JC Penney Makes The Wrong Fashion Statement With "I'm Too Pretty To Do Homework" Shirt

Recently a Brooklyn woman started a petition against a girl's shirt being sold at JC Penney that displays the message: "I'm Too Pretty To Do Homework (So My Brother Has To Do It For Me)." The shirt is aimed at girls ages 7 to 16 years old, in the year 2011, nearly 100 years after the 19th Amendment was ratified, and women were deemed smart enough to vote and get jobs and... stuff... wait, sorry, we just got distracted by a shiny thing.

Jezebel likened the fashion statement to the Barbie that declared, "Math is hard, let's go shopping." And Melissa Bell at the Washington Post recalled an old 1924 soap ad for women that said, “Most men ask, ‘Is she pretty?’ not ‘Is she clever?’” In fact, the entire internet is outraged at the retailer, who just took the item down, admitting in a statement that the shirt "does not deliver an appropriate message, and we have immediately discontinued its sale."

Do they have more explaining to do, however? Like... who was the buyer? And who wrote the description to the item, which read: "Who has time for homework when there's a new Justin Bieber album out?" And can we get a list of the parents who actually purchased this thing for their children?

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By Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment on August 31, 2011 1:07 PM

Comments [rss]

Guest

Would Jezebel or feminist cunts feign outrage if this shit were made for boys? A fucking sweatshirt, A FUCKING SWEATSHIRT, will not destroy the social and psychological fabric of America's youth. Asshole parents and men with no confidence are the ones who turn women into stupid, selfish and entitled garbage cans. Not sweatshirts.

mikecherepko

Nobody has pointed out that doing homework is absolutely pointless. There are no jobs!

Libby W.

As a long time associate at Penney's, the only question I have is why didn't anyone notice this trend sooner? We used to sell black sequin bras and panties marketed to 12-year-olds. We also carried a shirt in the juniors section that read "I wasn't cheating, it was house music." Also, it's not like they're making a point to be anti-woman or anything, because there's also been various boys tees that imply men are lazy, selfish, or total girl hating pricks. Really, it's just a retail thing in general. Honestly, I love Penney's, but I'm a feminist first. And while this does annoy me, it's not like it's the end of the world. And I'm glad they pulled it, because they're a great company and obviously care about their customers' complaints enough to respond with appropriate action.

randomtransplant

I dunno about the rest of you, but to me this shirt reads 'I am in an exploitative, incestuous D/S relationship with my own brother!'

And also it looks like a girl who was too dumb to master writing in crayon scribbled it on her sweater.

And the worst thing about it, it seems like it was a part of the 'back to school' line?

Peanut_Butter

What's the issue here: gender or age?
If it's gender, nice. Another step paving the way for the identification of women with men. It appears that some women don't just want equal rights; they want same-ness.

bggb

Another step paving the way for the identification of women with men.

Saaaave us allll from this terrrrrrrible universe where people can choose which gender they want to identify with!

When people don't fit in my boxes I can't comprehend the world around meeeeeeeeeee

Peanut_Butter

You're just denying a natural distinction.

bggb

I encourage you to learn more about the difference between sex & gender.

Peanut_Butter

Thank you. Where's a good place to take such classes?

Roark

Okay well this is America and we have freedom of speech which means taking the good with the bad. It is what is it is.

How come no one has noted... that that is one fucking ugly sweater?

"You buy one of these and you get a free bowl of soup!" -Rodney

MattyGC

Basically the way boys are brought up is that boys are stupid and ugly and girls are smart and pretty. There's a fight in the media to maintain this as the status quo. Whatever happened to the good-old days of doogie howser?

MattyGC

Would it be sexist if I had a shit that says I make my sister do my homework? YES IT WOULD. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Everything is stupid.