‘F— the LAPD’ shirt sells out after police org fails to get it taken down
Perhaps you’ve heard of the Streisand effect, in which an attempt to suppress or censor something online only draws more attention to it.
Apparently, the Los Angeles Police Department Foundation was not familiar with that concept.
As reported by 404 Media, the nonprofit that supports the LAPD tried to claim copyright to the letters “LAPD,” which are prominently featured in the Cola Corporation’s shirt modeled after the Los Angeles Lakers logo, though the words instead read “F— the LAPD.”
While 404 Media described the LAPDF as a union, it’s more of a fundraising arm for the LAPD, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
But what exactly the LAPDF does wasn’t the focus of the Cola Corporation, which asserts on its website that “provocation is a public service.” The company responded to the foundation’s demand with a simple response: “LOL, no.”
A second, more substantive letter from Cola’s attorney Mike Dunford was also shared prominently online and refuted the foundation’s claims, suggesting the “thin-skinned bullies” of the LAPD Foundation had but one choice: “to not do things that result in people wanting to buy and wear ‘F— the LAPD’ merchandise.”
To make matters worse for police, the attention drawn to the Cola Corporation’s products has caused sales to skyrocket.
The “F— the LAPD” shirts are sold out, as are many of the company’s other products, which are similarly transgressive, referencing the Irish Republican Army’s attempts to assassinate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and serial killer Aileen Wuornos.
“Mike’s first letter was RTd by Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine, and my shop is now almost entirely sold out,” Cola told 404 Media. “I am struggling to keep items in stock, even with restocks. The second letter has been received with even more rejoicing across the internet. Streisand Effect in effect.”
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