In the post-truth era, many are wondering how to fight the epidemic of fake news. If you’re a Resistance warrior with $300 to spare, it’s your lucky day: The New York Times has collaborated with the luxury Japanese brand Sacai to give you the slogan T-shirt you might not need, but definitely deserve. Or maybe the other way around? Anyways, it’s $300.
The front of the $300 shirt, available for purchase at Saks Fifth Avenue, reads, “Truth. It’s more important now than ever.” And if that weren’t explicit enough, the back of the shirt reprints some text from a 2017 ad for the Times:
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The truth is hard. The truth is hidden. The truth must be pursued. The truth is hard to hear. The truth is rarely simple. The truth is rarely obvious. The truth doesn’t take sides. The truth is not red or blue. The truth is necessary. The truth can’t be glossed over. The truth has no agenda. The truth is hard to accept. The truth pulls no punches. The truth is worth defending. The truth requires taking a stand. The truth is more important now than ever.
If $300 seems like a paltry sum for a shirt with such a weighty message, fear not! A hoodie with the same text is also available for a neat $420.
Responses from the haters, unlike the truth, were not hidden and actually pretty obvious. Washington Post reporter Adam Taylor sarcastically pointed out, “How journalism can regain the trust of the American people: teaming up with high-end Japanese clothing brands.” (The Post sells T-shirts for $25.) Gizmodo writer Ryan Mandelbaum observed, “If people are trying to break the journalists-are-elitist stereotype this isn’t how to do it.”
The Times sells many cheaper shirts in its online store, but none of its affordable merch contains truth-related platitudes. The truth is that many of those T-shirts are actually a lot nicer than this $300 one. The truth cannot be bought, but overpriced streetwear can be, and the truth is you should probably avoid spending more than the price of an X-Box on this shirt.
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