Abercrombie T-Shirts Promote Drinking. Not Really
While Abercrombie & Fitch will explain it away as some sort of reverse psychology, others think the new alcohol themed t-shirts promote underage drinking. With slogans like "Sotally Tober," "If you can read this, you need another cocktail" and "Bad girls chug. Good girls drink quickly," there's no hiding the message. However, no kid is going to wear a shirt that says, "Gee, drinking is really bad. You shouldn't do it." At least these shirts might spark discussion about drinking and older folks ought to realize most kids aren't stupid enough to think A & F would promote drinking any more than they would promote Nazism.
Comments
I'm against censorship. And I have a well-known sense of humor. And I know that kids will be kids, which means many (or most) will drink before reaching the age of majority. And I am a parent of two wonderfully well-adjusted, wise young children.
But these shirts raise an interesting challenge. As any parent knows -- kids are easily influenced by fashion. And words do have meaning. In this case, there is the clear meaning of challenging norms and daring others to drink up.
If we want to raise a kids who think and talk more about drinking, giving them these shirts will help. If we'd rather they think about something else, we can (1) leave these shirts on the shelves and (2) encourage them toward more important subjects.
My suggestions aren't foolproof. And kids need to live in the real world. But what would a parent be thinking when s/he silently shrugs when her/his child wears such a shirt?
Hoax.
If your kid wants to wear the shirt, embrace the opportunity for discussion. Denial or prohibition will only enhance everything you're afraid of. And if you can't talk about the issue, you've already failed.
Or...the waning beer market has prompted some behind-closed-doors partnerships; do I smell Anheuser & Finch?
Can I just say I love drinkies almost as much as I love zee ladies?