US

JC Penney Caves to Women’s Rights Activists, Pulls Controversial Shirt Off Website

JC Penney Caves to Womens Rights Activists, Pulls Controversial Shirt Off Website

After drawing scorn from women’s rights activists, retailer JC Penney has reportedly pulled a controversial shirt from its website. The shirt, intended for girls ages 7-16,  featured a caption that read: “I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.”

The shirt caught the eye of Lauren Todd, a user of the progressive site Change.org, who quickly circulated a petition demanding the retailer stop the sale of the shirt.

Change.org women’s rights organizer Shelby Knox soon jumped into the fray, spreading word of the petition on various social media sites.

CBS reports that by noon Wednesday — a mere four hours after Knox began tweeting about the shirt to her 10,000 Twitter followers, posting comments about it on Facebook and circulating the information through the feminist blogosphere — JC Penney issued an apology and removed the shirt from its site:

The petition had 1,600 signatures. With each one, change.org automatically sent an e-mail to JC Penney’s CEO.

Penney issued a statement saying, “We agree that the ”Too pretty” t-shirt does not deliver an appropriate message, and we have immediately discontinued its sale. Our merchandise is intended to appeal to a broad customer base, not to offend them. We would like to apologize to our customers and are taking action to ensure that we continue to uphold the integrity of our merchandise that they have come to expect.”

Todd and Knox discussed the shirt and their view that it delivered a sexist message on CBS’ “The Early Show” Thursday with co-anchor Erica Hill. Watch the segment below and weigh in with your thoughts:

Comments (96)

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  • aragona
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 10:26pm

    It is a sexist t-shirt but where are these groups when Sarah Palin and Michele Bachman are attacked, and even Hillary Cliinton? No where.

    Report Post »  
    • orionreplay6607
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 4:24am

      Agreed. There was a point I had to give them a mark for tenacity. I didn’t agree with their views all the time (like this stupid JCP shirt), but these activists have shown who they really are by not crying foul with antics against Palin or Bachman. Or crying foul with the numerous crimes against women perpetrated by the muslim (my spell check wants to capitalize that, but I won’t allow it) community.

      Report Post » orionreplay6607  
    • loriann12
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 6:00am

      I didn’t fiond it offensive, I found it funny. My 7th grader goes to school with a girl who had to write a speech for drama class and have a classmate read it. It was to be something about yourself. Her’s was all, “I’m so pretty because,” and my son said she wasn’t that pretty, her parents have been lying to her. It’s a stereotype, just like the always shopping, afraid to break a nail type. My son is severely ADHD, and we found a shirt that says, “Huh? I wasn’t listening.” described him to a T.

      Report Post »  
    • MOLLYPITCHER
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 7:57am

      @ARAGONA
      I agree with you. I haven’t seen anything this sexist in quite a while. What you said about Bachman and Palin is what I and many others have been thinking all along. Liberal feminist are only feminists when someone fits into the exact mold that they think they belong in.

      Report Post »  
    • JRook
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:43am

      I’m confused where are the free market supporters today. This is clearly a shirt for girls. If the shirt is offensive then it won’t sell. That would remove it from the market quickly. So is this the shirt moms buy to go with the sweat pant shirts that have “hot” or “Sexy” across the butt?

      Report Post »  
    • bioengineer
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 1:54pm

      You have a point. I am a conservative though that happens to despise both Bachman and Palin. Perhaps despise is too strong of a word. For purely gender-neutral reasons I don’t like them. The media is definitely biased against them, but the media is also biased against Paul, Romney, Perry, etc. Can it be shown that the media has actually engaged in sexism against Bachman or Palin? I haven’t seen this myself. I’m sincerely asking. And obviously a few isolated incidents aside. Isolated incidents of anything on both sides can be drug up.

      Report Post »  
    • Gamaliel
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 7:30pm

      Exactly what I was going to say.

      Report Post »  
    • ACLUHater
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:20pm

      This is not even a story. These groups need really need to get a life.

