“Sexist” pyjamas in the eye of social media storm

For the boys: Future Man of Steel.  For the girls: I Only Date Heroes.

These are the phrases that sparked hundreds to reply, retweet and react on Twitter after a photo was posted by two university professors.

Dr. Christine Logel is an assistant professor of social development at Renison University College at the University of Waterloo and originally posted the photo, taken at a local Target store, on her Facebook page.

Logel’s friend and colleague, Dr. Aimee Morrison, who is an associate professor of English then tweeted the photo, and between the two of them it garnered a tremendous amount of attention.

In an interview with 570 News, Logel said that although babies may not be able to read the messages on their PJs themselves, there is still an issue with this type of message.

The way a baby looks, does affect how adults treat the baby. In one classic psychology study, the same baby was portrayed as either a boy or a girl … and the baby was treated quite differently.”

Logel said that even with the best of intentions, people can go on to enforce gender roles and stereotypes.

Without even realizing it they can be treating a baby girl differently when she is wearing a shirt that that talks about her dating versus a little boy that he can grow up to be a superhero.”

The same photo, tweeted by Morrison received the most attention.

 

 

Many of the responses agreed with her statement that the pajamas did in fact promote a sexist message. Many also opposed her statement, even verbally attacking her in some instances. She says some of the negative responses even proved the exact point she was trying to make in the first place.

Somebody noted that it was very trivial to be talking about sleepers and that maybe I could be talking about Oprah’s favourite book next … these are ways of sort of gendering and diminishing what a women wants to say in public by saying that what you’re talking about isn’t important.

Despite negative attention such as this, Morrison told 570 News that opening up this very dialogue is what both professors had hoped would come of the post.

We wouldn’t be having this conversation if this one photo hadn’t got so widely distributed so we are very happy, maybe not with the hate mail, but with all the conversation that has come out.”

Target has responded to the social media explosion and issued a statement. Morrison thinks this acknowledgement is a good first step.

Step two would be for them to keep an eye on that … it is possible that those sell very well and I would be interested to talk about that but it is also possible that they sell well because the only articles of clothing that they are selling have these really gendered messages [on all the sleepers.]

 

 

 

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