Letter from a disgruntled person on e-mail list...

[dUSt]

Hey pham. What do y'all think of this e-mail someone sent me, and my reply?
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[font="Times"]Dear Phatmass webmaster,

Thanks for updating me on the new merchandise. Upon seeing it, however, I was quite concerned with the motivation behind the new designs and how PM feels that it is accomplishing its mission throught the message of the new T-shirts.

My first concern was with the t-shirt design containing the words: "Krunk Catholic" on it. I wish to mention that where I come from (St. Louis, MO), the word, "krunk" is a clever substitute for saying, "crazy drunk." I asked my roomate who is from Kansas City, KS and it apparently means the same thing there. I'm not sure what message the shirt was intended to display, but knowing the regional cultural dual- meaning behind the phrase, I would be confused and offended by such a rediculous and perverse representation of the Catholic faith. I feel that PM should have taken more consideration before printing that one.

Secondly, with designs that say "Catholic Baller" and "Catholic Ninja", I feel that PM has really taken a step down from a higher standard of Catholic spirituality, creativity, and maturity. In the most previous PM T-shirts, I recall two main designs presented. One was the Sacred Heart of Jesus, drawn in a very attractive, creative, artistic, and respectful manner that glorified the focus of PM and more importantly, Christ's love. The second was the very popular and recognizable West Coast Choppers logo with the words Phatmass Catholic printed in it. I feel that a design like this takes on a subtle yet affective method of promoting PM and its mission. It draws a passerby's attention at first glance and upon little closer examination, the reader sees what the shirt truely promotes and will most likely inquire about what this "phatmass" is. I dont find these new designs to promote Phatmass or Catholic spirituality very well. It merely seems like the Church is being presented more as a punk teenage cultural joke than as a pathway to salvation. Perhaps more consideration of the Church, God's glory, and Phatmass should have been taken before printing these as well. As the 1st letter of Peter puts it, "so that in all things God may be glorified." I don't feel these shirts glorify God very clearly.

Lastly, I feel that a shirt that says "B-16 so fresh and so clean" doesn't quite give Pope Benedict XVI his due. A man of his spirituality and vocation deserves a higher level of respect in all things. The shirt vaguely if at all attributes any spirituality or works exclusively to Pope Benedcit nor does it promote a high level of respect for him. Perhaps something that mentions his effect on the Church in a creative manner would have been more appropriate.

Again, thanks for updating me. Please know that I mean not to be over-critical. I mean only to express my concerns of the new merchandise and that I feel it doesn't represent the Church or Phatmass well. Please respond because I would like to hear your feedback.

God Bless,
(insert name here)[/font]

[dUSt]

And my reply...
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[font="Times"]Thanks for the feedback (insert name here).

First, "krunk" does not mean "crazy drunk" no more than "phat" means "pretty hot and tempting". Both of these acronyms were invented after these terms became widely used in the urban hip-hop culture. "Krunk" has been a popular word for many years in the south and only recently has become more widely used... thanks to MTV.

Now, phatmass has a very specific goal: to promote a culture of orthodoxy in the church--and we use several different methods to accomplish this goal.

1) We attract people into the phatmass community (or phamily) with creative means, usually by presenting weird, funny, trendy or popularized stuff to them. I fully understand that these things do not have a profound spiritual or redeeming quality. They are "bait", if you will. We are attempting to attract the un-attractable, or hook the disinterested. Yes, there are kids who have actually gotten back into the church because things like this caught their attention. You yourself said the "chopper" shirt was a good idea, but if you really look into the "West Coast Chopper" organization, you'll be able to make the same arguments you have made against the "Krunk Catholic" shirt.

2) Once in the community (after we "hook" them), we create a phamily atmosphere. We attempt to teach, nurture and mold our phamily to become 100% hard-core orthodox Catholics. We do this through our phorum, our other site, 59beads.com, via our hip-hop lyrics, apologetics, a future rosary CD, etc, etc.

So... our philosophy is 1) attract people through creative ways, and 2) catechize them once they become part of the phatmass community. I view these as two very separate steps, hence the occasional t-shirt or advertisement that has no redeeming quality other than making people smile and feel proud to show their Catholicism in a fun way.