      Report Post »  
  • Trucker1313
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 10:25pm

    Oh give me a beak JC Penny you wimps

    Report Post »  
    • independentvoteril
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 1:26am

      I second that.. it’s FUNNY.. and since IF my son had done my daughters homework she wouldn’t have made it through school it holds NO truth..LOL..

      Report Post » independentvoteril  
  • CrazyTexan
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 10:23pm

    Saw a young teen a couple of years back wearing a pair of short shorts with “Juicy” across the butt. Who would let their kid out of the house in that? Just don’t buy this stuff for your kids, and the stores will stop selling it.

    Report Post »  
    • bigriks300
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 12:55am

      thank you; it’s ok to put “juciy” across a girls butt and thats not sexist but the somehow the shirt is.

      Report Post »  
    • rowdygirl
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 9:16am

      I agree ! The clothing with “butt words” is way more offensive to me because you’re basically inviting people (mostly men of course) to look at the butt. The silly and sexist sterotype of pretty girls being dumb is wrong, and selling your child as a sexual image is extremely wrong. Parents needs to stop buying these clothes altogether.
      Why would you want your advertise your precious girl anyway??

      Report Post »  
    • Ready2Rumble
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 6:12pm

      I agree. While the shirt is stupid and shouldn’t be yanked, why aren’t the feministas just as angry with the little shirts and tiny micro Daisy Duke shorts (easily hiked up to reveal the bum and leave little to the imagination when viewed from the front as well) the tween/teen girls like to wear? These items are worse than a stupid t-shirt, yet their silence is deafening.

      The problem with teens and tweens dressing like prostitutes, is the lack of involvement on the parents’s behalf. If parents take an interest and say “No!”, we wouldn’t have these issues.

      Report Post » Ready2Rumble  
  • PeachyinGA
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 10:09pm

    I don’t buy the innocent story that a shopper happened to blog on that website and next thing you know she and the website owner were being interviewed by CBS … These Robotrons go looking for trouble at a store they think they can manipulate. They are offended by LIFE, not a t-shirt (and a funny one at that).

    Report Post » PeachyinGA  
    • Servant Of YHVH
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 9:18am

      You got that right peachy! That group is no different than any of the other groups that go around trying to impose what they want upon everybody. They have absolutely no care if it sexist, non-sexist, or whatever. It is only their beliefs that they want everyone to obey as they deem fit.

      Report Post » Servant Of YHVH  
  • cassandra
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 10:08pm

    the progressives are upset over this dumb sweatshirt but 6 and 7 year olds can walk around with the name PINK printed on the butt of their pants ?

    Report Post »  
    • ladykrystyna
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 10:18pm

      AMEN!

      Oh, and they are rather silent on all the honor killings that go on, not only in the ME, but also here in the U.S.

      Report Post »  
    • decendentof56
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 4:51am

      …..And, of course, silent on all the full-term babies that are murdered.

      Report Post »  
  • Auntie izlam
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:57pm

    Too bad the so-called “feminists” of the day don’t react as quickly or as badly to the many atrocities inflicted on muslim women by islam ……FGM, child marriage, inbreeding, pedophilia, multiple wives, slavery , “honor” murders, etc., etc.,

    Report Post »  
  • onegodinkansas
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:47pm

    My sweet wife is a ‘women’s responsibilities’ advocate. Go learn what that means.

    Report Post »  
  • blahntosh
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:41pm

    This is a group that expressed an issue with a company (freedom of speech) and a corporation making a business decision (free enterprise). This is actually an encouraging story. This is American and it’s great a company can sell a “controversial” shirt and then decide not to. God Bless America!

    Report Post » blahntosh  
    • Islesfordian
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 10:29pm

      I have no problem with the shirt being removed. It was demeaning and obnoxious and violent threats were not issued. I wish all such “message” shirts could be removed from general stores. Do we really need to sell kids clothing that degrades one another? Proclaiming something you believe in, even if it offends some, is one thing. Making stupid jokes just to be offensive just degrades our culture and shouldn’t be encouraged.

      Report Post » Islesfordian  
    • blahntosh
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 10:40pm

      I think it is up to the business to decide what they want to sell. If we don’t want our kids buying it that is our choice as parents.

