K. Kenski turned me on to this news story about J. Crew and the boy with the pink toenails today:
As you can imagine, I say Bravo. Rex W. Huppke, Chicago Tribune reporter from the said:
J. Crew ad that shows a mother painting her little boy’s toenails pink has sparked a storm of Internet outrage, with much of the vitriol directed at some pundits who swiftly criticized the online ad and asserted such behavior might make a boy question his sexuality.
Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist and Fox News contributor, wrote a column on the Fox News website discussing the clothing company’s ad, which featured president and creative director Jenna Lyons painting her son Beckett’s toenails. Ablow suggested that Lyons “put some money aside for psychotherapy for the kid” and wrote: “This is a dramatic example of the way that our culture is being encouraged to abandon all trappings of gender identity.”
The conservative Media Research Center called the ad “blatant propaganda celebrating transgendered children,” adding that Lyons was “exploiting Beckett behind the facade of liberal, transgendered identity politics.”
Alice Dreger, professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics at Northwestern University, said it is “ridiculous” to suggest that painting a little boy’s toes pink or any other color might somehow influence his sexuality or sexual identity.
As usual I am horrified by how stringently we feel we need to adhere to gender roles. Do you know that in December of 2008 the pope condemned gender theory because ” blurred the distinction between male and female and thus could lead to the “self-destruction” of the human race. ” (BBC NEWS) This just seems crazy to me … I wear pants – so do men, does that make me a man?
Rather than holding to these strict gender roles, can’t we just let people be who they want to be … like Princess Boy. (<–this is super cool. Check it out and watch the video.)
As far as J. Crew – I have a new found respect for the preppy clothier – so don’t be surprised if I look a little more khaki and sweater set this year.