STORES PULL SHIRTS THAT SLAM BOYS

New York Post ^ | 2/20/04 | SUZANNE KAPNER

[kattracks]

February 20, 2004 -- What began as a nod toward schoolhouse humor has escalated into a fist fight over a line of T-shirts and pajamas that bear slogans like "Boys are Stupid, Throw Rocks at Them" and "The Stupid Factory - Where Boys are Made." Marketed by David & Goliath, of Clearwater, Fla., and sold in retailers like Urban Outfitters, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom and others, the line of clothing has recently caught the attention of Glenn Sacks, a radio talk-show host and male rights activist, who says the slogans are a form of boy bashing.

[bigghurtt]

I agree that he is a whiner.

who would seriously be offended or threatened by these types of things?

[geopyg]

Some of the shirt slogans that I don't expect to see soon:

Girls are stupid - throw rocks at them.

Gays are stupid - throw rocks at them.

Jews are stupid - throw rocks at them.

Muslims are stupid - throw rocks at them.

Blacks are stupid - throw rocks at them.

Democrats are stupid - throw rocks at them.

The Homeless are stupid - throw rocks at them.

[bigghurtt]

that's true.

it's also true that I would feel the same way if some feminist was throwing a fit over a girls are stupid, throw rocks at them shirt.

grow up people, that's all I'm saying.

[Nick Danger]

who would seriously be offended or threatened by these types of things?

Submitted for your approval: A society in which a 5-year-old boy is bombarded daily with messages that he is a genetic defective... that he is stupid. Companies even make and sell shirts saying that people should throw rocks at him. Adults seem to view this as normal. Apparently throwing rocks at him -- because he is stupid and a boy -- is something everyone knows about and approves of.

Welcome to the Twilight Zone, where while this goes on, adult men wave cowboy hats and act macho about it, instead of trying to remember what it is like to be five years old... and to be puzzling out what this big world is all about. What does it mean that there are shirts for sale, all over the place, saying that people should throw rocks at him? One thing it means is that adults must approve of these shirts, because they sold in many places. So throwing rocks at me must be OK. Why? Why is that OK?

That's quite a puzzle for a 5-year-old to figure out.

[bigghurtt]

when I was 5, girls told me that boys were smelly and made of everything bad...didn't mean I believed them.

[risk]

See also: Dianne's Book Page

The left AND the right are squeezing our freedom to communicate.

[Nick Danger]

when I was 5, girls told me that boys were smelly and made of everything bad...didn't mean I believed them.

That's twice you've told us what a rough and tough guy you are. It must be true.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Todd Goldman, an artist who founded David & Goliath in 1999, said he is surprised at all the fuss.

"Kids have been saying that boys are smelly since the fourth grade," Goldman said. "I don't expect people to take these things literally."

" 'People have been saying that [black people are naturally lazy] // [Jews use the blood of Gentile babies to make matzohs] // [boys named "Todd" are, inevitably, screaming queens] since the fourth grade,' Goldman said. 'I don't expect people to take these things literally.' "

Todd <---------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------> clue

[KantianBurke]

your analogy doesn't hold up. This protest did not involve the force of govt. to stop the selling of this t shirt. Consumers let the companies that sell these shirts know that they were displeased and wanted it to stop. That's freedom, not hardfisted use of the state.

[longtermmemmory]

Fine, they you try and get a store to buy a series of shirts that say "throw rocks at girls".

(s)How about a series of shirts sold by a department store from the KKK youth collection? (/s)

When children said boys were icky it was not part of the poltically correct effort to dehumanize boys, it was mere children's rivalry. These shirts are made by the same women/feminist attitudes who brought you the concept that all sex women have with men is rape.

[Piranha]

10 years olds are upset by these shirts, too. My 10 year old daughter remarked that she hates these shirts, because they're mean and attack people for no reason, making them feel bad.

[torchthemummy]

"Some of the shirt slogans that I don't expect to see soon: Girls are stupid - throw rocks at them. Gays are stupid - throw rocks at them. Jews are stupid - throw rocks at them. Muslims are stupid - throw rocks at them. Blacks are stupid - throw rocks at them. Democrats are stupid - throw rocks at them. The Homeless are stupid - throw rocks at them."

Right on! Honorable mention to #10. You both saved me a lot of typing. Thanks!

[Caipirabob]

Great post. FReepers endless supply of humour inspired by the sick truth helps keep a smile on my face in these "interesting times".

[HitmanLV]

Submitted for your approval: A society in which a 5-year-old boy is bombarded daily with messages that he is a genetic defective... that he is stupid...Adults seem to view this as normal.

Hey, for the first 34 years of my life I could have sworn my name was 'Idiot.' That's my loving mama for you! Then again, I graduated law school, passed the NY Bar, and now have my own sucessful business - I suppose she was just wrong!

[bigghurtt]

That's twice you've told us what a rough and tough guy you are.

care to explain this? are you saying that anyone who doesn't get their feelings hurt by innocent jokes is rough and tough (or attempting to act so)? grow up and get used to life, you don't have to be rough to not let every word and action affect you profoundly.

[elli1]

Todd is a bit light in the creativity dept.

[risk]

This protest did not involve the force of govt. to stop the selling of this t shirt.

I wasn't talking about government pressures, although the de-Christianizing of our public spaces has reached obsessive degrees.

I'm talking about public language of all kinds. I'm ranting about this because I think it could cause the downfall of America that we're so obsessed with making language "just so" for the kids, ourselves, people down the street, and so forth. Ravitch is big on education reform (did you know they're censoring Shakespeare?) and I think this shirt thing is somewhat related. (Your clothes offend me. Get away, you're disturbing my aura...)

Anyway, here's a classic Ravitch rant since I'm not doing her justice.

Ravitch radio interview

[OXENinFLA]

That's a good book.

[TheDivineRightOfLifesScum]

It's probably true that adults who make T-shirts like this have a similar mentality to that of an average 5-year old...but this attitude's just plain nasty. Adults should have more sense than to encourage it. Don't you think?