M&S calls young girls 'things'

[lcakethereforeIam]

This isn't just any misogyny, this is...

https://archive.ph/6XLUT

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/03/ms-trans-row-advertising-girls-first-bras-for-young-things/

Eta link

Bev Turner, a GB News presenter, nailed it saying

“It is not the job of our daughters to make confused boys in bras feel better about themselves"

M&S have apologised, the fuckers.

I don't get this at all.
Isn't "bright young things" a well known phrase? That's how I would have read it.

It says:

’First bras for fearless young things’

which does sound pretty dehumanising..

Not to me.

same

i think they attempted to be ‘cool’ to get around the inclusive language issue. I think this is a fail though.

I really don’t see what you’re seeing. It’s just a play on bright young things surely. Maybe a bit clumsy but definitely not offensive.

I think this is a fuss about nothing - I agree with the PPs about "bright young things" and the use of the word "thing" in general. Has none of you ever said or heard someone say "She's a sweet little thing, isn't she?" or similar?

It WAS a well known (pre war?) phrase. I doubt whether many of the girls buying their first bra in 2024 will have heard of it. So either way it's a marketing fail.

Is it supposed to be scary for girls to develop breast tissue, then?

I mean, if they had the slightest inkling of what lay ahead for them I could understand girls being absolutely terrified, but I certainly wouldn't make it my entire marketing strategy - that is really giving the game away about growing up female.

Suppose that's the whole idea and reasoning behind the slogan, though. They're about to be dropped into the Lion's Den - they just don't know it.

Oh stop it. It's a play on the phrase bright, young things. It's not dehumanising. Presumably you have an issue with the online retailer Pretty Little Thing too?

Of course it's a play on 'bright young things'. But bright young things covers both girls and boys - sex is irrelevant. Only sex is not irrelevant in this case. They are specifically referring to girls as 'things'. That posters can even be read as calling girls' breasts 'things'.

“Bright young things” works fine as a reference point - notwithstanding it’s somewhat derogatory roots- if you need a reference point that is applicable to male and female.

Bras are very specifically female and so there was no reason to employ a sex neutral term.

Aside from the negative Bloomsbury connotation, that has caused “thing” to continue as a pejorative, we have a better word for describing the category of “fearless” persons looking for their first bra. It’s “girls”.

This

I think you're wanting it both ways.

If a man doesn't become a woman by putting on a dress etc (I agree) then dresses and bras are not clothes for women and girls, they are clothes for anyone who wants them.

So no I don't want bra adverts that say that bras are fir girls. It's not M&S's job to police who buys their clothes. Anyone who wants to buy them can do so. Of any sex or gender. Let clothes be clothes.

And "thing" isn't dehumanising. "Bright Young Things" is a well known phrase describing the cohort of youth about to burst forth into adulthood any minute now.

Bursting forth into adulthood? Aged 9 or 10?

It's a bit premature in my opinion, but maybe there are some male marketing executives who would beg to differ.

Agreed

International Bright Young Things! Brings me back to the 90s. It doesn’t feel like an attempt to be gender neutral, more kind of whimsical. Gender neutral phrases are usually hideously convoluted and decidedly unwhimsical. Partner with eggs, person who menstruates etc. Human being who may or may not grow mammaries.

Personally, yes. I would prefer not to be called a thing

Don't know why they have used this odd phrase, but surely there is no reason to imagine that it is to avoid saying women/females/girls? If it was, they could have gone with 'fearless young people'.

The 'things' thing is just weird. Some not-so-bright young thing at an advertising agency probably has a rationale of some sort.

i thought ‘pretty little thing’ mean pretty dresses and jewellery etc

in which case ‘thing’ is completely correct

Whichever pp asked the question about Pretty Little Thing - yes IMO it’s a terrible brand name and I do have a problem with its objectifying connotations.

Yes exactly.

You / GB news woman are creating an issue where none exists OP

Only about a kitten maybe!

Do you have to be fearless to wear a bra? I don't understand the point of the words. Young things is not a nice phrase and I strongly suspect that M and S are trying to be cool while hiding behind the message.

What will they have next ? Bras for the " old things" ?