Boy Bashing?
Sometimes I wonder what these fashion designers are thinking. I
read an article in our local newspaper recently which left me in
wonder. What happened to girl power? Teaching our daughters to
respect themselves? Emphasizing self-esteem & sexual equality?
Now, it seems that someone in the fashion industry decided that
it's a good thing for our girls to brag about how they look down
on the male gender. To them, it's cool to treat men & boys like
unworthy objects. Is that supposed to make our daughters feel
better about themselves? Your daughter can actually walk into a
well-known department store and purchase shirts with sayings
like: "Boys Lie" "Boys Are Great - Everyone Should Own One"
"Lying, Cheating, Stinking Boys"
Now, I have no problem with girls wearing shirts that say things
like "Girls Rule", or "Girls Are Great", but since when is it
cool to talk bad about someone else to make ourselves feel
better? Isn't that something that responsible adults are
supposed to teach our kids to NOT do?
Not only that, but can you imagine what kinds of things the
men's & boy's department will fight back with? Are you going to
put your foot down and draw the line, explaining to the young
girls in your life why this is NOT cool?
I know what I'm going to do. I will not spend a penny on these
types of products. I will urge others to do the same. If nobody
is buying them, there will be no need to continue to make such
degrading clothing. I am not pro-censorship, but I am for mutual
respect of others - treating others how we wish to be treated.
If we say bad things about them, they will most likely do the
same in return. This isn't the type of behavior that I want to
see my young daughter engaging in as she gets older. When she is
an adult, she can make her own decisions. This clothing is being
marketed to our 'tweens & teens!
My daughter only going on five years old right now. But if this
trend continues, I hate to think about what girls' clothing
might be saying in another five or ten years. As a parent, I
feel it is our job to teach our girls good values and morals.
How can it help a young impressionable girl's self-esteem to be
putting down others in such a rude way? Imagine the harm that it
can do to the self-image of today's youth. I hope that whoever
started it will see the error in their ways, and the moms at the
malls and department stores with their daughters will openly
show their disapproval.