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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Lightinthebox.com sells "Wife Beater" vests

48 replies

muggleaunt · 02/11/2019 23:50

Surely they can't think this is okay?

I was going to buy kids t-shirt from there, but changed my mind when I noticed their "Wife Beater" merchandise.

Lightinthebox.com sells "Wife Beater" vests
OP posts:
Branleuse · 02/11/2019 23:51

Thats whst they call them in america. Horrid isnt it

exexpat · 02/11/2019 23:53

It is not a nice name for them, but it is a common term for them in some parts of the world - Google it. I wouldn't advertise them that way, but I don't think they are actually promoting DV.

IsabelleSE19 · 02/11/2019 23:55

That is awful. What if you replaced the 'wife' bit with any other class of person? Would be totally unacceptable and so is this, regardless of it being a slang term.

Greyhound22 · 02/11/2019 23:58

Yeah it's vile OP.

Have you emailed them?

exexpat · 02/11/2019 23:58

I would send them some feedback - there are lots of other ways they could describe white vests.

OytheBumbler · 03/11/2019 00:00

Wtf?
I've never heard of this term. This is not acceptable.

KnowMenClature · 03/11/2019 00:02

Do they sell child beater vests and cat beater vests, and police beater vests, no I bet they don't. I just can't believe this is a thing.

shall avoid this seller, going on my black list.

How revolting.

GooGoo52 · 03/11/2019 00:02

That's a slang term for them in America. They could describe them as Chav vests. Would that be better?

AthollPlace · 03/11/2019 00:04

It’s always been called that and nobody has ever complained. Imo people are just looking for something to be offended about.

KnowMenClature · 03/11/2019 00:05

You're not being serious right. Also a revolting expression and judgement.

FionaOgre · 03/11/2019 00:08

It's a genuine name for them in the US. I definitely agree that it's horrendous. It's a slang term that became commonplace. It's from a movie where Marlon Brando's character wore when drunk and beating on his missus.

CarolCutrere · 03/11/2019 00:10

It’s always been called that and nobody has ever complained. Imo people are just looking for something to be offended about

They haven't always been called that. They used to be just called vests. Many people have complained and find them offensive.

I actually feel sorry for anyone who is so lacking in understanding(alternatively thick) to see how awful the name is.

KnowMenClature · 03/11/2019 00:18

I am really surprised that any woman would not be offended by something so deeply mysogynistic as this.

Its a worry to be sure. Hmm

ErrolTheDragon · 03/11/2019 00:19

They've always been called sleeveless vests by civilised people.

Or just vests or vest tops.

Pretty much exactly the same style exists for women, they manage not to give those a horribly misogynistic name, don't they?Hmm

CarolCutrere · 03/11/2019 00:27

They've always been called sleeveless vests by civilised people

I recall an unprompted conversation with my teenage son where he raised how awful the name is.

Chloe84 · 03/11/2019 01:19

Even Amazon UK are at it

www.amazon.co.uk/Premium-Cotton-Shirt-Beater-Ribbed/dp/B00URXL2UW?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Maybe we should rename womens tank tops 'husband beaters'

GooGoo52 · 03/11/2019 01:35

"They've always been called sleeveless vests by civilised people."... OMG, please remove the stick from your ass. Do you people have nothing else going on in your life? The fact that you are offended by a slang term for a vest is ridiculous. Don't buy from the company if you're offended. Jesus, it's a vest.

LadyVioletChiltern · 03/11/2019 01:44

I will get deleted for this but how thick does one to have to be not to understand how offensive this name is?

How completely lacking in comprehension does one have to be to fail to understand this trivialises and normalises violence against women.

BritWifeinUSA · 03/11/2019 01:54

My husband calls them this - he’s American born and raised. He also calls them “sling shots”. It’s a nickname because redneck men wear them with nothing on top of them. They are different than the vests you might wear under a shirt for warmth in the winter. They are thicker and ribbed. Are you seriously thinking of buying them? If not, move on and forget about them. If you are, you might want to have a word with yourself. No one with any class wears them.

SemperIdem · 03/11/2019 01:57

It’s an Americanism based on their own (very real) class system.

I first heard it as a teenager whilst watching The OC

Jimmers · 03/11/2019 01:59

WTAF? Those who don’t have an issue with the name, how would you feel if it was called a child beater, or a gay beater, or a [insert race of choice] beater? Would that stil be acceptable?

TiceCream · 03/11/2019 02:08

They've always been called sleeveless vests by civilised people
Surely if it wasn’t sleeveless it wouldn’t be a vest anyway - it would be a T-shirt. Also it’s an American term - they use the word vest to refer to a waistcoat, so obviously they wouldn’t call this particular garment a vest. It would be called an undershirt (worn under a shirt) or a wifebeater (worm without a shirt on top).

CountFosco · 03/11/2019 06:47

@muggleaunt provide a proper link so people can complain. It's an offensive slang term that trivialises domestic violence and companies shouldn't be using it when selling products. The perpetuation and acceptance of terms like this contributes to a cycle of male violence that we need to break.

Shutupseaguls · 03/11/2019 06:57

I don't think it's acceptable for it to be advertised that way but people do sometimes use slang like this when I was at college Stella was always known as a can of wife beater. Looking back it was a pretty awful thing to call it but at the time it didn't even cross my mind. Then again I didn't drink so didn't often talk about it.

DeathBySnuSnu · 03/11/2019 07:01

Dear lord, it's taking the piss out of the kind of man that wears them not victims of domestic violence.