"Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them!" is a slogan on a

T-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a ''crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are general ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

clothing company

David and Goliath Goliath ( ) ''Goləyāṯ''; ar, جُليات ''Ǧulyāt'' (Christian term) or (Quranic term). is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant defeated by the young David in single combat. The story signified King Saul's ...

which in 2003 became the subject of a campaign by radio-host and

men's rights activist The men's rights movement (MRM) is a branch of the men's movement. The MRM in particular consists of a variety of groups and individuals (men's rights activists or MRAs) who focus on general social issues and specific government services which ...

Glenn Sacks on the grounds of

misandry Misandry () is the hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against men. Men's rights activists and other masculinist groups have criticized modern laws concerning divorce, domestic violence, the draft, circumcision (known as genital mutilation ...

and the incitement of violence against children. This raised national attention and led to the removal of the shirts from several thousand retail outlets. The publicity of the campaign increased sales of the shirt, which features the slogan printed next to a cartoon image of a boy running away from five stones flying in his direction, which was later used as the cover of a book which was also titled ''Boys Are Stupid, Throw Rocks at Them!''

T-shirt

The T-shirt was designed by company founder Todd Goldman, who started David and Goliath in 1999 with "Boys are Smelly" T-shirts. It now features clothes with a variety of slogans, such as "Boys tell lies, poke them in the eyes!" or "The stupid factory, where boys are made". "Boys are stupid ..." has evolved into a successful object for merchandise, which includes all types of clothes, mugs, key chains, posters and other items. In 2005, Goldman published a book with the same title.

Reaction

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

based radio host and

Glenn Sacks initiated a campaign against the T-shirts in 2003. He claimed that they were part of a general societal mood that stigmatizes and victimizes boys. The company says that the shirts are not meant to encourage violence. According to Goldman, the controversy boosted sales of the T-shirt. Helen Grieco, executive director of the

National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...

, stated "No, I don't think the shirts are cute. But I spend every day on life-and-death issues and don't have time for T-shirt campaigns." She went on to state that while she believed the US needed a men's rights movement, she didn't think Sacks should be the one doing it, calling him a "women-bashing, backlash shock-jock radio host." Others, like ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...

'' columnist Jane Ganahl ridiculed Sacks' efforts in an article saying, "shut up and get a life, already". Glenn Sacks responded to criticism of the campaign, asserting that the criticism was dismissive of the feelings of boys and that the idea that boys should laugh at the joke at their expense creates a

double bind A double bind is a dilemma in communication in which an individual (or group) receives two or more reciprocally conflicting messages. In some scenarios (e.g. within families or romantic relationships) this can be emotionally distressing, creating ...

for boys. In Canada, the complaints by the

Canadian Children's Rights Council The Canadian Children's Rights Council Inc. (CCRC); (french: Conseil canadien des droits des enfants inc.) is a non-governmental organization that is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and was founded in 1991. The CCRC describe themselves as a non ...

resulted in numerous major retail chain stores stopping their sales of the merchandise. Other retailers who pulled the merchandise included Bon-Macy's, Tilly's, and

Claire's Claire's (formerly known as Claire's Boutiques, Claire's Boutique and Claire's Accessories) is an American retailer of accessories, jewelry, and toys primarily aimed toward tween and teen girls. It was founded in 1961 and is based in Hoffman E ...

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David and Goliath Incorporated
{{Masculism Clothing controversies Advertising and marketing controversies Advertising slogans 2003 neologisms 2003 controversies in the United States Misandry T-shirts Violence against men Criminal rock-throwing

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