Florida State Seminoles Apparel Blunder: Rowdy Gentlemen Catch Heat for "Scalp 'Em" T-Shirt
ByShortly after a t-shirt maker unveiled its new product, Florida State University (FSU) was quick to distance themselves from what they called an "offensive" and "derogatory" product.
According to Indian Country Today, FSU officials said they did not license a t-shirt marketed by Rowdy Gentlemen as "2013 College Football National Championship Tee Shirt - Scalp Em." Rowdy Gentlemen is a merchandise site owned by Grandex, the parent company of websites like Total Frat Move and PostGrad Problems.
Liz Maryanski, vice president for university relations at FSU, told Indian Country Today the school began an "emergency cease and desist" order for the t-shirt on Jan. 10.
"We would never license that shirt," Maryanski said. "That term is extremely derogatory and it's offensive."
She said it is also an issue of infringement and the school has hired Collegiate Licensing to handle the matter by directly contacting the shirt maker. Maryanski said the school is "very protective" of their Seminoles team name and would still try to get the shirt discontinued even if it were not an issue of infringement.
"[FSU] move quickly and effectively to do what needs to be done," Gary Bitner, spokesman for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, told Indian Country Today. "It's too bad that in 2014 we still see this kind of image and stereotypical presentation.
"The relationship between Florida State and the Seminole Tribe is one of mutual respect."
Rob Fox, who wrote an article for Total Frat Move stating FSU uses the phrase "scalp 'em" in their fight song, told Campus Reform that Grandex has not been ordered to stop selling the t-shirt. He said Grandex complied with an order to remove the phrase "Florida State University," though.
In his article, Fox said the phrase "scalp 'em" is on FSU football merchandise and used frequently by students in conversation and on social media.
"I guess that, yeah, this reaction was a product of political correctness in a way, because FSU certainly NEVER [author's emphasis] wants to be viewed as insensitive," Fox wrote in an email to Campus Reform, "because once they are, their mascot could be in jeopardy, and they are very protective of their mascot."