Twitter row over ‘sexist’ superhero kids’ clothes
Baby gros and junior T-shirts on sale in Walmart and Target suggest boys can be superheros but girls can only date them
Two different ranges of DC Comics-licensed superhero clothing for children, on sale in the US and Canada, have been slammed for being offensively sexist.
The first, a line of Superman baby onesies on sale in Target in Canada. comes with different messages, depending on whether your buy the onesie for a girl or the onesie for a boy.
"I only date heroes," the (pink, obvs) girl's one reads; "Future man of steel," the (blue) boys' one says.
As soon as they went on sale, people started tweeting their outrage. "Please RT this sexist set of baby jammies from Target. Boys can be heroes; girls can date heroes. #target#sexism," tweeted Aimee Morrison, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
"It is never our intent to offend anyone," responded Target spokeswoman Kalynn Crump in an email to CBC News . "We appreciate the feedback we've received and will continue to listen to our guests to ensure we offer merchandise that appeals to, and reflects, our diverse guest population."
But, she added, Target didn't "have any plans to make adjustments to our assortment at this time".
Batman's wife
Meanwhile, an older girl's T-shirt spotted for sale on the Junior section of the Walmart website has also caused offence.
"Training to be Batman’s wife," the shirt reads in bright pink letters.
"Wow, @DCComics. These are licensed shirts. You didn't think these were bad ideas? At any point?," comic book fan Alan Sizzler Kistler tweeted.
After a public outcry over the clothing, DC Comics sent an official response to Comic Book Resources.
"DC Comics is home to many of the greatest male and female Super Heroes in the world," it read. "All our fans are incredibly important to us, and we understand that the messages on certain t-shirts are offensive. We agree. Our company is committed to empowering boys and girls, men and women, through our characters and stories. Accordingly, we are taking a look at our licensing and product design process to ensure that all our consumer products reflect our core values and philosophy."
Despite this, both sets of clothing are still available.
What do you think of the shirts? Would you let your child wear them? Let us know in the comments below.
Photos: Twitter / Aimee Morrison and Walmart
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