Brooklyn Museum Exhibit Claims Sneakers are Sexist

The Social Memo ^ | 7/13/15 | Aurelius

[rightistight]

Elizabeth Semmelhack, the senior curator at The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, believes that there is a thing called "sneaker culture" and it is sexist. She has brought her beliefs to the United States with “The Rise of Sneaker Culture,” an exhibition that explores such topics, which opened at the Brooklyn Museum on July 10.

“We don’t consider sneakers to be feminine. Therein lies the essential difference,” Semmelhack explains. “Sneaker collecting, done by many men, is [described] in the tradition of other male collecting, like baseball cards and fine wines. It’s about having every single one in every single model. Female buying is 'emotional;' male buying is posited as rational. But emotion is just as wrapped up in sneakers.”

Thus, "sneaker culture" is sexist. Semmelhack's exhibit purports to examine the "unspoken sexism" of "sneaker culture."

Sneakers were also linked to Nazis in the exhibit by Semmelhack, as the Third Reich focused on "physical perfection in service to the state."

Casual Friday then forced men to wear sneakers: "For many men, it was an unsettling transition," Semmelhack believes. "Having been told not to wear their work-day uniform of a business suit, they suddenly were asked to find a new way of dressing that involved bringing aspects of their weekend selves — their downtime selves — into the office."

Semmelhack concludes that "sneakers helped men step into the fashion system on their own terms."

[rjsimmon]

Sneakers were also linked to Nazis in the exhibit by Semmelhack,

Godwin's Law evoked. Semmelhack loses.

[Dr. Sivana]

A pair of white or red KEDS work fine for many feminine women (including my 11 year old daughter).

[babble-on]

Nature is sexist

[Secret Agent Man]

So if the museum had an exhibit that featured stuff women exclusively collected, that would be sexist and not inclusive, too, right?

And, liberal author, women collect shoes far more than men do. Far more. My wife has triple the number of workout-type shoes, at least that many, than I do. They buy more clothes than men, they buy lots of purses, and they buy tons of shoes. And lots of jewelry, and lots and lots of various makeup products. They pretty much exclusively collect this stuff, compared to the rate at which the average guy does.

[ken in texas]

Sneaker collecting, done by many men...

So sneaker collecting is bad, but items that might typically be collected by women get a pass.

Beam me up Scotty... there's no intelligent life at The Bata Shoe Museum.

[PUGACHEV]

I really like the Brooklyn Museum. I like the building, and I like their Egyptian and Near Eastern collections. Although, sometimes they just go off the track with junk like Dinner Party by Judy Chicago, and now this.

[hal ogen]

To all LIBs: Shut Up!

[Malone LaVeigh]

[bgill]

Stuck on stupid.

[Vigilanteman]

I think the perpetually offended ought to be required to wear pink armbands or something else to easily distinguish them from the rest of us.

That way, the rest of us could confine our speech to only specific topics necessary to do our job.

Anytime they filed a suit, they would have to first prove they were wearing the armband entitling them to be offended about anything else.

[JimRed]

My wife has 50+ pair of shoes. I have half a dozen. Is my taking notice of that SEXIST?

[JimRed]

I think the perpetually offended ought to be required to wear pink armbands or something else to easily distinguish them from the rest of us.

Upvote on that one! We'd then know when to pull the little confederate flag pin out and pin it on, or the "SAVE THE EARTH, KILL YOURSELF" button.

[JimRed]

Easy Spirit Color Playoffs Basketball Commercial
"Looks like a pump, feels like a sneaker"

Great way to roll an ankle!

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

This crazy bit*h has too much time on her hands.

[CatherineofAragon]

Sneakers are sexist. Evil male chauvinists with one thing on their minds use them to sneak up on unsuspecting women.

[Conservative4Ever]

How many pairs of Prada or jimmy choo does this chick own? She is an idiot.

[Bigg Red]

This is satire, right?

[Vigilanteman]

Not just sexist, but racist too. Certain minority groups buy more sneakers per capita and the name alone applies that they are sneaking around.

[CatherineofAragon]

You’ve hit on something! I never realized it before!

[Vigilanteman]

It is a skill I developed by having way too many perpetually offended liberal co-workers.