Clothing company Patagonia released a new message about this upcoming election, sewing it into the tag of some of its new shorts. What is the message? “Vote the a–holes out”.
What We Know:
- The outdoor clothing and gear company has a long history of environmental activism, but as we seem to be moving closer and closer to a harmful climate crisis, Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard said he isn’t afraid to get political and call out climate deniers who hold positions of power. In addition to providing election resources and encouraging people to vote for climate leaders, Chouinard is also making Patagonia’s political stance crystal clear with the slogan, “Vote The A–holes Out”. Additionally, the slogan has been sewn into the tags of some of the company’s shorts.
- Over the weekend, a photo of a Patagonia clothing tag that features the slogan went viral across social media. At first, there were skeptics who questioned the authenticity of the tags, but soon after, a Patagonia spokesperson, Tessa Byers, confirmed that the company’s 2020 “Men’s and Women’s Road to Regenerative” organic stand-up shorts contain the message underneath the inside tag. “We have been standing up to climate deniers for almost as long as we’ve been making those shorts,” Byers said.
PATAGONIA’s New Tag! pic.twitter.com/llY71SwsQG
— Outlander Magazine (@StreetFashion01) September 12, 2020
- Byers said the message is not explicitly directed at the current administration, but instead a slogan that Chouinard has used for years. “It refers to politicians from any party who deny or disregard the climate crisis and ignore science, not because they aren’t aware of it, but because their pockets are lined with money from oil and gas interests,” Byers said.
- The move from the California-based activist clothing brand comes as close to 100 wildfires burn up the West Coast, burning millions of acres along the way. The move also comes as a slew of lawsuits filed by towns and cities across the country alleging that the oil and gas industry acted deceptively about its role in climate change.
- Brad Wieners, Patagonia’s director of copy, announced that the company will be teaming up with BallotReady to encourage people to vote. The company outlines its plan on the election side of their website, writing, “We need to elect climate leaders. The 2020 US Senate races will have a significant, long-lasting impact on the strength of our nation’s climate policies and the existence of our wild places.” The site also allows people to enter their address in a search box and make their own voting plan, providing information on requesting a ballot or finding your polling place to vote in person.
- This is not the first time Patagonia has made headlines for its attempts to hold politicians accountable. In 2017, the company sued President Donald Trump after he issued a proclamation to reduce the size of Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. While Trump argued the move was an act of reversing federal overreach, both environmentalists and tribal leaders said the president’s proclamation would jeopardize a wealth of Native American artifacts, dinosaur fossils, and rugged spaces.
- The new tags have received mixed reviews. Some have deemed the tags as simply a marketing ploy, but others have thanked the company for its commitment to social activism and say they hope the tag will ignite positive change.
“As parts of our country are literally burning and being destroyed by the effects of climate change, this couldn’t be more welcome,” state Senator Jen Jordan, tweeted. “Way past time to listen to the experts and do something. Vote like your planet is on fire!”
- This is just the latest step for the activism brand, which has continued to push for our environment. In 2018, when the company received a $10 million tax cut, it donated the money to environmental programs to increase climate change awareness.
At the bottom of a letter in April 2020, Chouinard emphasized this slogan.”Remember, vote the a–holes out — all of those politicians who don’t believe we should do anything about climate change,” Chouinard wrote. “Vote for the planet and against those who would do nothing. We have the power and now is the time to use it.”
