Word: shirts
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...immortalized-in syndication and on DVD-standing in his kitchen, eating sugary cereal for dinner, in jeans and sneakers and an untucked shirt. But on a warm, rainy evening in August in a nondescript dressing room backstage in a theater in Colorado Springs, Jerry Seinfeld is dressed as if he were going to church: a dark suit, a crisp, white shirt and an elegant, silvery tie. And he acts a bit devout too, bowing his head in a moment of silence...
...context, the HIV-Positive T-shirt and the language of its cotton army is a sad case of typical cause-jargon–the “movement” misses the point completely. There is a stigma associated with HIV because it gives way to a terrible disease that kills people. While having HIV is not something one should be ashamed of, it is not a source of pride either. There is nothing about HIV/AIDS to be positive about, aside from the prospect of a cure or accessible drugs. I, for one, am glad—if not proud?...
Furthermore, the T-shirt movement presumes that stigma will continue to exist unless we, the uninfected, can experience what it is like to be a person who is publicly HIV-positive—and that by wearing a cotton T-shirt, we can begin to understand. This is based on the idea that an awareness movement can only work if empathy exists. But the fact that I do not have HIV does not mean I lack compassion for those who are suffering...
It’s worthwhile to compare the “HIV-Positive” campaign to the incredibly successful “Live Strong” campaign of recent years, particularly since both are meant to be fund-raising tools. True, the T-shirt troupe does not enjoy the benefits of Lance Armstrong-scale publicity, which brought the bracelets instant notice. But what really distinguishes the movements from each other is that Live Strong referred to a mantra—although it was a means of raising awareness and funds for cancer research, the bracelets stated...
Taken as a whole, what is most irksome about this T-shirt movement is that the level of dialogue is so low. If an institution such as Harvard cannot be a bastion for innovative thinking in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention and policy, then there is almost no hope for any other place. It’s up to us to escape the jargon and inaction that is ultimately tied to most “awareness-building” gimmicks. Otherwise, we’re wasting our time...