In early April we wrote about youth retailer Jay Jays selling 'porn tees' - T-shirts with porn inspired images of sexually objectified women printed on the front. The T-shirt range for young men shows women as faceless, headless and labelled "Dirty".
A Jay Jays representative responded to complaints by stating that future orders for the T-shirts would be cancelled. We questioned whether in-store stock would be binned and were informed Jay Jays would continue to "sell through the remaining stock" (AKA continue to profit off the sexploitation of women's bodies).
But six weeks has now passed. How much longer will Jay Jays continue to push these pornified tees onto young men? We've continued to receive photographs of porn tees on sale in Jay Jays stores across the country. This one was taken this week at Eastland:
Scroll down to see more tees that Jay Jay's are pushing to young men.
Jay Jays states its target market is 'young men and women aged 16-18.' Continuing to sell this sexual exploitation merchandise to young people demonstrates a disturbing commitment to promoting and reinforcing sexism and gender inequality.
Why is this important?
Sexual objectification has a negative impact on gender equality and women and girls health and well-being. Dr Caroline Heldman described the harms on her blog:
"...women who grow up in a culture with widespread sexual objectification tend to view themselves as objects of desire for others. This internalized sexual objectification has been linked to problems with mental health (e.g., clinical depression, “habitual body monitoring”), eating disorders, body shame, self-worth and life satisfaction, cognitive functioning, motor functioning, sexual dysfunction, access to leadership, and political efficacy."
"...sexually objectified women are dehumanized by others and seen as less competent and worthy of empathy by both men and women. Furthermore, exposure to images of sexually objectified women causes male viewers to be more tolerant of sexual harassment and rape myths."
Click here to view Dr Caroline Heldman's Ted Talk 'The Sexy Lie'
Collective Shout, Good on You and STOP THE TRAFFIK joined together to speak out against the Just Group for its unethical practices, including questionable supply chains, worker treatment and engaging in the objectification of women for profit:
“We know the damage that ongoing exposure to sexually objectifying media and material does to young people in relation to body image and in undermining healthy psychological and emotional development,” says Coralie Alison, National Director of Operations from Collective Shout: for a world free from sexploitation.
“If Jay Jays wants to be known as an ethical retailer they can't continue to sell these products, turning young men into wearable porn.”
“At a time when we are finally acknowledging the links between sexualisation, objectification and violence against women Jay Jays has to make a stand and dump its pornified tees.” Read the full media release here.
Let Jay Jay's know that you're #NotBuyingIt
Contact Jay Jay's:
Via Instagram
Via Facebook
Via their website
Via Twitter
Just Group
P.O Box 2196
Richmond South
Victoria, Australia, 3121
Australia 1800 652 187
We invite Jay Jay's to sign our Corporate Social Responsibility Pledge
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