shirt Hell shirts include Slash,[4] Mark Cuban,[5] Robert Smith (of The Cure)[6] and Danny Carey (of Tool).[7]

T-Shirt Hell has received a number of cease and desist letters from such people as Rick James, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Christopher Reeve over shirts related to the celebrities.[8]

On May 28, 2002, T-Shirt Hell filed a 15 million dollar lawsuit against the Osbourne family when the Osbournes were found selling an original T-Shirt Hell slogan; "Fuck My Family, I'm Moving in With The Osbournes!" through Hot Topic via a newly designed shirt. After several months, the suit was settled out of court.[9]

In 2005, Megatron removed the "Worse Than Hell" section of the website, where particularly offensive shirts were sold.[10] He stopped selling these shirts due to him possibly being poisoned.[11] Several weeks later, he started selling the shirts again. In response to an incident where a passenger wearing a T-Shirt Hell-shirt was thrown off a Southwest Airlines flight due to its offensive content, T-Shirt Hell started to offer alternate transportation free of charge in case of such incidents.[12]

On January 26, 2009, it was announced that T-Shirt Hell would close its doors in February due to Megatron not wanting to deal with 'idiots' anymore.[13] He had reportedly received a great deal of hate mail and threats. Old shirts that had been removed after sparking controversy were once again sold on the website. In early February, it was announced that the site would stay open for another few weeks due to the overwhelming response.

On February 16, Megatron stated that the site was not closing, and that the closure was a stunt aimed at boosting sales. Megatron referred to the stunt as his own "personal stimulus package."[14]

As of 2012, Sunshine Megatron is no longer involved in the company's operations, and in 2017 officially relinquished ownership of T-Shirt Hell. The new owner is Mika Larson, and the company's website is now under the umbrella of Shirts You Buy, LLC but retains the brand name of "T-Shirt Hell".

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Hate mail, threats close 'offensive' T-Shirt Hell site. Kemp. Emma. 2009-02-10. news.com.au. 2009-02-17. 2009-02-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20090214234208/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,23663,25034767-5007192,00.html?. live.
  2. Web site: Catching up with the Other Megatron. Leckart. Steven. 2007-07-03. Wired. 2009-02-17. 2016-06-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20160601101501/http://www.wired.com/2007/07/catching-up-wit-2/. live.
  3. Web site: T-Shirt Hell in the Press. 2009-06-11. 2009-07-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20090712052216/http://www.tshirthell.com/press.htm. live.
  4. Web site: Slash on Jay Leno wearing "Soldiers Need Hummers" on the Jay Leno Show. 2009-06-11. 2009-02-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20090226205127/http://www.tshirthell.com/miscpages/press/press_tonight_2.htm. live.
  5. Web site: Mark Cuban wearing "I'd rather be fighting the man". 2009-06-11. 2011-05-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20110527183331/http://www.tshirthell.com/images/contestpics/a341_013.jpg. live.
  6. Web site: Robert Smith of the Cure wearing "This is my Clone". 2009-06-11. 2011-05-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20110527183340/http://www.tshirthell.com/images/contestpics/a28_002.jpg. live.
  7. Web site: Danny Carey of Tool wearing "Slavery Gets Shit Done". 2009-06-11. 2011-05-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20110527183348/http://www.tshirthell.com/images/contestpics/a974_004.jpg. live.
  8. News: I'm Rick James' Lawyer, Bitch: T-Shirt Hell is in Hot Water, Again. 2005-01-20. 2009-02-17. 2009-02-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20090223071947/http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050120005374&newsLang=en. live.
  9. Web site: Internet T-Shirt Company Files $15 Million Dollar Lawsuit Against the Osbourne Family, Epic.... 2009-06-11. 2009-04-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20090406035353/http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/legal-services-lawyers/5890293-1.html. live.
  10. Web site: Worse Than Hell: The worst of the bad shirts. https://web.archive.org/web/20041026021919/http://www.tshirthell.com/worsethanhell.shtml. October 26, 2004.
  11. News: Despite Possible Poisoning, T-Shirt Hell Brings Back Their Most Offensive Shirts. 2005-06-07. Business Wire. 2009-02-17. 2015-12-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20151211103910/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20050607005879/en/Poisoning-T-Shirt-Hell-Brings-Offensive-Shirts. live.
  12. News: T-Shirt Company Provides Free Transportation If You Are Thrown Off Plane. 2005-10-11. 2015-12-03. 2015-12-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208062705/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20051011005656/en/T-Shirt-Company-Free-Transportation-Thrown-Plane. live.
  13. Web site: T-Shirt Hell Is Folding Due to Complaining 'Idiots'. Wallace. Lewis. 2009-01-26. Wired. 2009-02-17. 2009-02-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20090216051131/http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2009/01/t-shirt-hell-is.html. live.
  14. Web site: T-Shirt Hell Staying in Business After 'Stimulus' Stunt Pays Off. Wallace. Lewis. 2009-02-16. Wired. 2009-02-17. 2009-02-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20090219120017/http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2009/02/t-shirt-hell-st.html. live.

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