Sexist stereotypes for kids: on sale now at Walgreens!

I saw these tee shirts on display at Walgreens today and did a double-take. And then I drove all the way home to get my camera. They're for children-- very tiny children (labeled 2T, 3T etc.). And they're on sale for the bargain price of $7.99 each, marked down from the original $15!!


Let's see what these tee shirts say:

"Lock up your daughters" on a black tee, which I assume is for boys. Think about what that means for a moment.

"Does this diaper make my butt look big?" on a pink tee, for girls.

"My dad rocks" on a red tee (for boys, I think). This doesn't make much of a statement until you compare it with the accompanying tees about mothers...

"My mom's hotter than your mom" on a white tee (again, I think for boys).

"My mom is hot" on a blue tee (boys).

and the clever "I cry when ugly people hold me" on black (for boys?).

While these aren't quite as terrible as the ones I dug up on the internets a while ago, I'm shocked to see them on sale at Walgreens. I guess I expect to find creepy, sexist stuff online more often than at my friendly neighborhood drugstore.

2 comments:

  Anonymous

April 15, 2008 at 3:00 AM

I'm a fan of this blog but you guys can really be shrill in your overreactions sometimes. Mild humor based on the idea of PG-rated adult sentiment coming from babies is a far cry from sexism, and it's certainly not something to run home and grab your camera about.

"Look Who's Talking" must have really been a traumatic experience for you, huh? How can you study sociology with a sober, objective eye when the most mundane example of a wal-mart-style sloganed t-shirt throws you into conniptions?

  Anonymous

April 15, 2008 at 4:00 PM

As a mother with small children I find these shirts very offensive!

There is nothing PG-rated about implying that boys are predators and that girls should be kept away from them. And it is not mild humor to joke that a toddler would be obsessed with the size of her rear. I think enough young girls suffer from eating and body image disorders already!

There is nothing more disgusting than sexualizing young children like this. I hope you called Walgreen's headquarters and complained!!