RGM post 1

Oh, Forever21, you've done wrong.

Check out these other shirts sold by the same company:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfmoms/detail?entry_id=97333

I found another (a few! D: ) shirt that adds to the 'girls are dumb' and/or don't do well in school stereotyping that is going on right now. I'm not sure I understand the appeal for either shirt. The other is the one that was shown in class: JC Penny's "I'm too pretty to do my homework so my brother does it for me" shirt.

I feel these shirts are contributing to a lack of ego boosting that a young(er) generation needs to learn to succeed in life. These shirts are claiming the wearer can't do something, or is bad at something, and according to the old adage, "If you think you can, or can't, you're right". Whether or not you are capable of it is beside the point. It is a state of mind that is being taught is ‘cool’ to have. These companies are teaching that by wearing your faults on your sleeve it’s okay to have them – that it makes it cute, if not endearing. (It’s not. It doesn’t.) Not that we should be ashamed of our faults, but it's one thing to have them, its another to use them to your advantage (for style/status). (I feel like I'm going to get into a vicious circle trying to explain myself out of that one, so I'll leave it at, you know what I mean. Basically: show off something you can be proud of.)

Sexism aside (these shirts only seem to show up in girl's clothing), I think that in itself is enough reason for these shirts to be taken out of marketing. They are teaching kids/young adults that it is okay to revel in the fact that they are bad at something. Especially something that is so vital to surviving in the world today. Something you should have learned in first grade (or at least I did). It’s one thing to have a shirt that says you’re bad at…well, I can’t even think of any reason you would want to wear something that shows off your faults.

Then there’s the fact that they are reinforcing an untrue stereotype women have been trying so hard for many years to change. Let’s face it. There are some hellasmart women out there. Like, world-changing, blow-your-mind smart. Women who causes the rest of us to believe we could achieve and do just as well. This shirt? It belittles them as well, because as a person we tend to generalize. I’m offended by it and I haven’t even seen anyone wear it. I’m offended someone would see it and think ‘hey, that’s cute, lets sell that’ and that someone would possibly consider wearing it. Why can’t they put one of those women on a shirt, or a positive message?

I also think it's sad that the shirt to 'balance' this out, or to give someone an opposite option has a picture of a monster on it and says 'Mega Geek'.

http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog_name=FOREVER21&category_name=whatsnew_app_tops&product_id=2087532297&Page=1

And you can't even read it in the picture, as if they're trying so hard to sell it for a 'smart' shirt and not for the little monster on it.

flugakjnfglahgadjng /anger
Not to mention my mother is a math teacher.
And I was good at math. I had to try, but still- It's not that hard.