We Are All Prostitutes

May 17, 2009 · 43 comments

I spotted this interesting t-shirt while i was out to dinner in Shimokitazawa the other night.

Prostitutes

Speak for yourself love.

Prostitutes

At least all the language is clean this time.

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Picture of the Day: We Are All Prostitutes | ROK Drop
May 21, 2009 at 5:00 am

{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }

1 tadpoles May 17, 2009 at 1:14 pm

The young woman in question was most likely paying homage to the Pop Group, a British punk band active in the late 70’s and early 80’s.

‘We Are All Prostitutes’ (Rough Trade, 1980) was famous if nothing else for its cover, which featured a Warhol -style Margaret Thatcher sticking two fingers up to the world. See

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pop_Group

for more information.

Hardly worth making the snide comment, really, was it?

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2 Neil May 18, 2009 at 10:03 am

I thought it was quite valid to comment on the t-shirt … yes.

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3 antwerpenR May 17, 2009 at 1:52 pm

Funny….and somehow this T-shirt seems complementary:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rwp-roger/2833510219/

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4 Shanker Bakshi May 17, 2009 at 2:49 pm

It need lot of guts to wear few stuff in public.

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5 Eleonora May 18, 2009 at 1:17 am

well not that much if only a few or no one around you understand what’s written on your shirt :D one of the reasons why I love Japan!

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6 Neil May 18, 2009 at 10:04 am

Funny t-shirt!

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7 reesan May 17, 2009 at 2:25 pm

i’m not. i’ll do it for free.

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8 Chris B May 17, 2009 at 9:31 pm

Somebody’s gotta be the “PiMP”!!

***Raises hand*** ;)

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9 karl May 18, 2009 at 1:56 am

It just shows your lack of culture…

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10 Neil May 18, 2009 at 10:06 am

Lack of culture ….. hmmmm, not knowing a 70’s punk band is lack of culture hey?

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11 Juan May 18, 2009 at 10:23 am

Man! This posting sure is bringing the weirdos out of the woodworks, Neil :-(

I’m with you man, whoever heard of that band?! Besides, to say that that shirt is related to some obscure band is giving waaaaaay too much credit to the usual suspects wearing this kind of shirts ;-)

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12 Neil May 19, 2009 at 9:51 am

The majority of people in Japan would see that t-shirt for the most obvious English meaning … as i did.

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13 sherrie May 18, 2009 at 7:05 am

Humm…Aside from being the name of a 70’s band, perhaps “we are all prostitutes” explores the idea that everything is for sale given the right offer?? Ever been “sold out” or thrown under a bus over money?

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14 Neil May 18, 2009 at 10:07 am

No.

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15 MJG May 22, 2009 at 1:38 pm

Yes.

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16 chuck May 18, 2009 at 8:36 am

catcher in the rye

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17 AlbertoDeKosta May 18, 2009 at 9:53 am

Sorry, wrong topic. :ups:

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18 J May 18, 2009 at 11:05 am

A sidebar full of click-ads and half-naked J-Babes to bring in the viewers? Surely you have some idea of what the slogan gets at. Not judging, I am no different. But it’s definitely a sound-bite full of meaning… ;-)

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19 Neil May 19, 2009 at 9:52 am

The term sound-bite is a good description i agree.

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20 Sarimin May 18, 2009 at 11:29 am

Hiiii…. :(

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21 tadpoles May 18, 2009 at 1:44 pm

Well said, J.

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22 Mike May 18, 2009 at 8:37 pm

Just because there was an old British punk group with the same name, doesn’t mean that it makes a good slogan to have on a t-shirt.

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23 RMilner May 19, 2009 at 2:55 am

Do you think it’s a bad slogan or you think there is a better reason to use it?

I can see it as a commentary on a society in which people sell their skills and labour to the highest bidder, as the need for money forces them to become a wage slave.

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24 Neil May 19, 2009 at 9:49 am

I just think the choice of words for a t-shirt was strange, moreso in a country where i doubt very much anyone would have heard of the band in question and most would interpret as the obvious meaning in English.

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25 RMilner May 20, 2009 at 6:35 pm

Japan is full of odd use of English in slogans. You must have seen some humdingers.

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26 Neil May 21, 2009 at 9:58 am

Too many to remember. Glad you saw the picture for what it was …. just a picture of a t-shirt that amused me.

27 mixmaster morris May 19, 2009 at 3:32 am

You can hear the original song here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VnwL4-Ghn0

I used to have a T-shirt with this on, wonder if I still do?

There is a new movie about The Pop Group / Mark Stewart, it was just premiered last month ..

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28 Neil May 19, 2009 at 9:47 am

Cheers …. gave it a listen … didn’t last all that long though!

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29 Paul Dawson May 19, 2009 at 4:08 pm

What do you do for income in Tokyo?

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30 Neil May 20, 2009 at 9:46 am

I work for a global company.

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31 Slightly Concerned May 20, 2009 at 9:28 pm

Wow, a girl weaing a shirt. How strange. Funny how the conversation topic is about a shirt, and not the freak that takes pictures of strangers? How rude.

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32 Neil May 21, 2009 at 9:57 am

“Freak” taking a picture of a t-shirt …. a little over the top yeh??!!

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33 MJG May 22, 2009 at 1:39 pm

‘We are all freaks…’

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34 Minnie B May 29, 2009 at 2:40 am

“Freak” taking a picture of a t-shirt …. a little over the top yeh??!!

OK: how about ’sad little self-publicist who has his photo taken with porn stars and then brags about it to his mates’?

http://neilduckett.com/tila-tequila-in-shibuya

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35 Neil May 29, 2009 at 11:33 am

Hilarious! All this personal attack because i took a photo of a t-shirt that amused me.

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36 Marinkina May 22, 2009 at 4:36 am

Да,aleks,побороть лень, действительно иногда очень сложно..

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37 Talen May 23, 2009 at 3:53 am

Great picture and I doubt highly she knew of the band much less what the shirt said.

I see it in Thailand all the time . All manner of old ladies wearing shirts like F**K like a beast or something similar. They have no idea what it says it’s just a shirt to them.

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38 ruben May 25, 2009 at 5:36 pm

There’s also a CROOKERS song called “We are all prostitutes”..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqbHlGwD2dI&fmt=18

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39 Ryan `freedomwv` Smith June 12, 2009 at 8:25 pm

In many ways her t-shirt is very true. There are times when we all sell ourselves for a night a wild sex infused insanity.

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40 Michael June 22, 2009 at 11:48 am

No really,aren’t we all Egyptians?

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41 Mike August 6, 2009 at 5:25 am

Somebody’s been watching Ashes To Ashes!

Also MinnieB is a filhty savage who deserves to be kicked to death. Just thought i’d throw that out there.

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42 БaйaчaБeбe October 19, 2009 at 1:00 am

Вот именно с этой статьи начинаю читать Ваш блог. + один подписчик :)

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