Michigan Bar Pushes the Envelope with Covid T-Shirts
"Kiss Me I'm Contagious" and other controversial t-shirts are shaking things up in Gaylord, Michigan.
There is a bar in Northern Michigan called 'The Iron Pig Smokehouse.' They're creating quiet a reputation for themselves. Unfortunately, it seems like you have to pick a side. Do you think it's hilarious or dangerous?
The Gaylord, MI bar recently held a St. Patrick's Day party with t-shirts that said, "Kiss Me I'm Contagious" as a Covid-19 version of "Kiss Me I'm Irish." Ian Murphy, the owner of the Iron Pig Smokehouse told Mlive that he doesn't have negative intentions with his t-shirts,
This year’s celebration and shirt are less about trivializing the grim reality of the pandemic and more about having fun. He said the goal is to reflect on the world a year ago before the virus took its toll.
As much as people want to err on the side of just having a good sense of humor about the rough year we've had. Many are pointing out other actions previously taken by this bar. For example, they lost their liquor licenses for 90 days for ignoring Covid-19 restrictions last December. They were also selling t-shirts at that time that said "Risk it for the Brisket and "BBQ with a side of Freedom." Murphy pointed out that they made thousands off of selling those t-shirts.
But it appears to be the posts on the bar's Instagram page that really contradicts Murphy's recent statements. Here are a few examples below.
The Iron Pig Smokehouse worked with the local health department to ensure the March 13th event followed guidelines to keep staff and customers safe.
Should we have a since of humor about the pandemic? Absolutely. Laughing at our hard times is a way to heal. But at the same time, you have to understand the optics for a business making those jokes in combination with previous actions and social media posts.