Posted on 10/16/2025 8:53:47 AM PDT by jerod
Amazon told CBC News the phrase 'wife beater' doesn't violate its offensive products policy
Several ads on Amazon for tank tops that use the term "wife beater," a phrase deemed offensive by Canada's advertising watchdog, have been pulled from the retail giant's Canadian e-commerce website following a CBC News investigation.
Amazon told CBC by phone that it has no issues with the phrase and said the third-party dealers selling the tops on its website must have acted on their own initiative.
The slang term “wife beater” refers to a certain style of fitted men’s tank top. CBC News recently reported that Amazon allows third-party sellers to use the term in ads, despite an Ad Standards Council ruling in March that the phrase is offensive, trivializes domestic violence and violates Canada’s advertising code.
Amazon chose to ignore a request from Ad Standards to drop the term “wife beater.” The U.S. based e-commerce giant told the industry watchdog that the phrase is accepted in popular culture and doesn’t violate its Offensive Products Policy.
As part of its investigation, CBC News informed eight dealers using the term in a total of 10 Amazon ads about the Ad Standards ruling. So far, nine out of the 10 ads have either been removed, amended to exclude the term, or, in one case, the product listed is now unavailable for purchase.
Two of the dealers responded directly to CBC News.
“I am deeply sorry,” said NATPOST. "I'll remove the link immediately."
"I deeply regret that it has caused harm," said WANGYUNHUI2025, a dealer who removed the term from their tank top ads.
“I understand how important it is to use language that is respectful and inclusive, and I assure you that this will not be an issue moving forward.”
The one ad that remains unchanged happens to be the only one selling tank tops for women, rather than men.
Amazon Canada informed CBC News it did not ask the dealers to change their ads, and still stands by its position that the term, “wife beater” is acceptable as a clothing descriptor.
'Amazon is just too big to care'
Ad Standards took on the Amazon case after receiving a complaint from Diana Swales of Regina in 2024. Swales says she was taken aback when the retailer sent her an email about products on its site she may be interested in, including a men’s “wife beater” tank top.
"It's so obviously offensive,” she said. “It should be offensive to all women, but it's certainly offensive to ones who've been impacted by that activity.”
Swales was disappointed Ad Standards couldn’t make Amazon remove the phrase from its website.
“I guess Amazon is just too big to care,” she said.
But Swales was pleased to hear that almost all the ads CBC News found have disappeared or been altered.
“I congratulate them,” she said, referring the the dealers. Swales said that perhaps they just needed to be made aware that the phrase could be considered offensive.
Amazon told CBC News in an email that it strives "to maintain a store that is welcoming for all," and that it exercises judgment and keeps "cultural differences and sensitivities … in mind" when making decisions about product listings on its website.
Old Arab saying: “A man should beat his wife every day. Even if he doesn’t know why, she does.”
“in poverty regions like the Appalachia.”
Yeah, urban blue trolls don’t beat their wives. No.
EVEN MORE OFFENSIVE: $27.99 for a plain tank top PLUS TAX
When the phrase “Wife beater” came along to describe that clothing item, everybody in the old neighborhood had to stop calling them “Dego T’s”. It was as difficult as calling it the “Willis Tower” instead pf “Sears Tower”.
So, were a gender identifying male to shave his armpits would “they” still be called “wifebeaters.”
[Yeah, urban blue trolls don’t beat their wives. No.]
But when they do it they’re wearing hip hugger skinny jeans.
From the time of Clinton to Biden everything and everyplace turned to shit now the clean up is long over due.
With so many small minds with TDS it’s time for more Hotel Hysteria’s to be built.
Tie your mother down
Tie your mother down, yeah-yeah
Or you ain't no friend of mine
Urban blue trolls?
Urban blue trolls:
***
What? Is it supposed to be some kind of reference to the Stanley Kowalski types? If so, times have changed and I have a better name for the Tshirts. How about "Death Wish Wife Beater". Cause that's more fitting to today's USA culture of strong women that don't take no "stuff" (myself included).
Drunken men in poverty regions didn't wear shirts back then, beating their wives or not.
Names change with the times. For decades a hooded sweat shirt was called a hooded sweat shirt. Today it’s a hoodie.
When I was a kid we wore leggings. Today they are called gators.
I do agree with you, in that I will go with CBC on the wife beater thing.
Used to be known generically as “sleeveless T-shirts.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.