I think not!

Hi There,
Just been sent the image below and pressed a few of my buttons. Interesting talking point maybe?


Wondering what you think?

SA

Update:
Just contacted Garcia Jeans and the proprietor of the shop that sent the original email and hoping they will join in the discussion.
Feel free to watch this space.
SA

Feeling fed up seeing this, having given up 8 hours of my own time today, contributing to an online Child Sexual Exploitation resource for our local authority .... images of trying to fill a bucket with a hole in are now coming to mind......

Thank you Sally Ann for persisting to patch the hole in the 'bucket' -- I think it can be done and good can prevail over t-shirt capitalism!! Feels good to be reminded that we can talk about anything, even if it means saying "That is NOT okay!" to a big retail company.

Looking forward to hearing the next update

I think it is hideous, inappropriate, not funny ( I guess the producer thought it was funy??) and rather depressing. The slogan clothing nut is a large one to crack. I use images in one of my presentations of various inappropriate (in my view) slogans and images on babies' and very young children's clothes. These include such statements as: 'Future heartbreaker'; 'Lock up your daughters'; 'My daddy is hotter than your daddy' and the unbelievable and totally disgusting 'I'm proof my Mom likes to f***'
The staggering thing is the chain of people involved in getting these garments into the public eye from conception to design to production to marketing to sale to purchase... none of whom apparently have the will or the wit to suggest a halt.

Thanks Ann - like you, I find the slogans on children's clothing concerning too, especially when children so often have little choice of what they wear!

I also wanted to let you know how my discussions with the shop owner, as well as Garcia Jeans are going.

I went to talk with the person who owns and runs the shop - not sure if they totally understood where I was coming from, however we did chat for about 15 minutes about the words and I was given the contact details of the UK distibutors for Garcia Jeans products who I have also spoken with. Again no real empathy towards my opinion, BUT I do think that contacting people and sharing opinions gives them an opportunity to think again next time they're promoting a product.

As for Garcia Jeans, a representative from their Marketing Department in Holland has told me that the quote is 'cheerful and positive from a famous and strong American woman'. I have pointed out that perhaps they need to indicate who these words were said by and I also questioned their interpretation.

More soon no doubt

I find it naff, and feel faintly embarrassed, frankly, that men would want to be associated with such a statement (I realise that assumes that the shirt is aimed at men, but I think that's a fair bet).

I believe it's a quote attributed to Marilyn Monroe, a somewhat tragic figure famously troubled by insecurity and hardly an icon for women's emancipation. The original statement was undoubtedly meant as a well-intentioned witicism, but in a (hopefully) more enlightened society, to my mind now comes over as disturbing, like some of the uncomfortably racist old '70s comedy now consigned to the "different times" archive.

Ann has it spot on - it's baffling how something like this can make it to market. I doubt whether the manufacturer has any bad intentions by offerring the garment, they're simply not savvy enough to realise that it's actually really crass and inappropriate. My guess is that someone from corporate Consumer Relations will attempt to to dismiss any concerns as merely missing the humour and to reassure you how they're really committed to women's rights :dry: but I think this is just not good enough, we all know how language can insidiously reinforce negative perceptions. The statement is not even referenced as a Ms Monroe quote and, since the majority probably won't recognise it as such, it becomes a Garcia Jeans slogan.

The bottom line is that Garcia Jeans are promoting an outmoded and damaging view that feeds right into the kind of obnoxious 'blokey' misogynystic values that have the potential to manifest as abusive behaviours - in my opinion this needs challenging so well done Sally Ann!