 Lungi |
 Offending mannequins |
Article 8’s two primary gripes with the Macy*s mannequins appear to be:
“Very bizarre. One mannequin is wearing what looks like some of rainbow skirt. And when was the last time you saw male store mannequins with breasts like those? What’s that all about?”
The breast issue is so patently absurd I’m not going to address it other than saying these people have clearly never walked past a Hollister or Abercrombie window display. Not everyone in Boston is flat-chested or has a beer-gut.
But on to the business at hand. Many religious conservatives, including Stephen Bennett, seem to think gender expression is divinely created with absolutist standards. Judging by Article 8’s comment I’m guessing they find a male mannequin wearing a “skirt” offensive because it goes against their God’s absolute standards of gender expression. In response to this I present:
The Lungi, worn commonly by men in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar.
And here’s the outfit which offended Article 8. It’s a t-shirt and lungi. Sure looks similar to the ensemble being modeled by a fellow from Gautam Enterprises, an Indian manufacturer of lungis. Someone better send India an angry letter telling them to get with God’s Article 8’s absolute standards of gender conformity.
well, now, daniel. they have a point. in the other picture on their site the macy*s mannequin wearing the $39 shirt had a flat chest.
and an ugly $39 shirt.
😉
Well, sort of. These are cultural differences so I can imagine it might look unusual to see a male mannequin wearing a skirt in the US, and not in Sri Lanka. The rainbow attire in the picture looks more like long shorts to me anyway. I don’t personally think God cares one way or the other.
That said, if a guy wants to wear a skirt I couldn’t care less, but I might be surprised the first time I see it. I’m sure most would be surprised to see a guy walking down the street in a Lungi with perhaps the exception of New York or other very large metropolitan environment.
I wonder how many actual complaints Macy’s got and how many separate from Article 8?
David Roberts
Well, I wouldn’t feel very feminine wearing that. But those mannequins do look a bit nipplely to me.
… and an ugly $39 shirt.
Hey! Be nice, not all of us have rock solid pecs anymore 🙁
David Roberts
But those mannequins do look a bit nipplely to me.
Now that you mention it, they do. Perhaps it was a tad chilly in there 😉 If you look closely at the rainbow guy, someone also skillfully positioned his shirt to show off some tummy. As far as clothing displays go, this one is still rather tame. It was a silly complaint.
David Roberts
Oh,oh….If that’s a “problem” then it looks like next March 17 will cause apoplexy.I hesitate to post any photos of our trips to South-East Asia in case one of them stumbles on this page. Our extensive collection of batik tulis would obviously take too much time to explain. Perhaps because S.E.A. (Bali in particular) is our backyard, barely anyone would bat an eyelid if you also wished to turn up on an Australian beach in a sarong. I mean, we’re not talking about an After-5 cocktail dress and high heels…and BTW… don’t tie a malay sarong like a lungi. And don’t wrap and tuck unless you are a lady. Otherwise you will be considered to be wearing drag. But, then again, if that is what you intended… :)(Also, Timothy, I believe we’re all still waiting for that photo of you in your tartan?)
It looks like a Pride beach towel to me. And I think that’s the way you were them. Around your waste. But since I don’t really go to the beach or the shore, I can’t remember. And isn’t it all right if a the nation’s largest department store (and PRIVATE entity) knows who butters its bread and wants to celebrate Pride month? As a dear friend used to say: Gay Pride won’t have arrived until there is a Macy’s Pride Month White Sale.
Maybe we’re finally there, kiddies. And I’ll fight you to the death to get that comforter at half off.
Like DC1974, I thought it was a pride beach towel until I got a closer look on the Article 8 website.
In fairness, reading over their page, it seems they were more outraged that Macy’s was celebrating Gay Pride than they were about a guy in a skirt.
My question is, why do corporations like Macy’s kowtow to these people?
Here’s my question: how do they know they were “two homosexual men”? I can see how the one on the right, wearing a Pride beach towel, could be. The one on the left, however–there’s no hint about his sexual orientation. That’s assumed because he is standing next to the other. And has large pecs.
It’s a flag wrapped around his waist. It’s a desecration of our glorious gay symbol. We need a constitutional amendment to stop decadent department stores from showing contempt for our flag. Call Bill Frist, I think he already has a flag burning amendment planned. Maybe we can tag on.
😉
I saw that picture, and thought…
Are these people THIS preoccupied with a friggin’ Macy’s window?!
What the mannequins display is so damn tame and a few prissies want the display removed?!
Lungis are sexy. I went to an event at UCLA campus one night and several of the Indonesian freshmen wore lungis AND orchids behind their ears.
I thought it was soooooo cool!
I’m with Brett, why did Macy’s cave?
I’m reminded of this recommendation: “Frank Worthen recommended that the men work out at the gym to build ‘hard and masculine bodies’ in order to be able to enjoy the feel of their wives ‘mushy’ flesh.”
Evidently this working out shouldn’t include anything that might build up the pecs?
If you want biblical fashions, shouldn’t they be wearing dresse- … er.. robes? I thought trousers were a pagan invention!
I wonder if Macy’s is going to back down from appearing to cave to religious right folk, much like Ford had to recently. From Do gays and lesbians mean business?:According to [Jeffrey Garber, president of OpusComm], gay and lesbian consumers are sophisticated and educated about the products and services they consume. So, if they are going to gain the GLBT dollar, companies have to exhibit real commitment to the community and this means jumping through some important hurdles. If gays and lesbians are going to spend their money consistently with a company, Garber says, they demand that the company is sensitive to its gay and lesbian employees, exhibiting fairness and non-discrimination. They also demand that the companies they patronize court the market exactly as they would any other part of the market, with a full commitment to the community.“Eighty-two percent of our respondents are more likely to buy from gay-friendly companies,” says Garber. In effect, this means that our spending power can be used as a carrot to reward those companies that treat their GLBT employees and customers well.
By the way, the Lungi pictured is in the transgender flag colors: pink, blue, and white. 😛 Intentional? 😛
grantdale,
sorry. I don’t have a pic of me in a kilt.
But here’s my family plaid and the “dress” I’d wear to formal events if I lived in the country of my ancestors:
https://www.kiltmakers.com/kilt-collection/Kincaid-Ancient-kilt-1376
[sarcasm] Timothy, clearly the Scots are all hell bound. [/sarcasm]
The last time I noticed (about 5 minutes ago when my husband wandered out of the shower) men DO have nipples. AND the last time I noticed, several hours ago for several hours, male nipples DO get hard–some men, straight and gay, even LIKE nipple stimulation. Pierced nipples often look hard under clothing.
But really who the feck cares? Get over it! Most Westerners are just way too tedious! Did anyone forget about kilts? No social occasion required.
I’m more concerned about who made the cloth and the conditions in which it was made–you know, sweat shops. And if people are still buying anything from evil Wal-Mart?
Get a real cause for social ACTION!