PineappleGate 2008 Update: The NY Daily News confronted James Franco about the growing t-shirt controversy and he continues to deny it, reiterating that David Gordon Green “came up with his own design” and calling PineappleGate “ridiculous.” At this time, no one involved with the film has contacted WOWCH for free popcorn.

For the sake of trivia amongst future generations of stoned college students, here we go. A brutal controversy is flaring up over the origins of the “Shark-kitten” t-shirt worn by actor James Franco for the entire duration of the hit pot comedy Pineapple Express, and in the posters and trailers et al. The popular and extremely DIY Brooklyn t-shirt partymeisters, WOWCH, claim that the movie ripped off their design from 2005. Their design, which is done in the signature WTF style of the company, is seen below. (And yes, I own a couple of their t-shirts, and believe the filmmakers committed this naughty sin).

In a recent interview, Franco attributed the design to the brain of director David Gordon Green. WOWCH claims the design was just flipped, darkened and the color of the cat changed from white to yellow. Somebody call Judge Judy. Now, this matter might seem silly, but if you recall the Richard Pryor t-shirt worn by Jonah Hill in Superbad, and that t-shirt’s ensuing popularity—undoubtedly a hipster/geek staple for years to come—WOWCH should have gotten a hat tip in the shape of a Jacuzzi limo. Instead of asking for a bazillion dollars, the classy dudes will forever refer to the film as Plagarist Express [sic] and demand: “GIVE US FREE PASSES AND POPCORN. AND MAYBE A LARGE SODA THAT WE WILL PUT 2 STRAWS IN.” They also want to remind viewers that the cute kitten is, in fact, dead, and not being carried marsupial-like by the Great White.

Update: In the name of capitalism, Cool Stuff, and Pet Semetary, WOWCH’s uber-famous kitten has now returned from the dead. Now available in “trendy American Apparel gym class heather gray for all the haters.”

Discuss: Whose side are you on? Pick a side! Don’t say the cat’s!