As a general rule we don’t name names when idiots behave badly, so dignifying the Fox News story about a J. Crew ad with a comment crosses our normal boundaries.
But we can’t control ourself and just have to say something.
The story is that the creative director of J. Crew painted her son’s toenails a bright pink for an ad. Fox picked this up and turned it into a story with “experts” framing a debate about gender identity. Keith Ablow took this on using words like ‘psychological sterilization’ and inferring that kids today are being encouraged to give up their gender identities. What? Hello! This is the most bogus trumped-up waste of air time we’ve seen in a long time.
Aren’t there better angles on the story — like neon pink polish doesn’t look good on anyone but a 5-year-old? Or, why can girls wear pants but if boys wear dresses it’s suddenly material for a book? Really, now.Think about it, a little over a century ago boys routinely wore dresses. Pink was considered a masculine color and blue a feminine color. So, who’s to say when someone is cross dressing? And, more to the point–who cares?
Doesn’t anyone read history anymore? No wonder everything is such a mess.
Fox may have started this, but every time we turn on the television there is another nail-biting story about pink polish. One would think serious news outlets have more important stories to feature than one that is trying to ignite a make-believe gender identity crisis.
As for the J. Crew ad, it’s fresh, it’s cute, it’s delightful. It’s only nail polish for goodness sake.
Jenna, you go girl!
Read more from Rosalyn Hoffman at Bitches on a Budget.
2 comments
Ashley says:
Apr 15, 2011
Ugh, I’m so sick of this kind of story getting hot press. When I was little, I used to go to the Barber shop (not salon, a true barber shop) with my dad on Saturday mornings. It was a chance for us to hang out and there was usually a trip to the candy store after dad got his haircut. It didn’t make me decide that I should get a man’s haircut and shave every week. Similarly, my god sons have seen their mother paint her nails, and have asked to have theirs done. They don’t know it’s a “girl thing”, they just see their mother do it and think “cool” and want to be included. Why don’t we let kids be kids? We worry way too much about this kind of stuff. How about we make sure kids learn to be kind to each other, respect differences, and try to make the world a better place.
admin says:
Apr 15, 2011
Amen!