Streetwear heavyweight Stussy just added another batch of gear to its website, delivering everything from hoodies to ponchos to footwear. But the item that really grabbed our attention is this hilarious “Kim Don’t Surf” tee, which features the face of former North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il.
For those unfamiliar with the reference, the “Kim Don’t Surf” line was actually inspired by an iconic quote from the 1979 war film Apocalypse Now. In the movie, Rober Duvall’s character Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore orders an attack on a beach in order to take advantage of an gnarly point break. But when one of his soldiers expresses his concern about the area being occupied by the Viet Cong, aka “Charlie” (a term that refers to communist forces), Duvall harshly replies with “CHARLIE DON’T SURF.”
The term has now become synonymous with a blatant disregard for danger. And this Stussy tee is one of the best examples of “cross cultural” irony we’ve seen.
Take a look at the T-shirt in the image above. You can pick it up for $30 at Stussy’s online store.
