By Diana Falzone from foxnews.com
Target is facing some heat from some shoppers who said it is selling T-shirt in its juniors department emblazoned with the words ”Trophy,” ”Mrs.” and “This is my backstage pass.”
Several women posted shots of what they say are shirt racks at the department store stocking the shirts in question.
Some critics are now slamming the tees as anti-woman. A Change.org petition called ”Stop Selling Sexist ‘Trophy’ Shirt That Demeans Women” has a couple hundred signatures. But are these shirts really that big a deal?
Jen Groover, a motivational speak and author of, ”What If? & Why Not,” says the tees indeed depict women negatively.
“The general use of the term ‘trophy wife’ in our society, is meant as a demeaning term toward the woman and a symbolic ‘high-five’ toward the man for scoring outside of his zone,” Groover told FOX411. “I would prefer seeing more positive statements that are empowering for myself, my daughters and all women.”
But not everyone agrees.
”The word has a different connotation to people. I have many girlfriends who are single that are human rights activists, lawyers, teachers, and doctors who I would call ‘trophies’ because I believe men would be so lucky to know them,” said Wendy Diamond, creator of the Women’s Entrepreneuship Day held at the United Nations.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Chloe Carmichael agrees, saying says she works “with women on a daily basis who want the men in their lives to pursue them and show enthusiasm for winning them over in relationship, so it makes perfect sense that they want to celebrate being a prize that he has worked hard to win. We have to remember that the women are calling themselves the trophy, and they’re actually in control.”
She also pointed out that the ”Mrs.” shirt is not demeaning in the least.
”Being a wife demonstrates that the man in your life has ‘forsaken all others’ as the vows usually indicate,” Carmichael said. “So actually, the woman wearing the ‘Mrs’ T-shirt is celebrating that the man in her life has chosen her exclusively above all others.”
Target is defending itself against its detractors, saying the shirts were not for juniors, and are just meant for fun.
”It is never our intention to offend anyone and we always appreciate receiving feedback form our guests,” a Target rep said in a statement. “The shirt you’re describing is part of a collection of engagement and wedding shirts that are available in our women’s and plus size departments. The collection also included shirts that say ‘Team Bride,’ ‘Mrs.’ and ‘Bride.’ These shirts are intended as a fun wink and we have received an overwhelmingly positive response from our guests.”
President and CEO of 5WPR Ronn Torossian said of the controversy: ”It seems like a lot of noise about nothing. Target is one of the largest companies in the world, selling thousands of products, seems like an overreaction which will go nowhere quickly.”
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