Back in the late 80s, the Texas Department of Transportation came up with a brilliant anti-litter slogan: "Don't Mess With Texas."
They produced a lot of TV spots with famous Texans (Willie Nelson, Shamu the whale, Lyle Lovett, Matthew McConahottie, LeAnn Rimes, George Foreman) and Texan type things (longhorns, creatures from the black lagoon, cowboy poets) to promote the anti-litter message. The best one was the first one. Stevie Ray Vaughn, sitting on a stool, in front of a massive Texas flag, strumming The Eyes of Texas. (You can see it
here). They've started a new campaign that departs from their old formula.
Over the years others have taken the slogan and millions of out of staters think that it's the official state motto, not the official state anti-littering campaign. The slogan is all over tee-shirts, coffee mugs, bumper stickers. It's always fun to watch someone with a Don't Mess with Texas bumper sticker throw his cigarette butt out his F150 window. I've been in foreign countries, where someone doesn't speak a word of English. They figure out that I'm from Texas and they'll say to me "Don't Mess With Texas." It's cute.
The Texas Department of Transportation has decided that enough is enough, and it wants its slogan back.
They're sending out cease and desist letters to people using the slogan.
I'm thinking this is a barn door/horse situation.
