# What exactly does this political (?) shirt mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [September 24, 2024, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640 "2024-09-24T01:31:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/1 "2024-09-24T01:31:55Z")
[At least I think it’s political](https://imgur.com/a/ZlwMIXb) I assume the red states are actual “red states” but I don’t get what the beer has anything to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/2 "2024-09-24T01:46:05Z")
Looks to me like it’s from some sort of chain and the red states are where it has locations. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/3 "2024-09-24T01:54:29Z")
So it’s not cups of kool-aid? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/4 "2024-09-24T01:58:42Z")
The shirt comes from [this t-shirt shop](https://www.bigjohnson.com/). Seems kind of country/rebel/sexual themed, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that one was political in nature. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/5 "2024-09-24T01:59:20Z")
Solo cups? They’re red and that somehow transforms states to the same political color? I dunno… ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/6 "2024-09-24T02:30:46Z")
If that’s their prediction for this election’s outcome, I think I’d take it. The non-red states that went red in 2020 include Indiana, Ohio, Iowa and North Dakota, while the red states that went blue in that election seem only to be Arizona and Georgia. That’s a net gain of 11 electoral votes. > [@Smapti](#): > > Looks to me like it’s from some sort of chain and the red states are where it has locations. Seems kind of likely, but what chain could it be? Something to do with beer, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/7 "2024-09-24T02:42:00Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Seems kind of likely, but what chain could it be? Something to do with beer, apparently. Telemark got it in one. It’s a t-shirt company known for suggestive and salacious imprints, with a dash of out-sized penile innuendo thrown in for good measure (word play intended). According to Wikipedia the company peaked in the early ‘90s. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/8 "2024-09-24T02:47:01Z")
“I love beer and Trump” ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/9 "2024-09-24T02:54:26Z")
It’s obviously where you can get sustainable straws. > **[Saving the World One Sip at a Time](https://www.bentley.edu/news/saving-world-one-sip-time)** > > Bentley University alumni Shannon Fairweather and Daniel Linger co-founded Sustainable Sippin’ to help reduce the 500 million-plus straws used each day in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/10 "2024-09-24T03:12:33Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > [At least I think it’s political](https://imgur.com/a/ZlwMIXb) > > I assume the red states are actual “red states” but I don’t get what the beer has anything to do with it. It’s really just something which supposedly appeals to the MAGA crowd. “Big Johnson” (aka E. Normus) appears to be nothing more than MAGA’s version of Alfred E. Neuman – a well hung one, at that. > **[Big Johnson History Book](https://www.bigjohnson.com/products/big-johnson-history-book)** > > The Damn Near Complete History of BIG JOHNSON! This book shows the story behind America's most popular t-shirt. Every design ever made and a few that never saw the light of day! If your order is over $100, no need to add this to your cart, you will... Also at that link (marked down to two bucks): [![](https://www.bigjohnson.com/cdn/shop/products/TedPresButton_FB.jpg?v=1530311660) ](https://www.bigjohnson.com/cdn/shop/products/TedPresButton_FB.jpg?v=1530311660) ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/11 "2024-09-24T07:22:50Z")
I guess I’m getting old that people have to look up Big Johnson shirts. I actually knew the brothers. That said, it doesn’t seem like a typical Big Johnson shirt and there’s nothing indicating it is other than someone creating a url with that name in it. Almost all their stuff was innuendo like “Big Johnson’s Bar - Poker in the front, Liquor in the rear.” ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/12 "2024-09-24T07:26:51Z")
I don’t think a humor brand made by a couple brothers at the beach (Joe Biden territory, btw) in the early 90s had much to do with MAGA. It was pretty popular back in those days that boardwalk shops and the like sold humorous shirts, yes some adult in nature. And it was the era of the Big Dogs, No Fear, all that stuff. Trump was a Democrat who stole houses from widows to build casino parking lots during that era. That was before he started playing his current character. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/13 "2024-09-24T09:12:29Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > Solo cups? They’re red and that somehow transforms states to the same political color? They became something of a redneck emblem a few years back. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0CLacRKKhG8/maxresdefault.jpg "Toby Keith - Red Solo Cup (Live)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CLacRKKhG8) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/14 "2024-09-24T14:38:41Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > I don’t think a humor brand made by a couple brothers at the beach (Joe Biden territory, btw) in the early 90s had much to do with MAGA. _Then,_ no. _Now?_ Ted Nugent is a Trumpeteer and there’s that [shirt](https://imgur.com/a/big-johnson-shirt-ZlwMIXb) in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/15 "2024-09-24T14:52:07Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > I guess I’m getting old that people have to look up Big Johnson shirts. I actually knew the brothers. That said, it doesn’t seem like a typical Big Johnson shirt and there’s nothing indicating it is other than someone creating a url with that name in it. Almost all their stuff was innuendo like “Big Johnson’s Bar - Poker in the front, Liquor in the rear.” Ha yeah I was a bit confused at the other posters discovering Big Johnson just now! They were ALL THE RAGE in the 90s. We didn’t have memes, we had Big Johnson and Coed Naked Sports shirts lol Interesting that you knew them. And interesting that they’re still around! Good for them, I guess. Glad they are still doing something and got away from the “big johnson” joke, even if they pivoted into GOP couture… ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/16 "2024-09-24T15:06:40Z")
I don’t think it actually is a Big Johnson shirt- it doesn’t sound like one and it is for sale [here](https://ideafashionshirt.com/product/saving-america-one-sip-at-a-time-shirt/) , with no mention of Big Johnson. This seems to be a place that more or less prints shirts to order, almost like those mall stores when I was young that had hundreds of iron on stencils . ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/17 "2024-09-24T16:05:12Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > don’t think it actually is a Big Johnson shirt- it doesn’t sound like one and it is for sale [here](https://ideafashionshirt.com/product/saving-america-one-sip-at-a-time-shirt/) , with no mention of Big Johnson. It’s a Big Johnson shirt, sold in their on-line store: > **[SAVING AMERICA](https://www.bigjohnson.com/products/saving-america)** > > If it swells, ride it. With a Big Johnson! 100% Cotton Unisex Fit This item is printed to order. Please allow 7-10 business days for fulfillment. Their version has their iconic logo repeat on the front. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/18 "2024-09-24T16:05:43Z")
Okay that website actually has a explanation for it but I’m still completely lost what it means. I’m guessing it’s a parody of the no-straws campaign from above? ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/19 "2024-09-24T16:09:22Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Okay that website actually has a explanation for it but I’m still completely lost what it means. I don’t know what explanation for the shirt Doreen’s source offered, but Big [Johnson.com](http://Johnson.com)’s explanation for the shirt is: … RED SOLO CUP, I FILL YOU UP, LET’S HAVE A PARTY!… ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2024, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640/20 "2024-09-24T18:12:54Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > Almost all their stuff was innuendo like “Big Johnson’s Bar - Poker in the front, Liquor in the rear.” I think you got that backwards. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-does-this-political-shirt-mean/1007640.md?page=2)