I'm Too Pretty To Do Homework!!!!!!

DrPhil · #1 09-01-2011, 09:35 AM

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2170750.story

JCPenny got slammed for this shirt and they took it off the shelves. GOOD.

ComradesTrue · #2 09-01-2011, 09:40 AM

What knucklehead(s) approved that shirt? Did no one along the production route remember the talking Barbie that hated math ("Math is soooo hard" whiney voice), and the ensuing outrage that she caused?

Glad it has been taken off the shelves.

AOII Angel · #3 09-01-2011, 09:43 AM

#1 it's an ugly shirt.
#2 what girl would want to admit to her brother being smarter than her?

I can't decide who is worse, the person who designed the shirt or the buyer at JCPenny who approved it!

lovespink88 · #4 09-01-2011, 09:45 AM

I saw the first half of the shirt and was like "eehhh...." but the "so my brother had to do it for me" really pissed me off.

Optimus Prime · #5 09-01-2011, 09:47 AM

Where did the whole mentality of pretending/being dumb= cute even come from?

I'm assuming JC Penny has a corporate PR person, why would they let that happen?

AlphaFrog · #6 09-01-2011, 09:54 AM

The article says the shirt was made for ages 7-16 and sold online, which means for the most part, parents have to purchase it. Any parent that would purchase this shirt ought to be trussed and strung up by their toes.

DrPhil · #7 09-01-2011, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Optimus Prime

Where did the whole mentality of pretending/being dumb= cute even come from?

Generations ago gender norms shifted many times including women's labor (for the demographics of women who weren't already working); child labor laws; and women's liberation.

There are still girls who are taught that (1) no man is going to want you if you're too opinionated/mouthy/assertive/smart/career-driven; and/or (2) even if you aren't dumb, play dumb so you can get a boyfriend/husband. Also, women are taught to act like they can't do something so that men can do it for them.

TonyB06 · #8 09-01-2011, 10:03 AM

Maybe it's just me, but I think people are reading waaayy too much into this. It's another stupid t-shirt in the long line of stupid t-shirts in America. Do we really think a discerning parent who bought this gag gift for his daughter REALLY endorses the concept?

Anybody remember "I'm with Stupid" and "My Dad went to California and all I got was this stupid t-shirt" t-shirts?

I'm not short-selling the advertising/messaging that kids are exposed to and at young ages, but given that no 7-year-old is likely to buy the shirt for themselves, I gotta give the parents the "it's the end of the summer and I wanna buy my kid a silly t-shirt" benefit of the doubt.

Sincerely,
a dad of two daughters, both of whom are honor roll students and do math waay better than their numbers-challenged father.

AZTheta · #9 09-01-2011, 10:09 AM

If the back of the shirt had a huge "NOT" on it, or something of the sort, then I'd just ignore it.

I'm with AOII Angel - it's an ugly shirt. It really is. UGLY. Just on that alone, it's a Fail.

SydneyK · #10 09-01-2011, 10:10 AM

When I first read the shirt, I didn't read it as "Because I'm so pretty, I'm incapable of doing my homework, so my smart brother does it for me", but rather, I interpreted it as "I'm too pretty to be bothered by doing my homework, so my ugly brother does it." While I agree that it's an ugly shirt with a bad message (either way) and no one should buy it, I wonder what message the designer intended (and also what message the JCP-purchaser perceived).

DrPhil · #11 09-01-2011, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyB06

Do we really think a discerning parent who bought this gag gift for his daughter REALLY endorses the concept?

Yes.

Just like I don't think adults wear tshirts that they absolutely disagree with. If you wear a shirt that says "I'm with stupid," you are wearing it not only because you find it funny (you could see it on someone else and just laugh) but because it resonates with you enough to wear it. People need to stop bullshitting and acting as though life is way more complex than it is. When adults act naive and stupid we can't be shocked when younger generations learn how to be naive and stupid.

TonyB06 · #12 09-01-2011, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SydneyK

When I first read the shirt, I didn't read it as "Because I'm so pretty, I'm incapable of doing my homework, so my smart brother does it for me", but rather, I interpreted it as "I'm too pretty to be bothered by doing my homework, so my ugly brother does it." While I agree that it's an ugly shirt with a bad message (either way) and no one should buy it, I wonder what message the designer intended (and also what message the JCP-purchaser perceived).

message: please help me to transfer as much of your cash from you to me as is possible via your purchase of this ridiculous t-shirt.

nothing more. this america.

SWTXBelle · #13 09-01-2011, 10:19 AM

Words have meaning. There's the literal meaning, and there's the meta message. In the case of this t-shirt, both are awful. Yes, JCP was trying to make money. You don't do that by perpetuating negative stereotypes which offend your target market. The shirt is pulled; the market has spoken.

AOII Angel · #14 09-01-2011, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Generations ago gender norms shifted many times including women's labor (for the demographics of women who weren't already working); child labor laws; and women's liberation.

There are still girls who are taught that (1) no man is going to want you if you're too opinionated/mouthy/assertive/smart/career-driven; and/or (2) even if you aren't dumb, play dumb so you can get a boyfriend/husband. Also, women are taught to act like they can't do something so that men can do it for them.

So glad I wasn't raised this way...says the mouthy, career driven women who can never let her husband be right. (And her husband likes it!

)

cheerfulgreek · #15 09-01-2011, 11:28 AM

I don't think it's that big of a deal. I mean, it's funny how people thought it was sexist and were offended by it, to the point where JC Penny's had to pull it, but the revealing clothing for teens are still for sale.

I wish more people would complain about the short skirts that teen girls are wearing. What's sad is that their parents are allowing them to wear them. If I had a daughter, I would hope I would have raised her well enough not to wear a t-shirt like that one, not because I think it's sexist, but because it doesn't make any sense. But at the same time, I would have a cow if I had a daughter and she walked in the house wearing revealing clothing. Uh, uh, that's unacceptable. I just think that fashion designers promote clothes that reveal as much skin as possible, while still leaving a few threads on the body. That, to me, is much more of a problem than a t-shirt with silly writing on it.