Boston mayor Thomas M. Menino is urging Nike to remove from a Nike store display T-shirts that he says promote drug use.
The shirts, which hang in the window of a Niketown on Boston's historic Newbury Street, feature the slogans "GET HIGH" and "F**K GRAVITY," among others. A tee that reads "DOPE" depicting a spilled pill container is also on display.
Menino spoke to the Boston Herald, saying, "This is outrageous." His concerns centered on youth:
"What we don't need is a major corporation like Nike, which tries to appeal to the younger generation, out there giving credence to the drug issue."
"They are promoting drug use," added Menino, who said the store was closed when he came upon the display. "This is the wrong message for Nike to send."
In a letter to Nike's CEO Mark Parker, Menino wrote that the display is "out of keeping with the character of Boston's Back Bay, our entire city, and our aspirations for our young people...not to mention common sense."
In a statement to The Huffington Post, Derek Kent, Nike's U.S. Media Relations Director, said that the company "does not condone the use of banned or illegal substances."
"These t-shirts are part of an action sports campaign, featuring marquee athletes using commonly used and accepted expressions for performance at the highest level of their sport, be it surfing, skateboarding or BMX," the statement said.
We suppose "Dope, man!" does seem like the kind of thing skateboarders might say to one another. "F**k gravity," on the other hand? Maybe not.
