Where did this phrase come from? I know there’s a Clash song about it, and I’ve seen shirts with Manson’s face on the front and this phrase on the back, and I’ve also seen Apocalypse now shirts with this saying on them (Charlie meaning the VC in this case I guess.) Where did it come from? What does it mean?
It comes from Apocalypse Now. Don’t read any further, ignore everything else that follows and just watch the movie.
Ok…
Without giving the story away, the movie is a retelling of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, where the Charlie Sheen character is sent upriver to find a colonel (Marlon Brando) who was the Army’s best leader, but has gone too far. For Sheen’s first leg of the journey, he gets a ride courtesy of a colonel who is a good commander and is liked by his troops despite being a complete nut for surfing. (Again, without giving much away), in response to a question asked of him about an the Viet Cong, he replies “Because Charlie don’t surf!!!”
It comes from Apocalypse Now. Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore says it during an attack on a village. I could try to explain the whole thing but it would probably be easier if you go out and rent the movie and watch the entire thing.
/Andreas
Martin Sheen, actually.
Robert Duval, a surf affecionado, want’s a famous surfer in his command to surf on a beach under attack from the Viet Cong. When the surfer asks why Duval thinks he might even be safe, Duval replies because “Charlie don’t surf.”
SPOILERS…
Actually, the thing is, they have to take out a VC military installation to get the only good waves for miles around. The problem is, the point is impossible to take by conventional means, its really dangerous, and you can’t hold the ground for very long. One of his officers tells Duval, “We can’t surf there! That’s Charlie’s point!” To which Duval responds with the line in question.
–John
This is the closest so far - I just want to add that the primary reason they were there was to drop Willard’s/Chief’s boat at the mouth of the river. The surfing was a ‘bonus’.
Remind me to never talk movies here. I was lucky to get the name of the movie right!
Does anyone know how this phrase became associated with Charles Manson, as in the tee-shirt mentioned in the OP? I mean sure, there ain’t much surfing in prison, but I can’t think of any reason to link Manson to the Viet Cong/Apocalypse Now.
This question has bothered me for years, BTW.
Maybe whoever made the shirt didn’t know who “Charlie” was, and just assumed “Charlie” was Charlie Manson?
Call it “cross-cultural” irony: taking a familiar phrase and applying it to a different person. Manson’s in prison, so we know he can’t hang ten.
For the same reason, we know we can’t apply the line Charlie Brown. We know he surfs 
IIRC, Manson-wear (eg warhol-like printed t-shirts of his face) became popular among California surfers, and from there the phrase was juxtaposed with his image to poke fun of that. My source for this is a dimly-recalled talk by Jello Biafra.
“What do you know about surfing, Major? You’re from goddamned New Jersey!”
…and I thought it was just a subtle reference to Hot Shots part deux. 
Afghanistan, that’s charlie’s point and he don’t surf, all that sand & no beach
“Charlie Don’t Surf” is a line from, Apocalypse Now, this classic movie is a retelling of the short story/novella?
"Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, set in the Viet Nam War.
(Marlon Brando) who was the Army’s best leader, but has gone too far. into Cambodia, and over the edge of sanity. Martin Sheen’s character is sent to find him and stop him. whatever that takes. Sheen’s first leg of the journey, he gets a ride courtesy of, Robert Duvall, a colonel, who is a good commander and is liked by his troops, despite being a complete nut for surfing—he was a pro surfer back stateside,----Duvall orders an attack on the beach, to get a chance to surf an awesome point break, and a soldier says to him something like,
“Why??? That’s Charlie’s, ( the VC) Point!”, how will you be safe??!"
He replies “Because Charlie Don’t Surf!!!”
it is also a Clash song.
and a Once truly shocking tee shirt with an image of Charles Manson. the juxtaposition of the pop culture icons struck many as an awesome combo. it was kind of a punk rock thing. tho they have parody ones with like Charlie the tuna. I’d love to have a red vintage CDS tee shirt where Manson’s face is silk screened like an Andy Warhol version of Che Guervo (sp?), which is the one I remember. that is whole 'nother load of pop culture clashes, which I will skip here.
If you are young and have not seen this movie, Go Get It! Now! esp since Dennis Hopper, RIP, has died.
and wait till you see the documentary which tells the true story of how the making of the movie echoed the script and fiction story!
I remember I taught myself this story, since i guess I was hung over that day in college, I was very impressed. it was ironic that in the story the only people who kept their word, were the cannibals. they just went" hungry! bow bow bow"
watch the original version too if you can. the later extended version lasted too long and ruined a lot of the feeling that made it an intense film.
great music and credits at the end, play it loud and watch it big screen.
‘never get out of the boat’
The script for the movie was written much earlier than the movie’s debut, by John Milius. He was a surfer from California way back when.
Here’s an interview with him last year. The reason I have this is that the question about “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” authorship came up recently on my American Dialect Society mailing list. Milius wrote the line. He’s a pretty conservative guy.
I know this doesn’t answer the question about the connection with Manson/t-shirts
If you don’t want to watch the whole movie and don’t care about spoilers, here’s the 10 minutes of Col. Kilgore, including the “Charlie don’t surf!” quote and a few other famous ones to boot..
Wow. The op was from nine years ago.
Apocalypse Now Redux, with the extra 49 minutes, is the best version of the film. See it if you haven’t already.
“Why do all you guys sit on your helmets?”