Comments on: Sexist 13th birthday card for girls

By: Kimmo

Kimmo — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:36:00 +0000

Actually, I’d contend there’s a high degree of congruity within a given culture (on a large scale) in the views of folks who haven’t been corrupted by excessive privilege, fucked up by religion, deprived of education, steeped in bigotry or whatever.

But yeah, that term has been employed many a time as quite the dog-whistling soundbite, I’m sure; as a string of words it’s not a real good look…

It’d be nice if there was a term that normal, right-thinking people could employ to refer to themselves without feeling embarrassed… I guess it’ll always invoke the spectre of moral majoritarians and their ilk.

By: Kimmo

Kimmo — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:31:00 +0000

I have seen the fnord.

By: AsteriskCGY

AsteriskCGY — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 11:39:00 +0000

Well to be fair their humor is less tasteless and more just bad.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 22:19:00 +0000

normal, right-thinking people

No comment.

By: blueelm

blueelm — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 17:06:00 +0000

I’d be cautious about generalizing about everyone else based on yourself and your kid. Or even generalizing about your kid. If I had a dime for every time I heard a parent (or every time I heard one of my own parents) confidently telling people all about how it is in our family, or how *their* kid will act while the kid just kind of recognizes this is not a fight worth having, or makes some kind of hostile but subtle facial expression… man… I’d buy me some bigger boobies so I could get a rich boyfriend.

By: blueelm

blueelm — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 17:03:00 +0000

13 is as great an age as any to become a prostitute!

By: Ambiguity

Ambiguity — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:46:00 +0000

I would so get this for my daughter when she turns 13. We’d have a good laugh, and it could spark some interesting discussions.

Seriously folks, I understand the anger and righteous indignation, but we need to get to the place where something like this isn’t even worth anger. It’s 2012, and while I’m not particularly into the hipster irony thing, I’d make an exception here. And kids get irony.

I could see how a card like this could be dangerous in the hands of a Neanderthal family, but for normal, right-thinking people it could be powerful. If you like to see things as “us vs them,” don’t get angry with the enemy: make fun of them. It works better.

Now, if I can just talk my daughter into a 50′s housewife party for her 10th, it’ll be a blast….

By: Jesse K.

Jesse K. — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 07:49:00 +0000

I’m less perturbed by the sexism than by the fact that it sexualizes a 13 year old. I hope this is a joke product.

By: benenglish

benenglish — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 03:51:00 +0000

”…the message that any 14 year-old boys without diamonds in their pockets should expect to die alone…”

Thanks for noticing that. However, as a once-14-year-old boy who has never had diamonds in his pockets (and who was never smooth or good-looking enough to make up for it), I’ve come to realize that the “expect to die alone” part is, all too often, not hyperbole.

The card is far more insulting to girls than it is to boys.

By: rattypilgrim

rattypilgrim — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 02:54:00 +0000

Actually, “That’s sexist” was part of that dialog in the film.

By: rattypilgrim

rattypilgrim — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 01:46:00 +0000

I meant people who aren’t constantly thinking about how their appearances are getting attention all the time. People who are naturally funny, intelligent, caring, etc. and not “parading” are sexy. They can also be self-assured, but not necessarily.
That’s creepy?

By: C W

C W — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 01:22:00 +0000

“The best sexy is sexy that is not self aware.”

Creepy-sounding. The best sexy is self-assured.

By: retchdog

retchdog — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 22:29:00 +0000

well that makes sure that you didn’t read my reply to Antinous who had already made this point.

By: Textuality

Textuality — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 20:57:00 +0000

I guess they don’t sell that well. Who knew?

By: Funk Daddy

Funk Daddy — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 17:24:00 +0000

That was the shirt Romney was wearing? j/k, he only ACTUALLY threw rocks at girls as a 10 year old, and told his friends to do it too.

The boys are stupid shirt predated the girls are stupid shirt and the controversy rated a wikipedia page.

By: chgoliz

chgoliz — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:03:00 +0000

That card manages to be offensive no matter what age is used, and even takes the time to add sexism against men to season the base of egregious sexism against women….it deserves some sort of prize for hitting Bingo in one fell swoop like that.

By: Tim Harrington

Tim Harrington — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 15:54:00 +0000

Of course it is, but your response seemed to indicate that you didn’t get Schaffer’s joke.

By: tré

tré — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 15:20:00 +0000

In the case of tween and teen girls (or really girls and women in general), body image issue-inducing and sexist are far from mutually exclusive.

By: Aargh-a-Knot

Aargh-a-Knot — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 13:19:00 +0000

Well I sure got a good laugh out of it…

By: Katrina van Malksvig

Katrina van Malksvig — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 12:58:00 +0000

what I find most surprising is that apparently Hallmark have strict guidelines of taste and appropriateness.
I’ve yet to see one of their “humorous” cards that doesn’t make we cringe!

By: kicckle

kicckle — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 12:51:00 +0000

Boobies are funny. For years, nothing… Then BAM. Then more years of nothing, then BAM! That’s nature for you though, and everyone has a body…

The ring-and-boyfriend stuff however, suggest it’s OK to sexually and financially manipulate people and that doing so should be used to add meaning of the recipient’s life. All in all, looks like a great way to ruin a 13 year-old girl’s views on healthy companionship… (Not to mention the message that any 14 year-old boys without diamonds in their pockets should expect to die alone…)

By: Ipo

Ipo — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 12:07:00 +0000

Boys everywhere agree and throw rocks at boys.

By: Ipo

Ipo — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 12:02:00 +0000

… and we were glad to hear you enjoy your summer job with the local sea bird hatchery and rehabitation project.
P.S. At what age do their feet turn blue?

By: cub

cub — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 10:56:00 +0000

men are stupid. aim boobs at them.

By: cub

cub — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 10:51:00 +0000

…good thing you don’t put up with d-bags who try to buy you with trinkets; stay cool!

–or–

… and next year, when you meet those boobs,
notify the authorities on the ‘net–
it’s a series of tubes!

By: scav

scav — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 10:16:00 +0000

There are levels upon levels of creepiness. Note that “next year” the girl can begin trading her sexual attributes to older and richer men for material goods.

When she is 14.

By: James Phillip Schmitt

James Phillip Schmitt — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 08:03:00 +0000

i remember seeing a “girls are stupid, throw rocks at them” shirt maybe in the early 2000′s, yet i don’t recall any controversy over that…….i have not heard of a “boys” or the controversy.

By: Flugfrei Jones

Flugfrei Jones — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 07:37:00 +0000

and wtF is with the font?

By: rattypilgrim

rattypilgrim — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 06:54:00 +0000

Hard to miss the reference with Christopher Guest’s face plastered there. So,….? It’s sexist.

By: Tim Harrington

Tim Harrington — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 06:37:00 +0000

There’s a classic mockumentary you really must see which transcends the fine line between genius and stupid.