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| "Wifebeater" night sparks offence |
| 2004-02-24 |
| Off Topic & EFL A Dunedin bar is under fire for its "wifebeater Wednesday" theme night aimed at attracting students. You wanna start’um young. Break’em in. The promotion is based around a kiwiana slang term for an item of clothing - the black shearers’ singlet. Over several weeks the singlets will be given to students every "wife-beater Wednesday". All that build up for that. Some Kiwi sheep lovin shirt? But police and women’s groups say the theme is highly offensive. The Women’s Refuge has called it an insult. Cheeze! Man can’t have a tall frosty and sport his wifbeater without women getting all in a froth! "It minimises the family violence, it minimises the impact on victims, it says it’s ok," says Annette Gillespie. But the pub owner said it was a sheep thing little lassie. The pub’s manager Mat Hilton says it’s just a bit of fun. "It’s not about wifebeating, it’s a wifebeater, the name of a singlet. We do not encourage domestic violence at all," says Hilton. Then his testosterone shot through the roof and sheep all over New Zeland could be heard being sheared. |
| Posted by:Dragon Fly |
| #11 I am anti-PC as the next Rantburger, but lets use some common sense. This just makes things harder on us overweight sloppy couch potatos that drink a lotta of bear. Use an acronym or something - maybe WB or something. It's hard to take the morale anti-PC free-speech highground in protecting icons like the name Cleveland Indians when they decide to bring back the red-face cartoon indian, Chief Wahoo for their mascot and official logo - even the resteraunt Sambos wasn't that stupid. Let's simplify things for Mucky. Good Name - Seminole. Stupid Name - Redskin. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-2-24 9:33:19 PM |
| #10 We grew up in upstate NY calling them "wife beaters" but when I lived in Chicago, the guys (even Italians) called them "dagotees" (Dago Tee's). Took me a while to figure out what that meant. |
| Posted by: JDB 2004-2-24 8:01:27 PM |
| #9 Yes, mucky, I do and I look quite stylish in it, if I do say so. |
| Posted by: chainey 2004-2-24 1:58:09 PM |
| #8 chainey probly wear a wifebeater. |
| Posted by: muck4doo 2004-2-24 1:14:12 PM |
| #7 A little "non PC" historical context here: I have heard this term going back to the early 60's, and often as a subtle barb assigned to those of Italian decent (All you Dago's and WOP's know already know who you are!) "Momma" would make "Papa" take off his good shirt because he would inevitably spill "gravy" (spagetti sauce) on it during the typical Italian American family dinner. After dinner Papa would continue to drink the homemade "Dago red" wine and sit around with the other men smoking cigars so the women had the priviledge of cleaning up all those pots and dishes they messed up making dinner! Add a little more after dinner cheer and even the kids knew it was time to stay clear of the old man... which sometimes progressed to the reason the shirt became known as the "wifebeater"... The Irish didn't have a shirt named for them... they were just known as "mean drunks" |
| Posted by: Capsu78 2004-2-24 12:38:33 PM |
| #6 Ah! Dunedin, New Zealand where the men are men and the sheep run scared! |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2004-2-24 12:17:47 PM |
| #5 Wifebeaters, AKA the Italian Tux... |
| Posted by: Raj 2004-2-24 12:16:32 PM |
| #4 good grief - the Islamist's are trying to acquire nuclear bombs to destroy civilization as we know it and make a woman's standing in the world less than a donkey's. Slavery exists in the Sudan, sex slavery exists worldwide, they hack of the breasts of nursing mothers in Africa and rape them.....and they get in a hissy fit over a bar having a tee-shirt promotion? What a bunch of frauds. |
| Posted by: B 2004-2-24 9:35:05 AM |
| #3 Actually, they've been calling sleeveless t-shirts "beaters" -- as in "wife-beaters" -- for lo, these many years in Philadelphia. Must be one of those cultural universals. |
| Posted by: Jonathan 2004-2-24 9:29:10 AM |
| #2 My, now 18 year-old, son and his friends have been calling these shirts "wifebeaters" for a couple of years now. None of the girls that hang around with them seem to mind, and my wife and I were surprised at the name, but not shocked (and no, I do NOT beat my wife!!!). |
| Posted by: SamIII 2004-2-24 7:59:54 AM |
| #1 FYI translation for everyone: A "wifebeater" is an armless tee-shirt - you all know the type. They're more commonly called muscle-tees here. Vic |
| Posted by: Vic 2004-2-24 7:53:31 AM |