Sit Down, Girlcotters

I was just mentioning to someone today, "If you never cross the fucking line, how the hell do you know where it is in the first place?"

It reminded me again when I just read through this story about how some girls from Allegheny County, PA are "girlcotting" (nothing like a catchy phrase to get your boycott noticed) yet another controversial Abercrombie & Fitch clothing line. This time the hubbub is based on Abercrombie's so-called "attitude tees" that have such pithy phrases like "Blondes Are Adored Brunettes Are Ignored" or my favorite "Do I Make You Look Fat?"

Granted that these are indeed offensive, but boycotting the clothing is ridiculous! My dear girlcotters, your outrage is not universal and there are many women who find these tee's humorous and empowering. Even worse your group is elevating this into a civil rights issue! Says Emma Blackman-Mathis, co-chairman of the group:

A lot of people don't see it as a civil rights infringement, they don't see it as an issue. But that's what we're trying to do -- bring it to the forefront of people's attention.

Frankly the idea that this is anything close to civil rights is offensive and misguided. This young woman's heart may be in the right place, but A&F has done nothing to impinge on anyone's civil rights. And to elevate your cause to that of discrimination against minorities (including women) devalues the fight for true equality.

Perhaps if Ms. Blackman-Mathis spent some time around a larger variety of women, she would find many who find this clothing line humorous and even empowering. Women who call themselves "bitch" wear it like a badge of honor instead of being shamed by the word. Gay men once were fearful of being called "queer" but now the word has lost its negative intimation.

Add also that these types of "offensive" tee shirts are rather commonplace in New York City among both men and women. If you cannot approach these with a sense of humor, you are obviously not A&F's intended market. Take your moral outrage, and your credit card, to the Gap instead.

This is much ado about nothing; if you are offended by the tee's, don't buy them. It does not give you the moral right to ban these goods for society at large. Instead of focusing your energy on personal choice, try contacting the National Organization for Women and perhaps try getting involved in their "Take Action" program.