Ah, yes, well. J. Crew toenail story. Blah blah blah…marketing photo with Mom and young boy, whose toenails are pink. Both seem to be having fun. Blah blah blah…media makes it out to be erosion of society as we know it, popularization of gender dysphoria, and license to marginalization of pretty much every human on Earth.
What the hell, America? Seriously? This is the cataclysm about which you’re gonna get your panties in a twist?
[Just reading the implication that you wear panties made you question your masculinity? Time for purchase of a life, my ignorant and intolerant non-friend.]
Regular readers know my 5 year old paints his nails with his Dad every weekend. They vary color, they vary number of nails painted. But generally, Peanut paints all twenty digits and Spouse paints twelve (all toes plus thumbs). You also know I think this is a delightful bit of bonding that teaches both of them to do what they enjoy rather than what they’re supposed to do. Because there are enough supposed tos in life, it’s never too young to learn to ignore the lame rules.
And most rules are lame.
Or at least as arbitrary as gender clothing rules.
So now an allegedly large number of Americans are allegedly all frothy and twitching because painting nails gives one a severe case of gender dysphoria? Nails are somehow directly linked to your soul, and said soul can flipflop identity based on social expectation? What if that little boy’s soul happens to know that 60 years ago, boys were dressed in pink and girls were in blue because pink was deemed too strong a color for the allegedly weaker gender?
I don’t know. Seems as though The Daily Show has it covered. If not, I’m guessing Panderbear does.
But I still wonder: couldn’t we pay this much attention to banks and oil companies and food growers and food manufacturers and air traffic controllers instead? (Okay, maybe not the air traffic people. I’m a sleepy human and refuse to judge those who are forced to fight biorhythms for their jobs. Cuz I feel their pain, yo.)
NaptimeWriting 
Absolutely. The ridiculousness baffles the mind. And put in the context of all the things NOT getting attention, it is one more case of alleged gender dysphoria to the rescue of evil war-mongering gazillionaire interests.
Jon Stewart did cover it, and he did a hilarious job of it. I think people focus on that silly stuff to try to distract them from the real flotsam and jetsam that’s going on in this country.
Thank you for writing this. I was disgusted with the coverage of that ad. A boy painting his nails? Who the F cares????????
A father of twins in our first grade joined his daughters at the PJ party we just hosted at the school. Did he sit in the corner? Nope. He got right in there and painted his nails with his girls because all he wanted to do was bond with them. The next morning he stood on the sideline of the soccer field clapping his hands with his rainbow nails cheering on his girls as they got muddy and sweaty. Is that a problem? I don’t think so. Nail polish, mud, and sweat. Gender stereotypes be gone.
If anything I’m peeved at J.Crew for selling that shirt for $65. Or for using young women that look like they are made from the same curve-less mold as models.
Dumbphuck privileged straighties don’t wants THEIR BOYS getting all gayed up from your boys playing with girly shit. They say Teh Gay starts with nail polish, princess crowns, earrings, and high heels. Teh horror! Doom! Impending Doom!
Yes, everyone could be paying more attention to the bank criminals and the oil assholes, but it’s alot easier and cheaper to pick on a 5 yo boy to make sure he stays a boy. The patriarchy needs more male sheep, and dammit, they aren’t gonna let nail polish ruin the line between male and not-male. The Nail Polish Police will be inspecting feet with the TSA if this shit gets out of hand (pun intended).
Right on. :) Did you see Peggy O’Mara’s response to the pink nail polish catastrophe?
http://mothering.com/peggyomara/in-the-news/pink-toenails
Oh, nap, I so agree with you. Oh, god, not a little boy that likes to paint his toes and paint them PINK. Let’s rattle up the cage so everyone will forget about the real criminals and that there are some evil jerks out there ruining our country. Ugh! Thank God for The Daily Show.
Amen! What difference does it make? We have far bigger issues to deal with than pink nail polish and overpriced articles of clothing…
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I absolutely do not get this.
Rihanna’s S&M song a mere year or so after her very public domestic abuse nightmare rules the radio and iTunes and records store sales, despite the hypocracy and horror of it all, yet nary a word is said. Yet non-permanent pink painted toenail cause this much hullabaloo?
I’m very confused.