Jennifer E.-B. sent in these three images.
The text on the website for this men’s t-shirt:
What goes into being a Dad? You’ll find 100% leadership, 100% guidance, 100% sacrifice, and 24/7 dedication. These Christian Dad Facts and more are printed on this inspirational tribute. A loving gift, comfy 100% cotton tee is machine washable and made in the USA.
The “ingredients” on the t-shirt include dedication, love, wisdom, and leadership. The “serving size” is “2 helpings of advice.”
The website for this women’s shirt says:
Ever wonder what makes up a Mom? Well, there’s 100% sugar, 100% sacrifice, 100% caring, and 24/7 comforting. These Christian Mom Facts and more are printed on this inspirational tribute. A sweet gift, comfy 100% cotton tee is machine washable and made in the USA.
The “ingredients” include comforting, love, wisdom, total compassion, sugar, sacrifice, and caring. The “serving size” is 5 hugs per day.
Then there is this child’s t-shirt that says “Daddy did my hair”:
As Jennifer points out,
I think it brings up a lot of unspoken norms about parental responsibility and ability. First, it indicates that it is the norm for mommy to do the daughter’s hair, but out of the norm for daddy to do it–we don’t see t-shirts saying mommy did my hair, right? (I searched and didn’t find any.) Because that’s just taken for granted. But if Dad does it, it is something to be noticed (and maybe he even gets praised for doing something that is a routine job for mom). Second, the implication is that dads cannot do their daughter’s hair “correctly.” So there is an expectation that if dad does the hair it will be a mess. Think about what this says about men–we certainly think they are capable of doing all kinds of very complex tasks at work–but we don’t think they can comb hair or put in a ponytail??? Third, I think the shirt serves the purpose of justifying the girl’s looks for the mom. In other words, no moms want others to think they would do such a poor job on the girl’s hair. They want others to know that it looks like this because daddy did it. Moms feel pressure to have their kids look great (and behave well) all the time, no matter how hectic the day is. And, of course, the shirt is for a girl, not a boy. No one really cares how a boy’s hair looks.
Thanks, Jennifer!
Comments 5
jessica — May 3, 2008
In response to Jennifer's observations, I'll plug my own work. There's a paper I wrote a few years ago on the pressure mothers feel about their kids' appearances, mostly because they believe it reflects on them: What Kind of Mother Am I? Impression Management and the Social Construction of Motherhood.. It was really fascinating to talk to moms about this.
Sociological Images — May 4, 2008
[...] What are moms and dads made of? [...]
RRsafety — May 5, 2008
I'm a dad and I stink at doing my daughters' hair, and why wouldn't I be? I've never done pony tails, barettes or anything else. My wife has done it for decades on her own hair.
I like the shirt. I think it is funny (and true - for me at least).
caitlan — April 19, 2009
when i first started wearing a ponytail in 6th grade I for some reason could not do it. Someone had to show me that you bring the hair from near your forehead over the top.
so yeah, it is not totally easy.
The Alpha Parent — March 17, 2012
I'd buy this shirt because my husband stinks at doing my daughter's hair (he's hardly got any of his own for a start!) Oh dear. Am I a bad feminist?