Tom Hanks’ Son Faces Heat For Launching ‘White Boy’ Brand With ‘Racist’ Typeface
Image via White Boy Summer
Tom Hanks’ son, Chet Hanks, is at the middle of controversy for releasing controversial merchandise labeled with ‘White Boy Summer’ branding. His choice of typeface for the clothing has also been likened to one used in Nazi Germany.
The White Boy Summer collection, which features hoodies, T-shirts, shorts, hats, leggings, and singlets, is a play on Megan Thee Stallion’s 2019 hit Hot Girl Summer.
“I just got this feeling man that this summer … it’s about to be a white boy summer,” Hanks justified. “Take it how you want, I’m not talking about Trump, Nascar-type white. I’m talking about me, (rappers) Jon B. Jack Harlow-type white boys, you know what I mean? Let me know if you guys can vibe with that, and get ready. ‘Cause I am.”
In a video shared a few days later, he said, “You know what’s not White Boy Summer… is having any ill will or prejudice towards anybody from a different background, race, walk of life than you.”
The black-and-white range of garments features a typeface similar to Fraktur, which was used in Nazi Germany—most prominently on the cover of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf book, per The Guardian.
“Hmm, unfortunately, the merch looks aggressively racist,” one Twitter user commented, while another wrote, “Jesus. When I think of typefaces white people should avoid, anything remotely calligraphic/blackletter looking pop immediately to mind, especially if it’s going to include the word ‘White.’”
Hanks also announced that he is launching a range of Black Queen Summer merchandise featuring the same typeface. “I want to see some white boys and some black queens wearing each other’s shirts,” he said in a video introducing them.
🚨CHET’S OFFICIAL WHITE BOY SUMMER MERCH HAS DROPPED🚨https://t.co/DScFY0cFVMhttps://t.co/DScFY0cFVM pic.twitter.com/lpcTeOLRws
— Chet Hanks Updates (@upchets) March 30, 2021
hmm unfortunately the merch looks aggressively racist pic.twitter.com/B49bYztQAv
— jos (@josiahhughes) March 30, 2021
CHET HANKS: Gimme it in Aryan.
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) March 30, 2021
PRINTER: You mean Arial?
CHET HANKS: No.
can we do italian boy summer instead? white tanks, hair gel, deli meats, and just a touch of insurance fraud. it’ll be glorious
— tony (@tony_ferraro7) March 30, 2021
I’m sorry but somebody needs to tell Chet Hanks that ‘white boy summer’ sounds like the title of a Netflix documentary about mass shootings.
— machine gun Kele (@kelechnekoff) March 28, 2021
Chet Hanks: I have a feeling it's gonna be a white boy summer
— DaenerysIsStillMyQueen (@Hhrfgghhh) March 27, 2021
Tom Hanks: pic.twitter.com/0X6tfOK989
[via B&T, cover image via White Boy Summer]
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