Children’s Place Doesn’t Think Female Superheroes Belong On Boy’s Clothing

Yesterday, a mom tweeted Children’s Place to complain about the fact that their tee-shirt promoting the movie Guardians of The Galaxy included all of the main characters except for the female hero, Gamora. Children’s Place, with a perfect example of why you should always have a few other people proofread your company tweets, tweeted her back and explained, “The Guardians of the Galaxy shirt in particular is a boy’s shirt, which is why it does not feature the female character Gamora.” They then took away her right to vote and gave her a marvelous meat loaf recipe.

What in the eternal mercy of all of the whats that there ever were, is Children’s Place thinking? Let’s break down two of their main assumptions here.

First, that Guardians of the Galaxy is a boy movie, and not a girl movie. Parents see this b.s. all the time with every other damn thing in children’s clothing: Legos versus Lego Friends, most sports versus ballet, trucks and cars versus ponies, the list goes on and on. And it is crazy-making. But Guardians of the Galaxy is a PG-13 summer movie geared towards everyone. Most children who are fans of this movie are old enough to be taught better. They are old enough to be given positive messages about female role models.

Also, Children’s Place, you should know that girls like action-adventure movies, too. No, for real! They do! And as the mother of a daughter and a son who both love superheroes, the purposeful, blatant absence of a lead female character is hurtful and offensive.You done pissed me off, CP.

Second, that boys should not have female heroes on their shirts. Why? Will it stunt the growth of their penises? Will they be mocked because it’s not cool for a boy to admire a powerful woman? Is it because women can’t be real superheroes? Well, I would like to point out that you left a raccoon wearing clothes and a talking tree on this shirt.

I get it — a raccoon wearing people clothes is awesome. But how can that be a more acceptable role model than a woman? A female superhero should have more legitimacy than a fucking tree. Then again, the man-tree and the raccoon are both males, so at least you’re consistent in your sexism.

I guess that raccoon is lucky it wasn’t a cat or a pony, or it wouldn’t be there, either.

We know that this kind of bias exists in children’s clothing. It’s everywhere. But when Children’s Place made the choice to remove a female character, the only main character who is not on this shirt, they made a statement. And that statement is: People who respect women don’t shop at Children’s Place.

At least, that’s what I got out of it.

(photo: Twitter)