Plus: Grand Theft auto gamer’s instruction video for best way to murder prostituted women

And Calvin Klein’s new men’s underwear ad: No, we don’t want to see your d—k.

Elizabeth at My Milk Spilt, whose piece on Facebook and violence against women I published here the other day, has now written about an experience she had in the Melbourne school where she is a teacher. The discussion with her students revealed just how de-sensitized young people have become about violence – and their lack of empathy. One girl is “shocked” that Bowling for Columbine attracted so much attention. Why? Because only 15 people died.  The murder of a mother and her two young daughters wasn’t that brutal, because “they were only shot in the head” said another girl.

This is what a daily diet of depictions of violence, torture and brutality is doing to kids. Where will it take us?

How to kill prostitutes

On her site, Elizabeth has also posted a Grand Theft Auto clip. It features a male gamer describing his preferred method for killing prostituted women and instructing fellow gamers on the best strategies and methods for doing so. GTA is played by young boys around the globe. Given that it incites violence against women, why is this game and this clip allowed?

We Don’t Buy It

Calvin Klein has come up with a nasty add to promote its new underwear line for men. The language is aggressive and threatening. “Do you want to see my dick?”, “Do you want some f—ing more?”  I like Happy Bodies take on it. Don’t buy Calvin Klein.

Nastier by the minute

A friend and colleague emailed me yesterday. She said: “All this is getting harder, faster, nastier by the minute. Maybe it’s me. But it does feel like this culture is growing exponentially.” No, it’s not just you T. Violence against women is colonising every available space. 

You know, I was really hoping to focus on something other than anti-women t-shirts this week  and blog on a topic which might hopefully maintain the interest of the 13,000 people who visited this site in the past four days in response to global coverage of objectifying items of apparel.

But just as I was tossing around a few ideas for the next post, a young woman sent me photos of these t-shirts (thanks Jackie) which she found in a Supre store in Sydney’s CBD.

Now some of you will know that this isn’t the first time the pimps-r-us clothing store has come to the attention of this blog (Treating little girls as ho ho ho’s). As a result of a raft of complaints over its “Santa’s Bitch” and “North Pole Dancer” t-shirts, Supre’s Karen Hermann told us, in writing, that “Santa’s Bitch” would be removed. But Supre was playing fast and lose with the truth  (Update: Looks like Supre was serving up untruths for Christmas).

And now they are flogging this “Pussy Power” tee for $7.50.

Supre, why would you use a porn inspired title for women’s genitals as the slogan for girl’s clothing? Will a 10,11 or 12-year-old girl, perhaps drawn to the image of the little black cat, understand how wearing such a shirt could be interpreted; the message it could send in a culture which already treats young girls as hot and sexy mini women?

Why would you put her at risk like this? And don’t tell us you had in mind soft cuddly kittens.

This isn’t a store where adults get their clothes. It’s a cheapie chain frequented by flocks of young girls who should be allowed to enjoy their few short years of girlhood without being targeted as walking billboards for pornified messages about who girls are and what they are good for.

This is what Jackie thought of Supre:

Flood Karen Hermann’s inbox.

The try-hards at Roger David are promoting two new t-shirts for the boys, featuring women who are gagged, with strips across their eyes and semi-naked, as the latest fashion statement.

The woman in the ‘Annie Hollywood’ t-shirt  (produced by ‘Blood Is The New Black’) looks as though she has been roughed up. She appears disheveled and exhausted, her image reminiscent of a crime scenes photo. The other two women have a strip across their eyes, suggesting a loss of identity and dehumanisation. Their semi-naked bodies are pimped through a t-shirt.

The designs are not iconic. They’re not retro (even if adapting a Roxy Music album cover). They’re not art.

What we are seeing here is the glamourising of abuse, the suggestion of sexual aggression, a hint that women want to be treated roughly.

The abuse is glamourised not just for the perpetrator, but for the victim too. As though it’s not only hot to be the pimp, but it’s sexy to be dominated, coerced, submissive, abused – possibly even raped.

It’s as though a little bit of the pimp cool that’s pushed by Hollywood, MTV, in hip hop and rap (see earlier post ) will rub off on the wearer, just like the wearer of a global brand hopes that some of the brand’s ‘personality’ and ‘cool’ will rub off on them.

Roger David really like their domination and abuse tees. They feature as first items on their home page and on their Facebook.

But it’s not just Roger David mainstreaming contempt for women wrapped up in a tee.
A mate came across this at the Birkenhead point Authentic outlet store in Sydney the other day.

What is this? A plug for trafficking? Bring ‘em over, the more exotic and servile the better!

