Thursday, April 14, 2011

EXTRA CREDIT: Do Pink Fingernails Make You Gay/Transgender?

This ad appeared in the most recent J Crew catalog
This advertisement shows a mother painting her son's toenails pink. It stirred up a lot of controversy in the media. Read this article about it:
What do you think about this advertisement? Do you think it could do damage to a growing child's sense of gender roles? Are people making a big deal out of nothing? What does the controversy surrounding this advertisement say about us as a culture? For extra credit in the form of a half a letter grade boost to your paper on SU, write THREE WELL-FORMED paragraphs discussing this issue. DUE MONDAY by NOON.

11 comments:

  1. Ariel Whitney

    When I looked at this advertisement, I immediately thought that it was wrong for the mother to paint her son's toenails pink. I feel that a male's toenails shouldn't be painted at all. I would not paint my son's toenails or fingernails because I think that painted toenails and fingernails are for females. Nothing is wrong with a male who's favorite color is pink, but I would always have the thought of feminism or gayness in my mind about that male.
    Even though I am against the advertisement, I don't believe that gender issues like this could do damage to a growing child's sense of gender roles. I believe that a male child who's favorite color is pink can grow up and be heterosexual. Children aren't concerned with what they should and shouldn't do because they are male or female.
    The controversy surrounding this advertisement shows how color and gender can easily turn into a big issue. For example, buying pink baby clothes for a baby boy would be wrong in this society; however, its just a color. Thinking about it as just a color, I realize how small the issue is, but this society keeps me thinking that certain things are for males, and certain things are for females.

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  2. Jasmyne Williams

    In my opinion this photo was meant to cause controversy.Though it isn't anyones business putting it in a magazine brought attention to it. This mother and son photo has been broke down or interpreted way to much. Dr. Keith Ablow has blatantly disrespected this mother and child by saying that she would need to put money aside for psycho therapy.
    In my opinion children will be children his favorite color can be pink today and change to green tomorrow. I on the other hand would not paint my sons toenails if i had a child. in some cases children experiment with makeup, clothes and polish. She isnt doing anything wrong i think she is just directing his experimentation.
    Her comment in the magazing "Lucky for me I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is pink," says the caption. "Toenail painting is way more fun in neon." is about the most controersal thing in the article. It almost seems like she wanted the attention. i think the picture was right but the caption was wrong. The

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  3. The advertiseent in a whole represent a mother haing fun with her child. I would have to wonder if this was a advertisment of a father baking cookies with his daughter if it would create the same uproar. If it would not than, why? Society trys to keep genders separate in nice little boxes, so does a man baking makes him fem. or gay?

    I would think that this advertisement was about painting or some sort of fun. I do not think that it could damage a growing child's sense of gender role. I do beliee that people are making a big deal out of nothing. They have kids out here being beaten, negleted, and molested. Those are things that can effect a growing child's sense of gender, but we are worring about a mother of a happy son painting his toes pink! We as a culture seem oppress and unwilling to change.
    America has given freedom to its citizens as a right. This is this woman's child as long as she is taking care of him,it her right to paint his toenails, cut his hair, or whatever it maybe. I believe that she is allowing her son to be his own person not a person produced by society.


    Willie Massey

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  4. Shameika Webb

    My personal opinion of this advertisement is that i think the mother was wrong for painting her son tonails pink. The child only said his farvoite color is pink not for his mother to paint his toenails pink. Thats ok for him to say his farvoite is pink, but that can only be for the moment. The article siad next week im pretty sure he would have another farvoite color.

    I honstly think the mother is causing damage only because she sending a sign telling her son its ok to paint your toenails; and not only just paint them, but paint them a hot pink. A male should never for any reason ever have to paint there toenails or any other nail kid or adult.

    His farvoite color can be pink for the rest of his life, but to paint his tonails pink or any other color his just wrong. I don't think that it will make the child gay, but it will make it hard him with his toenails being pink. Other kids will take it as him being gay and it will make things that much harder for him in school and not only school from the kids around his neighborhood and family members as well.

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  5. My personal opinion of this advertisements is that I think the mother was just having fun with her son, but at the same time I think she was wrong for putting that pink polish on her son toenails. I feel that boys or men toenails shouldn;t be painted.

