Collective Shout supporter Amy Fletcher notified Collective Shout today of a pencil case her teacher boyfriend came across in his classroom.
While City Beach has a long history as a misogynist corporate offender – which is why they feature on our ‘Cross ‘Em off your Xmas list’ blacklist of corporate sexist offenders – even we were surprised that the store was now flogging porn-inspired pencil cases to 12-13 year olds. Keep your pens together – and promote sexism! – for only $19.99.
Imagine what would happen if a teacher downloaded or decorated his office wall with the same images. But hypersexualised images on student’s school items are apparently exempt. These images are a form of sexual harassment for schoolgirls and re-enforce a message they receive daily from media, advertising and popular culture that they are merely objects for male gratification and pleasure. They are also harassing to female teachers.
Collective Shout has details on where to complain.
See also ‘Does the Human Rights Commission really care about gender equality?’
10 Responses
As if sexual objectification on a t-shirt wasn’t enough! Now you can buy the pencil case! I’ve sent City Beach an email voicing my concerns, next step Anti-Discrimination Commission Qld who defines sexual harassment as “the display of clearly sexual material (such as photos, pin-ups or pictures) or reading matter (such as e-mails, faxes or letters)” – Imagine the uproar if a male teacher brought this pencil case to school!!! It would be incredibly creepy and he’d be called a paedophile – so why is City Beach allowed to market soft-porn to kids?
I agree completely at the total unsuitability of the pencil case and applaud the young teacher for bringing it to the attention of authorities.
I think we have a lot of work to do with parents on what is suitable for their children to bring to school, however, to some extent the schools can be victims too. I am aware of a situation where the parents made a lot od trouble for a school which permanently confiscated a KNIFE taken to school a second time by a child. It had been temporarily confiscated once and brought to the parent’s knowledge that it was not permitted. Just how far can schools go?
I think this young male teacher may be a great role model for both boys and girls in his class if he tells the students he disapproves of the pencil case and she needs to keep it permanently in her bag. Perhaps he can provide a plastic shopping bag for her pens in class.
this is what I sent to “unit”
“I am told that you are the “brains” behind the porn styled pencil cases being sold at city beach. These pencil cases are now being taken to school by 13yr old boys…
You are contributing to the pornification of young children and society. You are promoting the sexualisation and objectification of women and girls. You are promoting the sexual harassment of female teachers and students.
Shame on you!
I will do my best to get these removed!”
someone on city beach site said it wasn’t city beaches fault as they just stock them! LOL
they suggested I take it up with unit… so I did!
This is so disgusting. It is pushing the idea to young males that women are just good for their sexual gratification. Women everywhere need to know their worth and stand up against this type of oppression!!!
Thats just horrible. Girls at that young age are so easily affected. I know at that age the media and people at school alone had me thinking I was fat and inadequate and to this day I still battle with this. Is is disgusting to have this thrust upon young girls so early on. And people wonder why children of the next generation are growing up so quickly. And that’s coming from a 21 yr old…
Who’d pay $20 for a pencil-case anyway? This is seriously uncool!
Great point Verina! I have also just emailed Unit clothing brand and complained about their pencil case (and their misogyny in general).
There’s a matching tshirt on CB’s website which I saw in their Fremantle store recently! I find their tshirts just as offensive as this pencil case. When they hang them at the front of their stores and in the window display, myself and my children are exposed to them. Plus the fact that they are tshirts means that the general public has NO choice about how/when/if we (and our kids) are exposed to them!! How can these images, which are pornographic in nature be allowed to be for general sale??!!!! Why can we not get rid of them??!!
I volunteer at my sons high school canteen and have this brand of t shirt pushed in my face when the boys (mainly in the 15-18 age group) have a mufti day. I don’t like it and sometimes will ask a boy if he can be more considerate of himself and all women and make some wiser choices.
I’m sorry but where are the parents in all this in allowing their daughter to purchase and use such a pencil case? Once again, parents are absolved of any responsibility. No wonder why our children do the things they do when parents refuse to take responsibility for the upbringing of their own children.