      Report Post » blahntosh  
  • sooner12
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:37pm

    All I know is that I’ve never seen an attractive feminist. Just saying…….

    Report Post »  
    • lcassavaugh
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 7:44am

      LOL!! :) – I’m a woman and I totally agree with you!

      Report Post »  
    • Git-R-Done
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 6:51pm

      Maybe that‘s the main reason why they’re upset over this shirt, lol.

      I‘m a female and I don’t find that shirt offensive.

      Report Post »  
  • mcmeador
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:23pm

    The idea that it’s sexist is pretty stupid, but the shirt is also pretty stupid. I don’t agree with teaching girls to be little snobs and glorifying that attitude. It’s not cute, and it’s not funny. Parents need to teach their children humility.

    Report Post »  
  • Just-sayin
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:18pm

    I saw that tee shirt in the store while shopping for my girls school clothes. My daughters laughed and I used it as a teaching moment. I said… “Yes girls you ARE lovely, but it’s not enough to be pretty, or even smart. You must also be wise as well as kind. Now tell me how is it “wise” not to learn as much as you can your short time on this earth? And tell me how is it “kind” to allow someone else to do your work for you because you don’t feel like it?” … Honestly I didn’t like the shirt either when I saw it, but unlike feminist of today I know it takes a wise woman to raise strong, secure women. Pressuring political correctness does not make our girls strong only creates insecure bullies. I choose to teach our girls that real power belongs in being feminine. I know of no man that wouldn’t move heaven and earth for the approval of a confident, beautiful, wise, loving lady. Now THAT’S real power.

    Report Post »  
    • Steverino
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 10:43pm

      Just Sayin-
      Bravo! The only adjustment I would make is LOVE and approval.
      Nicely put.
      Steve

      Report Post »  
  • SHOWMESTATEGUY
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:15pm

    First let me say the shirt is dumb. Would not let my daughter wear it even if she had wanted to. She wouldn’t have. But the idea that the feminist blogoshere can mobilize around an issue if they chose to seems to be the issue here. They seem to be very quiet when liberal’s vilify conservative women but are quick to denounce something like this. Can’t have it both ways ladies. Like it or not their are a lot of conservative women in America and if you condemn a stupid idea that concerns women then condemn all stupid ideas that concern women. The left is losing and this is just one of many reasons why.

    Report Post »  
  • Bonnieblue2A
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:12pm

    Where the old ‘libbers upset that Chaz Bono might wear the T-shirt on “Dancing”?

    Report Post »  
  • endgamer
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:07pm

    Geez, I know women that are too pretty to do alot of things.. They keep 5 or 6 guys on a string as their honey do’s and have relations with dozens of other men they choose. The honey do’s are the guys that fix the car, watches her kids, repairs things around her house, takes her to diner BUT they’re not the one she sleeps with.. The ones she sleeps with do nothing.. It is what the US has turned into. Marriage has turned into legalized prostitution. Ever been divorced?

    Report Post » endgamer  
  • abbygirl1994
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:06pm

    You have got to be kidding me?? The Women rights activist have fluff for brains.. I did not find that offensive in any way. I hope those who bought them wears them proudly.. What has this country come to.. I am beginning to think that the American people need to vote on everything that comes forth.. its the only way to shut these idiots down!! I’d be glad to step into a voting booth weekly..

    Report Post » abbygirl1994  
  • Goodgriefgeezlouise
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:03pm

    I think we are missing the real problem here..I mean who is it that has to do the homework?..Are men slaves to women?..Just because they are men?..lol..Really..Is this worth even a comment?..Geesh!

    Report Post »  
  • NOMOBIGDRAMANOBAMA
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:54pm

    These pinko types don’t mind you killing babies but are offended by a t-shirt? Duh? This isn’t the country I grew up in!

    Report Post »  
    • TXPilot
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:02pm

      Um……why would people get so upset over this rather innocent shirt, when stores are still selling all those hotpants that have the words printed across the rear end?

      Report Post » TXPilot  
  • Captain Crunch
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:54pm

    Radical bulldager women are so insecure! They must not like what they see in the mirror so they try to impose their insecurity on other women. Lose some lard, get a face lift, and get your teeth fixed.

