Hey Jenna, we're pink-ing of you
I may not be the classic cardigan-kinda-gal, but I do receive
the J. Crew catalog which often overflows with crisp gingham
blouses and tailored blazers. And, I still admittedly enjoy every
page. Even though it's not always my style, the photos are
beautifully shot and they tell a great story and that's something I
can always appreciate.
I also may not be a mother, but I still found last week's J.
Crew catalog controversy unnecessary and ridiculous. If you missed
it, under the caption "Saturday with Jenna" the company's president
and creative director Jenna Lyons is pictured laughing with her
5-year-old son, holding his feet in her hand. A bottle of pink nail
polish is pictured below them.
"Lucky for me, I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is
pink," reads the caption. "Toenail painting is so much more fun in
neon."
Looks like a fun-loving moment between mother and son. What's to
debate? Apparently plenty; many others say the photo "features
blatant propaganda celebrating transgendered children."
What?!
One psychologist even said, "This is a dramatic example of the
way that our culture is being encouraged to abandon all trappings
of gender identity -- homogenizing males and females…"
I am not a parent and I don't share the same chic fashion sense
as Jenna, but I do have common sense. So, I see nothing
wrong with Jenna's creative choice here and I most certainly agree
with the parenting expert who responded to this photo by saying,
"gender is going to emerge naturally as part of who they are and
has nothing to do with whether we put pink nail polish on
them."
Finally, a voice of reason! I couldn't agree more. Frankly, if
this were a photo of a young girl with grass-stained- knees tossing
a baseball with her father, no one would have blinked twice. This
is not a gender identity controversy; this is fashion and it is
supposed to be fun. Remember, this photo is selling that
"Saturday-afternoon-just-want-to-giggle-feeling," and whether or
not you agree with a pink-nail-polish-wearing-boy, I for one am
sold on that gray-striped pullover sweater.