JC Penney, A Cultural Leader?

How times change! Fifteen years ago, when advertisers heard that comedian Ellen DeGeneres planned to "come out" on her popular TV sitcom, many of them fled. JC Penney was one of them. Today, whether for economic or cultural reasons, JC Penney is not running from same sex couples but is recognizing them (at least the lesbians) in their advertising! They've even hired Ellen DeGeneres as their spokesperson!

JC Penney

In their May 2012 catalog, JC Penney features a section for clothing called "Freedom of Expression" in which a real life same sex couple, Wendi and Maggie, appear with their daughters. Both women appear to be wearing wedding rings. 


Of course, wherever someone recognizes the ability of gay or lesbian people to have normal, healthy families, someone has to protest. Here we have One Million Moms, who object to JC Penney "clearly taking sides in the culture war." I wasn't aware that having two moms and their kids model clothes for a retailer was an act of war. Who knew? One Million Moms and other anti-LGBT groups are calling for boycotts of JC Penney and the removal of this ad from the catalog.  


If you agree that ALL families deserve representation in advertising (how about a gay couple next?), then sign the petition below and support JC Penney's use of this ad. Pass it along. Thanks.

Change.org|Online Petition Form

Rock Those Heels Warren!

Well, our quiet little county is in the news, y'all. Seems we've made jackwagons of ourselves over a teenager's sartorial choices. Our local high school, Calvert High, (incidentally, where my daughter attends) has suspended a male student for wearing a skirt and high heels to school. Other schools worry about gangs, drugs, and weapons. We have a cow over whether some dude can rock a mini better than most girls. The student is openly bisexual and, according to my daughter, is running for prom queen. Was the outfit an attention grabber? Probably. Was the skirt a little too short to strictly conform to the dress code? Yes, it was. But according to just about every student at the school, including my daughter, the school administration looks the other way at dress code violations every day. Girls wear booty shorts, short skirts, and other clothing that is against code all the time. The code is not enforced except for glaring violations. In other words, if this outfit were on a girl, chance are that no one would have said anything. Now, we're in the news, and I wouldn't be surprised if the school isn't looking at a lawsuit for violation of civil liberties (I do hope he files one!) For a bunch of folks that work with teenagers every day, they seem to have forgotten a cardinal rule of dealing with teens--choose your battles.

(BTW, kudos for this kid's dad for his calm and rational response. Go Dad!)

Cultural Appreciation 101

Don’t you hate it when you pay good money to go to a world class cultural event, dress in your best gown and diamonds, have the chauffeur clean the Rolls, and then have your evening ruined by peons?  Well, that didn’t exactly happen to me last night, but I did get mighty annoyed by the truckloads of jackwagons that were sitting near me and my husband at our daughter’s school orchestra concert!

Now I know that we’re talking about a school event and not the Met, but come on people, show some respect! These kids have been practicing for months for this concert, and this was their chance to show what they have accomplished. If you can’t manage to keep your iPhone turned off for an hour, then stay home.  I just laugh every time I hear someone complain about the rudeness of kids with their cellphones because, in my experience, adults are just as bad. The first step is admitting you have an addiction…

Then there was the obnoxious kid next to us who spent the ENTIRE concert loudly whining about being tired.  He was being passed around like a hot potato from parent to parent and squirming wildly like some alien creature trying to hatch from its pupae.  Not once did it occur to these people to take the child out to the lobby despite withering glares from others in the audience. If I had only brought my tranquilizer darts…

Not to be outdone by Whinemaster Jr. and the Oblivions was the dude sitting behind me. He must have had his doctorate in high school orchestra crit. During each piece, he felt the need to comment to his companion on the strength or weakness of that particular section. So enlightening was his commentary, it could not wait until even the end of the piece. He just had to interject while the orchestra was still playing. “The cellos didn’t end that measure together.” “They had the pacing a little off there.” The most special treat was when he started humming how he thought the tune should sound while the kids were still playing.  I’m amazed that I was ever able to appreciate a concert before, now that I’ve experienced one with his narration! 

Next time you hear someone complain about how rude teenagers are in public, consider where they may have learned their behavior. The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Life In Southern Maryland

This is what my daughter and I were driving behind the other day here in our redneck county. If you can't make out the ad on the truck, it's for a waste disposal company that, for some reason that makes sense only to those who live here, also caters weddings! Perhaps I should also mention that we live within a few miles of a nuclear reactor. Hmmm....