New Zealand, land of the best band ever – Split Enz and the birthplace of music’s finest auteur, Neil Finn, has been seeing a bit of controversy over the name of a particular clothing line. Fairydown, a label that has been around for generations, is changing the name of the Australian division, claiming that many men in Oz believe that it is too feminine. Never mind that Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Mt. Everest in 1953 wearing a Fairydown jacket, as well as using a sleeping bag from the same company. These products are as rugged and masculine as you can get. Sit on my North Face fool! It’s fucking Everest! Motherfuckers freeze to death up there, and they cannot breathe, not to mention the fact that Hillary (kinda fruity name too) was the first to make the trek successfully, made history and put Antipodean explorers ahead of the game in the constant scrabble of man versus nature. The name has been changed to Zone, which I guess is butch enough for all the ruff trade Down Under, but it really is fucking stupid homophobic ideas that make compromising the name of a well known and respected product, virtually erasing the company’s long history of keeping playas from getting too cold, a necessity. I think that they should make the name more queer. How about “Faggoty Outerwear,” “Gay Jackets,” “Extreme Sport Pansy,” Assagonia.” Fairydown has been the name for a long time and their products and reputation are a testament to the longevity of the label. What happened is the culture has changed to the point where it became unacceptable to a certain populace, because they actually believe that a jacket is gonna make them a homosexual. No. Being attracted to and/or in love with a person of the same sex makes one a homosexual. It has nothing to do with clothing. Well, actually, it has a little bit to do with clothing, in that style in the gay community might be slightly more chic and tighter. Not always, but some of the time.
I am sad for the outerwear company formerly known as Fairydown. The man who conquered the highest point on the face of the earth, would not have been able to accomplish that fearsome task without the jacket, the sleeping bag, the consistent quality that the Fairydown name – synonymous with reliability, endurance, warmth provided. It proves that we can climb the highest mountains, but our selective societal ignorance is that baggage that will keep us weighed down. Fairydown.