The "Training to be Batman's Wife" is kind of goofy and maybe a bit subtle in its unpleasant message. The Onesies in the linked article (boys: "Future Man of Steel"; girls: "I Only Date Heroes") is pretty awful.
But the Superman "Score" shirt? Really? Not only is it an awful edit job on the Jim Lee cover (cutting out her lasso which wraps around them, as well as their hair mingling in the breeze), such that Wonder Woman really looks like she'd rather not be "scored" on, but the text is gobsmacking. "Yay, Superman! Yet another triumph for the Man of Steel: getting Wonder Woman to lock lips (and, nudge-nudge, maybe more)!"
That was a message that someone in DC Merchandising thought was a great idea for a boys tee? Or a man's tee? Or any tee? Or does that department not really look at what folk are proposing to do with their intellectual property? Say what you will for Disney, but can you imagine their Merchandising folk putting out that "Score" tee with, maybe, Captain America and Black Widow? I think not.
DC, at least, has had an apology (or at least a promise to do better) wrung out of them. But … yeesh. I certainly hope there's a lot of "lessons learned" meetings happening in that group. And not ones with lots of high-fives and donuts.
Originally shared by +Kate Testerman:
If you've been around the Internet at all in the last few days, you may have seen links or pics of some of these incredibly sexist DC-licensed shirts for all ages: from toddlers through teens to adults. It's easy to shrug it off as a bad marketing decision, but as a mom raising children who are obsessed with heroes, it's part of the greater issue: that girls are still seen as "lesser" in comparison to the "better, more worthwhile" boy market, even though the numbers of girls reading comics and playing games has increased exponentially, and in some cases, even surpassed the number of boys (source: http://news.sky.com/story/1337432/girls-playing-more-video-games-than-boys).
It's a daily, conscious choice we make at home, that Kaylee and Zoe can be superheroes in their own right, just like Momma, just like Sean and Daddy. No one's "Batman's wife" here. Just Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Hawkgirl, Supergirl, or whoever we want to be.
I'm hopeful that DC's statement is true and they will take a closer look at their licenses and promote superheroes for all the sexes, not just heroes and "scores":
DC Comics is home to many of the greatest male and female Super Heroes in the world. All our fans are incredibly important to us, and we understand that the messages on certain t-shirts are offensive. We agree. Our company is committed to empowering boys and girls, men and women, through our characters and stories. Accordingly, we are taking a look at our licensing and product design process to ensure that all our consumer products reflect our core values and philosophy.
Thank goodness.
DC’s Sexist Superhero Shirts And How Licensing Works
Some licensed DC Comics apparel has caused a commotion with sexist slogans like Training to be Batman’s wife. We explain the problem and how it happens.