    Report Post »  
  • KickinBack
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:50pm

    Not a scaddily clad piece of cloth. Not written on the behind quarters. What’s wrong with it?

    Report Post » KickinBack  
    • sundaisy91
      Posted on September 2, 2011 at 12:30am

      Not nearly as bad as the Tshirt i saw a 5 year old girl wearing that said “I’m a hot mess”. Even the 20-something girls i work with thought that was way inappropriate for a 5 year old. One even made the comment that “it is just asking for a child predator to snag her up”.

      Report Post »  
  • ProbIemSoIver
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:43pm

    They are not in business to be a social role model. They are in business to make profits and give the customer want they want. Obviously someone felt this shirt would be popular, and would bring a return on their investment. Unfortunately, a third-party person or group got in the way of freedom and free enterprise. Tell these self-righteous, pathetic liberals to stay at home and make sure they keep the house clean for their master, and have the food on the table when he walks in the door.

    Report Post » ProbIemSoIver  
    • beans bullets and bandaids
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:58pm

      “They are not in business to be a social role model. They are in business to make profits and give the customer want they want.”

      This is what I am thinking, too. Sales should be the determining factor on this shirt. It’s not vulgar or racist or “phobic”. If it sells, great! If not, drop it. I would have my girls pass on it, but others should be able to buy it if they want. Too bad they caved in to these folks.

      Report Post »  
    • Virgil_Lance
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:11pm

      They wouldn’t be able to cook and clean for their master………..unless they worked at the White House!

      Report Post » Virgil_Lance  
    • ShyLow
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:13pm

      I like the signs with alpha and omega on them in the store…I mean AZ for Arizona jeans…I hear they sell Levi 501 jeans also…Come on blaze hook me up with Glenn…I have tangible evidence…I’ve sent my email and phone # in your tip box

      Report Post » ShyLow  
  • standpat
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:41pm

    Just what we need promote more Barbies and less brains, we all know how pretty and no brains make a living …. LMAO…

    Report Post » standpat  
    • one years food ration like glenn says
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:47pm

      Imagine if this was the only thing you would have to worry about.. Ppfffttt..

      Report Post » one years food ration like glenn says  
    • Captain Crunch
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:50pm

      Barbie is a nice girl, leave her alone. I don’t have a problem with the shirt. I‘d say it’s an accurate description of what comes out of our public schools.

      Report Post »  
  • copatriots
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:38pm

    I wonder how quickly they‘ll get moving on protesting burkas and women’s rights under the coming shariah dress code & laws.

    Report Post »  
    • Bill from NJ
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:46pm

      Ditto; You took the words right from my mouth….

      Report Post » Bill from NJ  
    • FORLORNHOPE
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 9:29pm

      Me too

      Report Post »  
    • Sr Newk
      Posted on September 1, 2011 at 11:49pm

      These liberal women activist organization don’t have a hair on their t^shes to show us that they can really do anything about the down grading and mistreatment of Muslim women. I mean it is quite evident with the silence from these liberal women activist they really don’t give a rats butt what happens to young Muslim women who are literally treated worse the their so called radical husbands dog. I love animals so don’t go off the deep end, but when the middle east Muslim man of the house hold provides better care for his dogs then he does for his wives, something is definitely wrong. These women activist really like to mouth off and BS stores into giving in to their desires, and that is all there is. So if there is a true liberated women activist organization out is reading this comment and who really gives a da#n about them, then speak out and do something that really has meaning and is truly worthwhile.

      Report Post » Sr Newk  
  • TH30PH1LUS
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:35pm

    Do I really live in the same world with people who have time to protest a T-shirt?

    Report Post » TH30PH1LUS  
  • kourage
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:32pm

    Overreacting maybe? And do you have homework when you’re 7?

    Report Post » kourage  
  • Elena2010
    Posted on September 1, 2011 at 8:30pm

    So what! If a kid finds it funny and wants to wear it, it’s not obscene. What is the big deal?

    Report Post » Elena2010  
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