A Wife Beater is a criminal, not an article of clothing

[purplelucrezia]

To be completely honest, I personally feel as if the term has lost a lot of it's original potency. Maybe that's because of the environment that I'm in, or maybe because of some sort of Post-Modern societal thing. I'm sure that it might be different if I was living in the slums, and how the term could be very, very hurtful. Just in terms of my shirt though, I bought in this generally popular store in a rather "hip" area. Most of the girls there, like myself, would have probably never been in that sort of situation, so it's kind of difficult for me to comment.
I think that the shirt really does make a definite statement, I do like that. Sort of a revenge of the females thing. And actually wearing it does make me feel oddly more powerful. Although, I really don't look like I could possibly ever do that to anyone. And since I'm a vegetarian, pacifist...
Maybe I'm going to deep here. (I wonder if that's what university does to you ) Since, in the end, it is only a tank top. This could also tie into the issue of using religious symbols on underwear as well.

Hmm...

 

[chocsta]

Were they made popular by Avril Lavigne? Cause I feel that I've been seeing everyone wearing them after she did...

 

[softgrey]

it's not the shirt...

it's contributing to the term wife beater not having the weight is should to go along with the severityof the crime...as you said...it's lost a lot of potency...and this is not a term any woman should want to have taken lightly...we assume it only happens in underpriveleged families according to the sterotype...but it doesn't and it happens regularly around the world...

we women have to stick together...and if we want men...(who are the ones who hold most positions of authority and power in this world)...to take this crime seriously...then we have to treat it seriously...even if it's not happening to you or anyone you know personally...

the fact that it's happening at all ...anywhere on the planet earth is a crime...
and it's wrong... why would one really want ignore that fact...

it wasn't that long ago that a man could beat a woman bloody on a regular basis and not get arrested because the police 'doesn't get involved in family diputes'...or the woman was considered to be the 'property' of the husband and it was his duty to teach her to obey...etc...
it's still like this in some places... and it's a slippery slope ...we could slide back down too easily if we are not vigilant...

many women who came before us were very brave and stood up for themselves and for us...i wouldn't want to dishonour them by tossing around the term wife beater so freely... i feel we've got to keep up what they did before us and try to take it a step further...

that's why i've tried to bring some attention to this topic... if we create awareness...then people may think more about the consequences of their actions and try to be a bit more responsible as citizens of the world... because i think that if you really think about it... then you really can't call it a wife beater...

this is how i feel... ...i actually cringe everytime i hear someone use the term... it seems very disrespectful to me...

 

[purplelucrezia]

I've just found some rather interesting pictures on Google. And it appears that shopping sites (which are mostly geared to women) have a tendancy to call them boy beaters.
Actually, this would probably make a good essay topic...

Gwen Stefani, wearing it more in terms of how I was thinking.

More joking about the whole thing...

And- who in the world would actually wear these?!

Some of the pictures are a touch disturbing, but thought provoking as well.

 

[softgrey]

Originally posted by purplelucrezia@Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:14 pm

Actually, this would probably make a good essay topic...

um...i think i just wrote one...

 

[purplelucrezia]

Originally posted by softgrey@Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:13 pm
that's why i've tried to bring some attention to this topic... if we create awareness...then people may think more about the consequences of their actions and try to be a bit more responsible as citizens of the world... because i think that if you really think about it... then you really can't call it a wife beater...

this is how i feel... ...i actually cringe everytime i hear someone use the term... it seems very disrespectful to me...

I'm glad you've started up this topic, because I've actually never thought that much about these shirts. To me, it's really never upset me that much. I do feel like a need to think more about this whole thing though.

 

[purplelucrezia]

Originally posted by softgrey+Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:16 pm--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (softgrey @ Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:16 pm)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-purplelucrezia@Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:14 pm

Actually, this would probably make a good essay topic...

um...i think i just wrote one...

[/b][/quote]
I only just saw your new post.

 

[MayaPapaya9]

What the?!?!

Who sells those shirts that actually say "wife beater" on them?! I have never seen that before and they're really gross.

 

[purplelucrezia]

Originally posted by MayaPapaya9@Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:20 pm
What the?!?!

Who sells those shirts that actually say "wife beater" on them?! I have never seen that before and they're really gross.

The ever-charming Kid Rock, for one.

 

[softgrey]

Originally posted by purplelucrezia+Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:18 pm--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (purplelucrezia @ Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:18 pm)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Originally posted by softgrey@Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:16 pm
<!--QuoteBegin-purplelucrezia

@Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:14 pm

Actually, this would probably make a good essay topic...

um...i think i just wrote one...

I only just saw your new post. [/b][/quote]
i know ///we posted at the same time...that's why it was so funny...

well..i'm glad you're thinking about it purple...
goes to my signature...
accept what you cannot change and change what you cannot accept...

there are so many things we have no control over...here is such a small thing we could all do to make the world a better place... i really do believe that we have the power to change the world...
it's hard alone...but if we stick together...

UNITY IS POWERFUL...

 

[purplelucrezia]

 

[softgrey]

Originally posted by purplelucrezia+Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:21 pm--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (purplelucrezia @ Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:21 pm)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-MayaPapaya9@Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:20 pm
What the?!?!

Who sells those shirts that actually say "wife beater" on them?! I have never seen that before and they're really gross.

The ever-charming Kid Rock, for one.

[/b][/quote]
omg...that's a perfect example...and then some meathead back home thinks its cool and gets drunk and smacks his girlfriend...

i know kid rock is just playing the stereotype...but i couldn't be more turned off by that shot of him...yuck... ...

 

[HBoogie]

Most importantly of all, who dresses their infant in a tiny t-shirt that reads "Li'l Wife Beater"?

 

[purplelucrezia]

People are strange...

 

[softgrey]

li'l wife beater??!?!...oohh...it's worse than i thought...

why don't people think about what they are doing?... what's next?...li'l r*pist?!?!

i'm traumatized....

 

[purplelucrezia]

Originally posted by softgrey@Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:29 pm
i know kid rock is just playing the stereotype...but i couldn't be more turned off by that shot of him...yuck... ...

Apparently Pamela Anderson finds that type of man appealing. Literally.

 

[purplelucrezia]

And I couldn't get this to enlarge, but still...
http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=www....DUTF-8%26sa%3DN

 

[softgrey]

Originally posted by purplelucrezia+Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:36 pm--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (purplelucrezia @ Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:36 pm)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-softgrey@Jun 26th, 2004 - 11:29 pm
i know kid rock is just playing the stereotype...but i couldn't be more turned off by that shot of him...yuck... ...

Apparently Pamela Anderson finds that type of man appealing. Literally. [/b][/quote]
mmm...you have a point there...

 

[prixi]

Pamela has bad taste in men. B)
I'd wear those with knee-length, superflared skirts..either ballet flats or sneakers.

 

[purplelucrezia]

I thought this fit in well here...

"All violence is the illustration of a pathetic stereotype."
-Barbara Kruger