Amy Love

Business Editor  

aml7458@psu.edu

In March 2021, music performer Lil Nas X released a song that topped the charts. He later released what he called “satan shoes” as a limited merchandise item that fit the theme of his new song, Call Me By Your Name. These pairs of shoes contained an inverted cross, bronze pentagon, and a vial of blood. Yet, not everyone had an issue with these alterations–all 666 shoes were sold out almost immediately. However, there was still some controversy that was stirred up by these shoes, ultimately leading to the shoes being recalled. 

Just recently, famous skateboarder Tony Hawk announced that he partnered with the company Liquid Death to produce a limited edition skateboard. The skateboards are special because their decks are painted with a vial of Tony Hawk’s blood. These skateboards did not garner any public outrage, a fact that was noted by Lil Nas X who released a tweet saying: “Now that Tony Hawk has released skateboards with his blood painted on them, and there was no public outrage, are y’all ready to admit y’all were never upset over the blood in the shoes?” It does pose the question: why so much outrage? 

Including blood in a merchandise product is a strange concept but that does not seem to be the root of the issue. Lil Nas X’s shoes used religious imagery. They were nicknamed “satan shoes,” and the cost of the shoes was even a reference to the Bible. The majority of the public outcry was from those who are passionate about religion, especially well-known pastors and other famous individuals. A specific pastor, Mark Burns, tweeted: “This is evil and heresy and I pray that Chrisitans rise up against this.” 

The public outcry did not stop there. There was even a governor that decided to speak on the issue. Kristi Noem, governor of South Dakota, tweeted out: “Our kids are being told that this kind of product is not only okay, it’s ‘exclusive’…We are in a fight for the soul of our nation.” Noem is also taking this merchandise as a personal attack on not only herself, but the nation. Once prominent figures began speaking out against the product, others felt emboldened to do the same. Many spoke out against the shoes, to the point where Nike had to officially declare that they had nothing to do with their production. 

One major difference between these two products is that Lil Nas X’s merchandise reached a community that did not support its concept. Additionally, was vocal about their grievances. It was not the blood that gained the public outcry, though it may have been a factor, but it was the entire concept that led to a community having a negative response to the products.