To be quite honest, this is such a non-story that I barely researched it -- who made the ad (J. Crew) and who complained about it (we can guess, right?).
The ad is a mother playfully painting her 2-3 year old son's toenails while the kid laughs -- oft-bored social conservatives say all that it advertises is a transgendered lifestyle and will eventually cause all of our children to "chose" to be gay.
Is it because they're pink?
Here's the ad: http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/04/13/j-crews-toenail-painting-ad-causes-pink-scare/
I paint my toenails.
I'm a straight (not that it matters) male. My girlfriend of ten years will tell you that. I'll be 31 years old this year. I'll repeat...
I regularly paint my toenails.
I started to do this as a teenage punk. Just trying to be different -- cranking up the Goldfinger, Local H. and (early) Blink-182 -- my girlfriends made me paint their toenails, so I turned around and painted my own. I'm sure many young folks have this story.
For several years I stopped, but when I got to college others were still doing it -- we were artsy, I played guitar in a band, it seemed like a "rock star" thing to do.
And my toenails have remained mostly painted ever since.
Why?
Because I like to look down and see color.
I'm a pasty white guy. For this same reason, black and blue socks started to cover my feet around a decade ago -- there isn't a single white sock in my drawer.
Let me clarify something..
I don't sit around every friday night giving myself a pedicure, shedding one color and trying out a new one. That is not how this works.
The nails get painted and left to grow out. Right now it's been a few months and my big toes are half blue, the rest void of anything.
Concerning the people who would give guys hell for this type of activity:
I definitely have my shortcomings. If my painted toes, which you hardly ever see (I'm not a sandals kinda guy), are what you chose to complain about, it says more about you than me.
Some paint their cars. I'm gonna go give my toes a new coat.
Filed under: culture, me, news, peace, politics
Tags: conservative, gay, homosexual, J Crew, painting, straight, toenail, transgender
Thank you for posting this! I don't understand what the problem is with children (boys & girls) doing things or playing with toys that are not according to their "gender". If a boy likes makeup & a girl likes dirt it doesn't matter. What matters is that they're healthy & happy and accept themselves for who they are.