{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O301438"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O301438/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HE0799/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HE0799/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HE0799","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O301438","accessionNumber":"T.615-1997","objectType":"T-shirt","titles":[{"title":"\"It's A Bitch Being Butch - John XXX\"","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Pale blue cotton T-shirt printed with 'It's a Bitch Being Butch John XXX' and a head and shoulders image of John Wayne in a cowboy hat and neckerchief with red lipstick and eye make-up on.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"cotton","id":"AAT14067"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printed cotton","categories":[{"text":"Clothing","id":"THES48975"},{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"LGBTQ","id":"THES266921"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2014HE0799"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES309397"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"T-shirt","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1980s","earliest":"1980-01-01","latest":"1989-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Donated by Andrew Shanahan in memory of Richard L. Velleman","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'It's a Bitch Being Butch John XXX'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"printed"}],"objectHistory":"This shirt depicts actor John Wayne with drag makeup and a slogan designed to appear as if written in lipstick. John Wayne was particuarly known for his hyper-masculine roles in cowboy films, which makes this depiction subversive and iconoclastic. Alongside his film roles, Wayne was known for his deeply conservative views.\r\n \r\nThe shirt was most likely created in the mid-1980s as a form of humorous LGBTQ protest against gendered behavioural standards, and to tease men who behaved in an intentionally hyper-masculine way by suggesting they used the performance of exaggerated masculinity as a form of camouflage. In its sensibility, it is similar to the Punk garments of the late 1970s and early 1980s which also set out to destabilise establishment figures such as the Queen through mockery and altering their images disrespectfully. The caption on this shirt, which uses potentially offensive terms, makes fun of John Wayne by implying that his masculinity (expressed via the slang term 'butch') was performative. Applying lipstick and heavy eye makeup to Wayne's face underscores the designer's mischievous message.\n\n- Daniel Milford-Cottam, 25/04/2025","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Printed cotton T-shirt, Great Britain, 1980s. Picture of John Wayne in lipstick","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"John Wayne","id":"N3738"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.615-1997"],"accessionNumberNum":"615","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1997,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-30","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}