Then there’s others available from online stores , treating rape as a joke and portraying little girls as little sluts.

“It’s not rape if you yell Surprise!”

• “It’s not rape it’s surprise sex” 
• “Sometimes no means yes”
• “Your little princess is my little slut”

…to name but a few.

A sexual assault survivor told me that for her, the t-shirts are highly triggering of assault memories and she suspects that other survivors will find them so too. So as well as putting women and girls in physical danger, t-shirts like this serve as a form of mental torture too.

Women gagged, women who can’t see, women transported away from their homes to service men elsewhere. We have to ask why the demand for these shirts and why men’s stores are pimping these porn-industry inspired messages about what women are good for.

Let Roger David know what you think.

Supre told us before Christmas they were withdrawing their “Santa’s bitch” t.shirts for girls.

Now we find out they are flogging them off for $5.

Why tell us one thing and then do the opposite? Were any t.shirts actually removed as promised?

Let Supre know how you feel about being misled. Contact H.R Manager Karen Hermann  khermann@supre.com.au

On a more positive note, it’s good to see NSW Premier Kristina Keneally come out on the issue.  She said in the Daily Telegraph:  ”Children should remain children. These T-shirts are overtly sexual and they’re inappropriate. We want to live in a society that values young women – and creates positive images for their development.”

Tell the Premier you appreciate her stand.
Ph: (02) 9228 5239, email: premier@nsw.gov.au

Couldn’t resist including this gutsy critique of Supre. Great line, “An army of slut clones”

Karen Hermann from Supre has told a number of us now that the ‘Santa’s Bitch’ pimp t.shirts for girls will be removed from 168 stores.  It’s now Christmas Eve, I’ve just been into a Supre in Mildura and there’s a stack of the t.shirts on the rack.  Did you really mean it Supre?

And now, just in time for Christmas, a t.shirt for girls announcing their sexual subservience, domination and ownership.

Bought to you by clothing store Supre the $18 red and white t.shirt features the slogan: “Santa’s Bitch”. Ten-year-olds are among the target market. The t.shirts are displayed on mannequins at the front of the store.

The elves have been shelved and replaced with subservient bitches who just love to be degraded.

Let’s look at common understanding of the word bitch. Among the definitions in urban dictionary we find:

“Modern-day servant; A person who performs tasks for another, usually degrading in status.”

“The subservient person in a sexual relationship (or a term for a servant).”

“Woman who for one reason or another deserves a good bitch-slap.”

Melissa Farley, a contributor to Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls, was spot on when she wrote:

“Trained by popular western culture, girls learn to present a hypersexualised, prostitute-like version of themselves to the world”.

Danielle, who complained at a Westfield store in Victoria, gave a revealing depiction of the way consumer complaints are treated:
“I spoke to the store manager, who said she couldn’t remove them from sale…I spoke with the Centre Management of Westfield Geelong, who said all complaints about a store and their products are taken seriously, filed and referred to when looking to renew the lease of the retailer”

“Taken seriously and filed”. That would make a great book title. Then dusted off sometime down the track when the lease comes up for renewal – what, in a year? Two years? If that’s serious, how do management respond when they don’t care?

Call Marketing Manager of Supre, Brooke Ravey and let her know what you think of the t.shirts (and tell her you won’t be shopping at Supre and neither will your friends.)

Her number is 02 8596 8400.

Also email H.R Manager Karen Hermann, khermann@supre.com.au

The Government announced this week plans to introduce legislation for mandatory filtering of the internet at Internet Service Provider (ISP level).

This of course brought out all those who want no restrictions to the internet, arguing that the plans will mean we’ll end up living in a place like North Korea and controlled by the Taliban.

The plan is for ISPs to block blacklisted material rated Refused Classification. This is material that is already not allowed in other mediums because it is so graphic. It includes child porn, rape porn and bestiality.

The government will also provide incentives to ISPs to offer optional ISP level filtering of X and R-rated pornography.

The UN Save the Children Fund made the ridiculous claim that it would mean parents would relax about their children’s internet use. Save the Children should be welcoming anything which might lessen the multi-billion dollar trade in children’s bodies.

Any material which depicts sexual violence against women and children or which incites crimes of violence against women and children should not be allowed. Anyone justifying it should not be called a civil libertarian but a sexual assault libertarian.

For some compelling articles in favour of filtering, see:

Clive Hamilton: Web doesn’t belong to net libertarians 

Abigail Bray: Googling S*x

Steven Conroy: The truth about net filtering

Let Stephen Conroy know you support the proposed legislation.

Senator Stephen Conroy
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Level 4, 4 Treasury Place
Melbourne Vic 3002.

senator.conroy@aph.gov.au.