Within gay culture, one place nudity shows up consistently is Instagram Close Friends stories.
We are acknowledging that behavior with the Close Friends Club merch line, a small collection of that reference what happens behind the green Close Friends instagram stories.
To kick off the Close Friends Club, we are releasing three t-shirts inspired by one of the most familiar elements of queer Close Friends culture: the Delete This sticker.
What Is the โDelete Thisโ Sticker?
When we were showing early concepts of these designs, there was about a 50/50 split in reactions: people either said, โI have no idea what that is,โ or โThatโs hilarious.โ
If you donโt immediately recognize it, hereโs how itโs used.
The Delete This sticker is an animation people place over parts of an image or video. When someone watches the resulting Instagram Story, the cursor moves across the Delete This screen. It eventually clicks the small X in the corner. The sticker disappears. What was hidden is revealed.
Very often, whatโs hidden is a dick. For whatever reason, itโs rarely flagged. People use it to post content that would not normally be allowed in Stories. Because of that, and despite how pixelated and unaesthetic it is, the sticker has grown in popularity.
Thereโs also something theatrical about it. The animation creates a moment of anticipation, then exposure. The reveal is brief. It recalls the end of a burlesque performance, when fans are removed for a final glimpse. The point isnโt just the body itself, but the act of revealing it.
That gesture is what these designs reference.
The Designs
This first Close Friends Club release includes three t-shirts, all built around the Delete This motif.
Delete This
A direct reference to the sticker itself, centered within the green circle associated with Close Friends Stories. Simple and immediately recognizable if youโre in the know, meaningless if youโre not.
Delete This: David
Michelangeloโs David with the Delete This sticker placed where it is commonly used in Close Friends Stories. It works as an in-joke for people who recognize it, while also reading as a refusal to treat the naked body as something shameful.
Delete This: Adam
Adam from the Sistine Chapel ceiling with the Delete This sticker placed over his genitals, mirroring how it is typically used in Close Friends Stories. The result reads as both an in-joke and a comment on the reflex to censor the naked body.
All three designs are printed on the same base t-shirt and are intended to be worn casually at bars, on vacation, at tea, and anywhere people will appreciate the reference.
*Why These Shirts Are Sold Through PM Pursuits
Normally, products connected to Natural Pursuits would live in the Natural Pursuits shop. In this case, they do not.
Because Natural Pursuits involves nudity, we are required to use a bank that specializes in “adult” businesses. That bank takes 30 percent of every purchase made through the shop on this site.
These t-shirts do not involve nudity and are not classified as adult products. So selling them through PM Pursuits avoids that 30% going to the bank and results in a lower price for you.
The work is still connected to Natural Pursuits. Itโs just a different storefront for boring business reasons.
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