    I think there is nothing wrong if pink is his favorite color, because I have a 13 year-old son and husband, who both wear pink.My son and husband both have pink polo shirts and a pink vest. And that don;t make them gay or feminism at all.

    I believe that this advertisment was turn into a big deal or issues because everybody had a comment or something to say.But the child is smiling and happy and that's all should matter.

    Marsha Dorsey.

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  6. When raising a young man you shouldn't paint his toes or fingernails. I wouldn't exactly say it would make him gay but just think about all the problems this child will have to go through when going to school. Children these days are so cruel they will say whatever they want about a child. I know it isn't right but that's what they do. I would feel sorry for that child because he would get teased all of the time.

    Nothing is wrong with a male wearing pink though because it's only a color. My boyfriend even wears pink and it actually looks good on him. BUt the color pink doesn't make a guy gay.

    The media can always push things over the top. No, the mother shouldn't paint her sons toenails pink because it's just not right. The mother is only being judge to is because it looks as if she's sending a message out saying that it is okay to have pink fingernails or toenails.

    Tia Ayo

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  7. Randall Harris

    There are some things you can do, and there are some thing you can not do. Painting a boy's nails pink is something you don't do. It wouldn't make him gay, but it would start him on the path to turning that way. First it would start off as just nails, n then turn into something more exotic than before.

    Me being a young man, thinks that for the most part, dudes shouldnt wear pink. If you are under the age of 15-16 u shouldn't because during these ages they really discovering themselves, and making harder choices than we think. If you are older, its still close ,but some dudes just like wearing it. Now if you wear pink a lot, then that starts to bring on questions of that person being gay.

    The media basically sets the rules and regulations and are basically like the referees in society. They set the trend and exploit it, and anything other than the normal is not accepted and cause problems. The world is a strange place and is changing everyday we just have to keep up with it.

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  8. Jordan Rose

    Painting a boy's fingernails pink is wrong on so many levels. Gender wise, pink, predominantly is a girl color. And painting a young mans nails that color is just something that shouldn't be done.

    Personally there is nothing worng with the color pink. I own clothes the color pink. But painting a boys to nails pink or painting them period should never be done

    Like Randall said above the media most of the time controls our perception on things of this sort. Even though there is nothing wrong with the color pink the mother should paint a boys's to nails this color or any color at all.

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  9. Richard Wilson

    When I first saw the article I was shocked in so many ways. Now mothers know better not to paint there kinds nails pink.

    Now as him being a little kid and his mother painting his nails thats a big problem. Its nothing wrong with him wearing cloths that are pink. Its alot of people that are older, younger, and even small that wear cloths that are pink. But pink toe nails his mother is so wrong for that

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  10. Neville Mbarika.

    when i take a look at this advert, what comes into my mind is that,it is wrong to paint a boys finger or toenails pink.I won't do that cause I really feel that it is bad ,but I will always caution my mind as concerns feminism and gayness if that was my son.
    Despite the fact that I'm against this advert,as for me I don't think that this might cause any harm to the child's gender roles because children aren't concerned with what they put on at a certain age excerpt they are taught so ,if not being selective on what they should put on as male or female is not a problem ,but rather it will help a male child whose color preference is pink to be heterosexual,helping him to understand both sides.
    In Order to conclude,one can say that the controversy surrounding this advertisement shows how color and gender can easily turn into a big issue. For example, buying pink baby clothes or shoes for a baby boy,or say me having a pink underwear or shirt this is culturally wrong in this part of the society .But to think of it as a color, nothing is wrong with that,but because the society holds it so.As such, in order not to look different we just accept it to be so.

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  11. I don't think that it's appropiate for boys to wear pink fingernail polish. I have a son and I would not let him put it on. He has sisters and they wear polish but I only put light colors on them I really don't like for him to feel left out but its all about explaining to them why it's that way its not about being transgender but if you walk,talk, and act like a girl then someone would say oh hes going to be gay when he grows up. I've had one of my kids to tell my son that and I asked them did they know what it meant they said know.The thing is they hear other kids say things like he is the only boy in a house full of girls. Well he has toys to and I do let him put clear polish on from time to time do I think thats gonna male him less of a man no. I tell him that girls like boys that are clean and keep their nails clean not necessarily saying he has to wear polish but being clean is what the ladies like. Now the pink polish on the toe nails is totally unappropiate. It will never happen in my household.

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