OMFG! Topman glamourising domestic violence.

[FlamingoBingo]

Just shocking!

This made me think of a tiny boy I saw today, about 2 years old who was wearing a tshirt that said "lock up your daughters"!

It's just a T-shirt. I think if someone is going to be abusive a T-Shirt slogan will make no difference. It's obviously meant to be light-hearted, but a bit contraversial. And my life was ruined by DV. Freedom of speech people!

t shirts arent causal but are bad taste.no one is going to beat woman on basis of a slogan but its tasteless

great IBTP article about freedom of speech

Anything other than zero tolerance of domestic violence contributes to a culture of shrugging acceptance of it as an occupational hazard of being in a relationship, particularly for women.

I think puts it nicely!

I see it's been removed from sale... and the other one. What were they thinking of, and they stock size XXS, and how many of us take our early teen sons to Topman to get clothes. How can they let such a glaring mistake through the buying process...

Welcome back morrissey - hope you had a nice hol
Good on yer DP !

Absolutely beyond disgusting.. misogynistic sexist bile

I can't see it - what does it say? The link seems to have been removed.

My first thought was the guy had cheated.

Ds2 bought this t-shirt online. I didn't see it until he got back from school on friday (he wore it for non uniform day because it's red). He genuinely thought it was stupid excuses, and didn't know it had anything to do with domestic violence until I explained it to him - and he is devastated that he wore it.

He's 16, maybe a bit naive, is lucky enough not to know anyone who's suffered DV, and simply did not make the connection. He's not a fuckwit or stupid, but has the greatest respect for women and girls. I feel for him, that he's had to learn this lesson this way, and am horrified that this shirt was ever available for anyone to buy.

I fully sympathise SDT . I told DS1(14) about the t-shirt and asked him what he thought of it. He too thought it was a list of stupid excuses that men would make (in his case it thought it might have something to do with sex...), but when I explained that they were the most common excuses that men use to 'justify' DV he was horrified - kept asking why Topshop would sell them.

I honestly don't understand how people can think "you provoked me" is a silly, innocent excuse.

Maybe it's just because of my own experiences, but the phrase makes me shudder. How can there be anything innocent about the word 'provoke'?

I can't see what was said on the tee shirt as the page was blank when i clicked on the link. I'm not keen on anything to do with Philip Green as he supports that skanky druggie Kate Moss!

I saw a man in the supermarket the other day wearing a t-shirt which said 'Dead girls don't say no' ..wish I'd said something to him.

I can only answer for ds2, Leo. He hasn't had the experiences you have had, nor does he know anyone who's had those experiences. Maybe he thought it was a stupid excuse for thumping your brother - and yes, violence is still unacceptable if it is between siblings, but he wouldn't see that as being in anywhere near the same league as domestic violence of the sort you are thinking of. Maybe he is naive - he probably is. He is certainly lucky not to have been touched by experiences like yours. But I am absolutely sure that he had no idea how that shirt could be viewed.

I am raising my boys to respect other people, and to know that violence is not the solution, and I had a talk to ds2 about the implications of what was written on his shirt - and as I said, he was genuinely devastated that he'd been wearing something so offensive all day.

DV is still brushed under the carpet and hushed up - which is probably why many young men would wear it not fully appreciating or understand the context. To them it would be a 'laugh'. I can't understand why the TopShop execs thought this would be funny in anyway though

More than one person must have been involved in drawing up this design and approving it, and it beggars belief that no-one realised how offensive these 'excuses' could be .

Agree - what (if anything) went through their minds? Were they trying to be 'edgy' and when it backfired spectacularly, decided to blame it on 'misunderstood' humour?

lycheemartini

Absolutely repulsive.

SDT - good on you for explaining to DS.

Sorry SDT my comment wasn't directed to you personally or your DS, more a general wonderment.

Don't worry, Leo - it's OK. I just wish that this crass and horrid piece of clothing hadn't appeared to re-open the scars that you and others in your situation carry.