Courtesy Walmart"Now little boy, you can grow up to be anything you want. A doctor. A lawyer. A superhero, even! That's right, you could grow up to be the next Batman, and most people will accept it because you're not Ben Affleck. Long story, but people were pissed.
What's that, little girl? You want to be a superhero, too? Nope! You can, however, grow up to date or marry Superman or Batman. Isn't that neat? Now get back in the kitchen and make Bruce Wayne a sandwich."
Yeah, we made up that little conversation, but that's basically the message Target and Walmart is sending to young boys and girls with their latest line of hero wear.
Both retailers have come under fire recently for their new line of DC Comics licensed clothing that carries a rather sexist message: boys can be superheroes, but girls can only date them.
Walmart, who is busy insisting that the reason one of their trucks slammed into Tracy Morgan's van is the fact that some people might not have been wearing seatbelts because logic, is selling a Junior's shirt that reads in bright pink lettering, "Training to be Batman's wife."
Wow, @DCComics. These are licensed shirts. You didn't think these were bad ideas? At any point? pic.twitter.com/S8p8VgpHTq
? Alan Sizzler Kistler (@SizzlerKistler) September 29, 2014Also for sale is a Superman shirt that shows him clutching Wonder Woman to his chest and kissing her with a bubble that reads "Score! Superman does it again." That photo is taken from the cover of a Justice League comic book, but we still hate it. We hate both shirts, to be quite honest.
And on the week that Marvel's female Thor debuts? Tsk-tsk. One of these comic dynasties is not like the other, and not just because Marvel has Joss Whedon and the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy and DC has…well, we'll see what they have in 2016.
DC Comics has responded to the outrage over the Walmart shirts, and they agree that the message the clothing is sending is pretty terrible, saying in a statement to CBR News:
"DC Comics is home to many of the greatest male and female Super Heroes in the world. 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."
Meanwhile, shoppers have spotted these superhero-themed baby PJ's at Target's in Canada:
Please RT this sexist set of baby jammies from Target. Boys can be heroes; girls can date heroes. #target #sexism pic.twitter.com/44bbIGDIqP
? Aimée Morrison (@digiwonk) September 29, 2014The boy pajamas read: "Future Man of Steel," underneath the Superhero logo while the girl pajamas read: "I only date heroes" with the same logo. Oof. No.
Target spokeswoman Kalynn Crump said in an email to CBC News regarding the shirts: "Target strives to treat all our guests with respect, and it is never our intent to offend anyone. 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."
She also stated that Target didn't "have any plans to make adjustments to our assortment at this time."
If that's the case, may we made suggestions for some new slogans to put on future shirts skewed toward superhero-loving kids?
For girls:
•"Training to be Wonder Woman."
•"Training to be Supergirl."
•"Future Batwoman and I will kick Batman's ass."
•"I'll be the Man of Steel myself; I don't want to marry him because he probably has commitment issues."
•"I will do whatever I damn well please when I grow up."
For boys:
•"Future Mr. Wonder Woman."
•"When I grow up I would be honored to support my female spouse in her career."
Some of those shirts are less catchy than others, but you get the idea.