Here, we take a look at suggestive shirts available for toddlers, kids and teens.

TODDLERS

Cotton on Kids
Negative reactions to this line caused Cotton on Kids to discontinue it.
To read more about the dispute, check out Articles [1], [2] or [3].

“My dad poked your mom” Deek’s Digs / “Future Trophy Wife”: Shirts 4 Squirts

Deek’s Digs / T-shirt Hell : Does the font have to be made of penises, too?

“I’m this Many” / “I enjoy a good spanking”
(Clothing Company Unknown)

“I’m proof my mom likes to fuck“: Offensive T’s

KIDS

“Horny, Twenty-Four-Seven” & “Future Trophy Wife”: Zazzle.com

“Peanutbutter Motherfucker”: Artist Jim Shaw made this limited edition t-shirt in 1996, via DefectiveWear.com

“Little Losers” line, JayJays

“Mr. Agro
Mr. Pimp
Mr. Asshole
Miss Gold Digger
Miss Wasted
Mr. Drunk
Miss Floozy
Miss Bitch
Mr. Well-Hung”

Nipple Tassel T-shirt for Tots, Twisted Twee
See the article where the fashion designer defends this shirt.

ABERCROMBIE KIDS

You’d never know this site is for kids.

Abercrombie Kids Homepage

“Fun” for kids to be flirting already?

Fleece that gives kids a cute butt… because they should be worrying about that.

The only denim skirts are miniskirts. (As of the Fall 2009 Line)

TEENS

Judging by the stores and/or the young models, these clothes are assumed to be targeted at teens.

“Freshman 15″, with 15 guys’ names: Pandagon
Check out the review of this product, at Feministing.com

Zazzle.com / TshirtHell.com

“Kiss my ass, It’s Irish”: Uniqwear / Hollister

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH (again)

A&F came under fire in 2005 for their “Attitude Shirt” line for teens. A “Girlcott” was launched by the Women & Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania. As a result, Abercrombie discontinued some of the items. [6]

Here are the shirts in question:

“I need (a girl with a) good head (on her shoulders)” / ”Who needs brains when you have these?”

…by first looking at my chest to read this.

“Show the Twins”
“Female Students Wanted for Sexual Research”
“Buck Fuddy”
“Math Tutor + Bed – Clothes ÷ Your Legs = Anatomy Lesson”

Sources:

[1] “Cotton on Kids’ Risque T-shirt Slogans Under Attack” (Cheryl Critchley) News.com Australia. July 22, 2009
[2] “Cotton On Vows to Withdraw Offensive T-Shirts” (Stephen Lunn) The Australian. August 14, 2009
[3] “Cotton On Hit by Social Media Backlash – What Are the Lessons for Your Business” (Patrick Stafford) SmartCompany.com. August 17, 2009
[4] “Designer Defends Nipple Tassels on Tots T-Shirt” (Tom Henderson) ParentDish.com. August 18, 2009
[5] Abercrombie Kids
[6] A&F Girlcott Incident – Wikipedia
[7] Cotton on Kids
[8] Deek’s Digs
[9] Shirts 4 Squirts
[10] T-shirt Hell
[11] Offensive T’s
[12] Zazzle.com
[13] DefectiveWear.com
[14] Twisted Twee
[15] JayJays
[16] Hollister
[17] Pandagon
[18] Uniqwear

The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are generally known for their racy advertising. (See “PETA: Humanizing Animals, Animalizing Humans”) And now, they’ve launched a new campaign considered by many to be “fat-shaming.”

The new “Save the Whales” campaign made it’s debut a few weeks ago in Jacksonville, Florida.

A woman named Victoria was headed to the beach with her family, when they all caught a glimpse of the ad. “It really had made me so embarrassed, so self conscious and so ashamed about my weight,” she said, “that I dropped off my family at the oceanfront and left to go home, making the excuse that I wasn’t feeling well.” [1]

Despite many people like Victoria speaking up in protest, PETA remains unapologetic:

“[This billboard] reminds people who are struggling to lose weight — and who want to have enough energy to chase a beach ball — that going vegetarian can be an effective way to shed those extra pounds that keep them from looking good in a bikini. [....] Anyone wishing to achieve a hot ‘beach bod’ is reminded that studies show that vegetarians are, on average, about 10 to 20 pounds lighter than meat-eaters. [...] ” – PETA Press Release [2]

Tracy Reiman, Executive Vice President of the activist group, supports the billboard. “Trying to hide your thunder thighs and balloon belly is no day at the beach,” she says. “PETA has a free ‘Vegetarian Starter Kit’ for people who want to lose pounds while eating as much as they like.”

This isn’t the first time PETA has offended heavy-set people. Back in 2002, they launched an Internet ad aimed at travelers, shown above. After outrage from the International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA), the ad was discontinued. The ISAA expressed anger and disgust over seeing the latest billboard, and are hoping to petition the removal of it, as well. [3]

When asked to respond to the campaign’s critics, Ashley Byrne, a senior campaigner for PETA stated, “Our goal is help overweight Jacksonville residents – the best way to do that is to go vegetarian. We’re not trying to insult anyone. [....] Vegetarians look and feel better than meat eaters. This is a life-saving message.” [2]

Source:

[1] “New PETA Vegetarian Anti-Obesity Campaign Asks Us to ‘Save the Whales.’ CalorieLab.com Online Forum. August 10, 2009

[2] “PETA’s New ‘Save the Whales’ Billboard Takes Aim at Fat Women” (Katherine Goldstein) Huffington Post Online. August 17, 2009

[3] “PETA Attacks Fat People – Again!” International Size Acceptance Association. August 10, 2009

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have given female soldiers more opportunities than ever before.

A recent New York Times article goes in depth about the changing roles of women in the military:

“Before 2001, America’s military women had rarely seen ground combat. Their jobs kept them mostly away from enemy lines, as military policy dictates.

But the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, often fought in marketplaces and alleyways, have changed that. In both countries, women have repeatedly proved their mettle in combat. The number of high-ranking women and women who command all-male units has climbed considerably along with their status in the military.

‘Iraq has advanced the cause of full integration for women in the Army by leaps and bounds,’ said Peter R. Mansoor, a retired Army colonel who served as executive officer to Gen. David H. Petraeus while he was the top American commander in Iraq. ‘They have earned the confidence and respect of male colleagues.’”

For more information, see the full article here.

To listen to personal stories from female soldiers, see “Women At Arms: In Their Own Words.”

Thanks to Berta in Utah for this find!

Source:

“G.I. Jane Breaks the Combat Barrier” (Lizette Alvarez) The New York Times Online. August 15, 2009

“Women at Arms: In Their Own Words” (Catrin Einhorn and Cornelius Schmid) The New York Times Online. August 16, 2009