You should also notice that unlike organizations like Lifeteen, phatmass has never and will never attempt to change the mass. Whereas I think Lifeteen's method for attracting youth is to make the mass more "fun", phatmass is strongly opposed to that. That is why we make other things "fun", and then teach people to embrace tradition and keep the mass holy and reverent. Sometimes we do things with the specific intention of creating that stark contrast between the secular and the holy. Yeah, have fun, laugh, get krunk (not drunk), OUTSIDE of mass. Contrast.

Also, these designs, to be frank, sold a lot better--raising more funding for our other projects that DO have very spiritual and redeeming qualities. I know that there is a group of monks who sell re-furbished ink cartridges, and many youth groups who do car washes... These things have no spiritual qualities at all--but are used to raise money to support very spiritual goals.

Anyway, sorry for being so long winded. I'm also sorry for disappointing you with our latest t-shirts. I hope that you'll join the phorum and see how many hundreds of kids and young adults have truly been helped by the phatmass community, and how they have all learned how to be orthodox, hard-core CATHOLICS. You'll be surprised how many of them* initially* were attracted to phatmass for very different reasons, none of them being to learn more about their faith.

God bless. Be holy.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!
dUSt - phounder, phatmass.com [/font]

[Dust's Sister]

100 % on Point. Way to go bro

[philothea]

I understand the complaints, but your reply addresses everything perfectly.

Not that I expected anything less.

[inDEED]

I think that the writer has a very valid point.

How do we know that our Pope is fresh and clean? If I wear a shirt that says I'm a Catholic ninja - and I'm not - aren't I guilty of deception? (Of course, this doesn't ring true for Kilroy) And last but not least - I KNOW that I'm a baller - but I also KNOW that there are some posters on here that are definitely NOT ballers (dUSt included).

So in response to his letter - I agree.

[dUSt]

[quote name='inDEED' date='Nov 11 2005, 02:22 AM']I think that the writer has a very valid point.

How do we know that our Pope is fresh and clean? If I wear a shirt that says I'm a Catholic ninja - and I'm not - aren't I guilty of deception? (Of course, this doesn't ring true for Kilroy) And last but not least - I KNOW that I'm a baller - but I also KNOW that there are some posters on here that are definitely NOT ballers (dUSt included).

So in response to his letter - I agree.
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I have already addressed these issues on the order pages for said items. Your mom.

[inDEED]

(By the way, dUSt - how can I get hooked up with a few of those shirts - I LOVE them!)

[Aloysius]

I'd point out that the context of the "Krunk" on the shirt is clearly not crazy drunk, it's weird white guy with no face standing next to a turntable of some sort...

[StatingTheObvious]

I'm not big on the whole hip-hop, gangsta (law breaking), rap (carp), thing any way. It's all into an anti-law sub-culture (Get Rich or Die Tryin'). My daddy always said you can't make a purse from a sow's ear, but just because you like ham, it don't mean you should kiss a pig. Know what I mean?

[photosynthesis]

I will say that phatmass is the first place I've ever seen/heard/read the word "krunk" in my entire life.

[toledo_jesus]

I think the letter brings up a good point. We should always be careful not to become so familiar with our Faith that we have the slightest bit of contempt for it. However, I think Phatmass is especially conscious of this, and does much to promote orthodoxy. Referencing the teen culture stuff, I'd say that being an authentic Catholic is the ultimate in counter-culture...so it might just be acceptable.

Anyway, letter brought up some good points, but I don't think the shirts are too bad. I'd like to see some with Mary on them!

[dspen2005]

referencing hip-hop culture is it applies to teen culture must be tempered in such a way that we do not become comfortable with these idioms and sayings to the point that we do not see that we are called to be Catholic gentlemen and ladies -- not gangstas on the street. i was having my human formation class with the superior of the monastery and we discussed this tendency to become "comfortable" with certain practices to the point that we lose social grace.

[scardella]

Umm, I'm not hip to that jive....

What does krunk and baller mean in any context?

[dUSt]

[quote name='scardella' date='Nov 11 2005, 11:18 AM']Umm, I'm not hip to that jive....

What does krunk and baller mean in any context?
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[Aloysius]

krunk: used in place of the word carp ( a Conan O'Brien word)
Example: Katie , you are so full of krunk right now ..or ...this pizza taste like krunk !
krunk: Let loose, get hicked up.
Example: I bet you won't get krunk.

hmmm