So it’s an innocent enough vest. It’s usually plain white and has no sleeves but, for us, it’s the name that sends the wrong message. It’s called a wifebeater. Most people don’t even think twice about calling it by this name because that’s just what it’s called. We can’t persecute everyone who calls it that but when people try to tell vests that loudly proclaim “Wifebeater Wednesday” on it we can surely do something about it. So on a drizzly morning GAP gathered at one of the local university eateries to speak to the people who were advertising that these vests were for sale. Needless to say the vests were confiscated and the people involved were remorseful. It had never crossed their minds that the word “wifebeater”, a common term associated with the clothing, would cause such a stir. So what do you think? Were we nit picking about a colloquialism? Or were we justified in trying to stamp this out? Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Wifebeater Wednesday?
So it’s an innocent enough vest. It’s usually plain white and has no sleeves but, for us, it’s the name that sends the wrong message. It’s called a wifebeater. Most people don’t even think twice about calling it by this name because that’s just what it’s called. We can’t persecute everyone who calls it that but when people try to tell vests that loudly proclaim “Wifebeater Wednesday” on it we can surely do something about it. So on a drizzly morning GAP gathered at one of the local university eateries to speak to the people who were advertising that these vests were for sale. Needless to say the vests were confiscated and the people involved were remorseful. It had never crossed their minds that the word “wifebeater”, a common term associated with the clothing, would cause such a stir. So what do you think? Were we nit picking about a colloquialism? Or were we justified in trying to stamp this out? 
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'lo awesome post.
ReplyDeletei think gap was justified in being party to the stopping of the sale of the vests. often people dont realise that what they're doing or saying has greater connotations than what crossed their minds - it may have seemed like a harmless enough idea to make a bit of money...but the message that it was sending out is that it is ok to wear a wife beater, to associate with gender-based violence.
I think it's time that we start taking on more of these "harmless" representations that people continue to use unproblematically. It is true that many people are unaware of the difficulties in the way they represent things, but it is precisely for this reason that they should brought to light and engaged with critically.
ReplyDeleteYAY for GAP, and I think you were most definitely justified in stamping this out!
I am mystified as to how anybody could have thought that producing the shirts, putting up the 'wifebeating' posters and attempting to persuade people to actually buy/wear the shirts was even remotely acceptable. What's next - gay bashing parephenalia, nazi memorabilia or racist slogans on the walls of campus? It horrifies me that people who have, or presumably will, graduate from this university can think that hate speech is in any way acceptable. Perhaps they should visit a shelter for abused women to see just how unfunny and uncool the whole concept is.
ReplyDeleteI think that the excuse that "it's just the vests name" is ridiculous. I remember growing up that there were these little round black sweets which were commonly known as "nigger balls". Now you can say "oh but that's just what they're called" or you can realise that it is an extremely offensive name to call them. In the same way, referring to an item of clothing as a "wifebeater" and going as far as naming an entire day of the week after it is unacceptable. We cannot sit by and say "that's just what they're called", we need to think of how some of the everyday language we use can be potentially harmful or offensive, especially when we don't question it at all.
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