With the presidential inauguration barely twenty-four hours away, Barack Obama’s supporters are honoring him through various commemorative accessories. Of course, most of these items are fairly conventional, including all manner of t-shirts, hats, ski caps, and pins. But some Obama devotees have taken their tributes to a whole new level, even eclipsing the more fanatical face-painters, mass-buttoners, and mass-bumper-stickerers. Here are some of the most outlandish examples:
• The Obama 59Fifty Sticker. The New Era cap company’s 59Fifty model is the official cap of Major League Baseball. Each cap typically comes with a gold sticker on the brim indicating the cap’s size and, in recent years, there has been an annoying trend of wearing 59Fifty caps without removing the sticker. Well, if you’re an adherent of this style, you can now replace the real 59Fifty stickers on your caps with an Obamatized parody. Its creators deserve points for subtlety, but should lose points for catering to people who apparently like to publicize the circumference of their heads.
• Obama Sandals. This is probably the ugliest piece of Obama paraphernalia available. The bodiless Obama-heads that are strung along the sandal strap strike me as a bit freaky. Moreover, presuming that this item is meant to honor Obama, does it really make sense to put the President-elect’s likeness so close to people’s toes? Finally, it gives Obama’s detractors an obvious attack: whereas Obama’s fans will probably refer to these shoes as “sandals” or “thongs,” his critics will inevitably call them “flip-flops.”
• Obama Meets Spider-Man. You probably thought that Marvel Comics was non-partisan, though broadly pro-American. Well, guess again: in the latest issue of Spider-man, the infamous web-slinger has a fateful encounter with the President-elect and thwarts a plot to disrupt the inauguration. Of course, this issue has become an instant collector’s item: the first printing is sold out (and selling for nearly $100 on eBay), forcing Marvel to issue second and third printings. Will DC Comics counter by dismissing Clark Kent and re-casting Obama as Superman’s civilian identity?
• The Obama Loaf of Bread. The Obama festivities have seen their fair share of baked goods, particularly cookies and cakes with the President-elect’s likeness. (For a truly obsessive look at this phenomenon, see “Yes We Cake.”) But one exuberant baker in California has gone beyond the call of duty, branding Obama’s image on a loaf of bread, which is eerily reminiscent of the infamous Virgin Mary grilled cheese and various apparitions of Jesus Christ on toast. Does it get any closer to flat-out Obama worship than this? (Oh, wait.)
Finally, in the “Well-Intended-But-Technically-Offensive” category, we have this man, who personalized an authentic Chicago Cubs jersey with “Obama 08.” Clearly, he wanted to honor two of his passions – the Cubs and Obama – but failed to consider that Obama is a staunch White Sox fan who has bravely denounced Cubs fans in the past. I sincerely respect Obama’s partisanship on this issue, and think that we should expect no less from supporters who are willing to sacrifice a $175 jersey as a tribute to him.
