Vanguard

Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: Lifestyles

April 5 marked the 14th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's suicide, often referred to as "the bullet that shot through a generation." After 14 years, some may think that Kurt Cobain worship would fade, but apparently not. Converse has a whole line of Kurt Cobain shoes headed to stores this summer.

Anyone who knows anything about Cobain knows he is the poster boy for anti-commercialism in rock music, so emblazoning his name on a shoe for profit would stand to violate his image.

At the same time, Converse shoes have always been a symbol of rock music, and Cobain was known for sporting these shoes on a regular basis. So, it is not like Converse came up with the idea to combine their shoes with Cobain's image out of thin air. Still, many are not completely comfortable with what Converse is doing.

The limited-edition line of Cobain-inspired shoes is a part of 100th anniversary sales campaign of Converse, named "Welcome to the Converse Century." There will be several different designs available in both black and white, retailing from $50 to $65.

One shoe is a black One Star low top with Cobain's autograph and the phrase "punk rock means freedom," taken from Cobain's personal journals, printed on the sole insert. A Jack Purcell version will also be available in stores. Another design circulating in photos on various Web sites is a Chuck Taylor high top with his thoughts and words from his journals.

When Cobain's journals were published back in 2002, there was a great deal of controversy, since he never expressed a desire for them to be read by the public. However, the publication continued because it was approved by his estate holder, Courtney Love.

Getting Love's approval to use her deceased husband's belongings for a profit is not exactly the most difficult thing to accomplish.

In April 2007, she announced her plans to sell Cobain's signature flannel and other possessions. Love also sold Cobain's fourth of Nirvana's catalogue for $50 million.

Therefore, Converse having Love's consent does little to ease my apprehension of using a person's name to sell shoes - a person who was clearly against using music or other art forms for marketing. Her authorization did, however, give Converse enough peace of mind to proceed with making the shoes. Needless to say, Love is in full cooperation with the company to receive her share of the profits.

To further ease their conscience, Converse has decided not to use Nirvana's music in their advertisements. This way, the company is not using music for marketing, but rather a musician's image - an image that is sacred among his fans and practically an entire generation.

Ironically, the black One Star low tops were the shoes Cobain was wearing when he took his own life. To me, the idea of reproducing and wearing the shoes Cobain committed suicide in seems not only disrespectful but offensive.

Other cultural icons such as Hunter S. Thompson, Ian Curtis and Sid Vicious are also a part of Converse's 100th anniversary sales campaign. Full details from Converse will be released later this month.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools