Brenda V.P. sent in this girls’ t-shirt, available here:
It hurts me, dear readers! It hurts!
Oh, holy hell. I was about to publish this and thought to myself, “at least there’s not a ‘future MILF’ shirt.” And then I thought, “Um…is there?” Oh, yes, there is (found here):
Why do we think these kinds of messages–hey, girls! You can grow up to be an objectified accessory!–are cute?
Thanks, Brenda. Thanks.
Gwen Sharp is an associate professor of sociology at Nevada State College. You can follow her on Twitter at @gwensharpnv.
Comments 23
Will — September 4, 2008
What would you rather see, Gwen? "Future VP Nominee"?
Sorry. I just couldn't help myself... sorry.
Penny — September 4, 2008
Oh yuk. Imagine the preschool teacher who has to see one of her students wear such a t-shirt. I'd beg the parents to reconsider such slogans, and maybe refer them to this website, where they can get a "Future Feminist" or "Future President" shirt instead:
http://www.littlelefties.com/
I also like their shirt that says "Barbie is a Doll, not a Goal."
Syracuse Cultural Workers also has a catalog full of fine t-shirts for kids:
http://syracuseculturalworkers.com/products/tshirts
And Nth Degree has good snarky disability-friendly t-shirts like "Feisty and Non-Compliant," and "Nothing About Me Without Me":
http://www.thenthdegree.com/
Remember these come baby-shower time! I've given the baby onesie that says "Future Feminist" a few times--you know they're not going to get ten of those!
pj — September 4, 2008
OMFG. That is all.
Anonymous — September 4, 2008
As much as I would love to have a child wearing a "future feminist" or "future president" shirt, I think forcing any sort of rules on them as to what they should be is wrong. Sure, I'd love to have a son or daughter grow up to be a feminist, or even the president, but I would want them to know that I support them in whatever decisions they make for themselves.
Village Idiot — September 5, 2008
How about "Future Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland Zombie"? That would rock.
Even better would be a shirt that just says "Future ____" so parents can customize them with the distastefully exhibitionist tracks of their very own inner Id demons and then make their unfortunate Mini-Me doppelgängers wear them in public. What else explains printing text on a shirt designed to be worn by kids who are still years away from being able to read?
Or, it could just say "The Future," but that would be way too heavy for most people to wrap their minds around... It might even make them stop and think for a moment, but that almost always annoys them and they will not like whoever they blame for forcing them to do it.
Penny — September 5, 2008
I'm not sure a t-shirt is "forcing any sort of rules" on a baby (who are notoriously oblivious to any kind of written propaganda). Honest, an 18-month-old will never feel bound to the politics of her t-shirt. She'll mostly just feel bound to dribble strawberry stains into it, message or no message. Even if it's 100% organic sweatshop-free cotton, the stains will soon detract from the message somewhat.
All babies' clothes reflect their parents' ideas, whether subtly or blatantly. There's no way around that--even letting them run naked is a statement, and one they may come to detest later, when they see the videos.
Joselle Palacios — September 5, 2008
Sexualizing girls who don't have the agency to decide whether or not they would like to pursue MILFdom is tantamount to childhood sexual abuse. It's exceedingly inappropriate, clearly damaging, and does not put the child's interest at heart. If that ain't abuse, I don't know what is. Whether or not the guardians who would purchase this crap think it's "just" cute and funny is besides the point. It's sexualizing a 5 year old FFS and it's sick.
Penny — September 5, 2008
Joselle, I completely agree, the problem here is the sexualization. Not that parents dress their kids in t-shirts with or without slogans, but that someone out there would choose THESE slogans.
Village Idiot — September 5, 2008
Joselle, where's the "clear" damage? It might be cheesy as hell and indicative of an unsophisticated sense of humor, but equating it with actual sexual abuse seems over the top and likely to annoy victims of what the phrase is conventionally understood to mean. If it were actual sexual abuse, the next logical step would be to add anyone who puts this shirt on their child to the local sex offender registry.
As to why some people think messages like this are cute, I bet it's because they are likely objectified accessories themselves and most people are not morally outraged by their own behavior, only other people's.
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Chelle — February 1, 2010
Wow, companies actually allow these slogans to appear? MILF is completely 18+, in my opinion.
nomadologist — February 1, 2010
What happens when the little girl wearing this shirt says, "Mom, what's a MILF?"
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jen — August 31, 2011
Ooh, "The Future". I like that. I may have to make one for my kiddo.
Fed_Up18 — November 15, 2012
The MILF shirt is STILL on the site.