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Is it OK to sell T-shirts featuring Kurt Cobain’s suicide note?

Jan 14, 2015, 11:14 AM | Updated: 11:16 am

T-shirts featuring the hand written message of Kurt Cobain’s suicide note reportedly popped u...

T-shirts featuring the hand written message of Kurt Cobain's suicide note reportedly popped up for sale online. (AP Photo/Seattle Police Department)

(AP Photo/Seattle Police Department)

A seller on Etsy apparently thought Kurt Cobain’s suicide note might make for a good T-shirt design, but critics argued otherwise.

Understandably, the shirts got a strong response and spawned a discussion on Reddit that reportedly got them pulled from Etsy.

“Hard to tell Cobain he was being too cynical about the world when years after his death the most personal details of his private life are being turned into mass market commodities,” wrote one Reddit user.

“This makes me question the morality of the fashion industry and how far people are willing to go just to make a quick buck. I’m actually speechless and really this is just sick and obnoxious on every level, no doubt about it, I really see no logical nor creative reason to have this as a “fashion” statement,” wrote another.

There was also a consensus on KIRO Radio’s Ron & Don Show that the shirts are inappropriate.

“I don’t think people should be making T-shirts out of this stuff. There is a weird market for murderabilia and suicide memorabilia. There are a lot of people who, for whatever reason, are attracted to that kind of stuff,” said host Ron Upshaw.

Co-host Don O’Neill accused Upshaw of being guilty of a similar offense for wearing a “Dexter” T-shirt around the office. Upshaw argued it’s not the same thing because Dexter, the title character featured on Showtime’s serial killer drama, is fictional. But he did admit maybe it wasn’t the most appropriate shirt for work.

Reporter Rachel Belle wondered if the Cobain shirt would be appropriate anywhere.

“Where do you wear a Kurt Cobain suicide T-shirt?” she asked, adding, “I’m sure you’d agree it’s pretty tacky.”

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Is it OK to sell T-shirts featuring Kurt Cobain’s suicide note?