Story last updated at 10:32 a.m.
Tuesday, October 7, 2003
Peace Frogs'
message is a mystery
BY
PAUL BOWERS
Ink
contributor
You see them
everywhere -- on bumper stickers, T-shirts, hats, boxers and everything in
between. The squatting frog holding up a peace sign is a familiar sight, but
what exactly does it mean?
Peace Frogs
can be seen all over the Charleston area. They're sold out of a shop at 79
South Market St. in downtown Charleston, inside a building along with the
Charleston Teddy Bear Co. and Sojourn Imports. Peace Frogs used to be at
Northwoods Mall, too, but recently left.
Lots of
people buy Peace Frogs merchandise just because it looks psychedelic, but there
really is a story behind the store. It started in 1985 with some college
students at the University of Virginia who started selling shorts covered with
international flags. The frog was selected as a logo because it served as a
symbol of peace for the American Indian shaman and is likewise revered in many
cultures around the world.
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Besides, who
doesn't like frogs?
The business
moved on to a full line of clothing, keychains, stickers, bracelets, mousepads,
etc. Now there are six Peace Frogs stores nationwide along with 36 officially
licensed operations. They include vendors at malls who often operate out of
renovated VW buses. With a name like Peace Frogs, you'd have to assume the
business has some hippie connections. Naturally, Peace Frogs donates a
percentage of its sales to the Organization for Tropical Studies, an amphibian
research foundation. There is also a Peace Frogs Travel Agency whose goal is to
"bring the world closer together."
It may seem
like Frog people partied too hard in the '60s and never woke up completely.
After all, a walk through your back yard would make you wonder if frogs will
ever be endangered. But Kenneth Wihby, owner of the Charleston Peace Frogs
store, describes it as "more fun than anything else." Wihby, a native
of Trinidad, has been running the shop for seven years.
He does not
describe himself as a hippie. He's not really an activist. He's just another
merchant near the City Market.
Peace Frogs
seem to appeal to everybody. As Wihby explains it, "Kids ages 5-75,"
locals and tourists, shop at his store.
Shari
Strange, a customer at the Charleston store, holds up a soccer-style Peace
Frogs T-shirt. "I just got this because my husband likes soccer," she
says.
Tom Lanhan of
Indiana explains that he got a hat there because it reminds him of the old
Doors song "Peace Frog."
People from
all different walks of life are attracted to the shop, but apparently not for
the message behind the merchandise.
In case
they're curious, the Peace Frogs story is available behind the counter on a
slip of paper, though few seem curious enough to ask.
So basically,
Peace Frogs is just a cool, sometimes misunderstood trend. It's not about
activism, it's not about world peace, and it's not even about hippie-ism.
As it says at
www.peacefrogs. com (the official Web site): "It is more than just a peace
of clothing; it's an icon of hope and happiness."
Maybe Peace
Frogs aren't a world-changing icon, but they're definitely groovy.
And even if
you don't know the deeper meaning of the Frog, you can't help but smile when
you see the goofy T-shirts.
Frog-o-riffic,
dude.
Paul Bowers,
15, is a freshman at Summerville High School. Contact him at soccerdewd88@sc.rr.com.