JC Penney NOT in the Market to sell Sexist Clothing – Is It?

What was going on in the buyer’s mind when she or he decided this t-shirt for girls was a good idea for JC Penney’s stores? When I saw this page, I was not just offended, but downright angry. Certainly I can look away and not buy the shirt, that’s one way to enact change since it will affect the bottom line but what annoys me even more is that someone (and, really, more than one person), had to approve this t-shirt getting shelf space in a large department store like J.C. Penney’s. While I saw this on Change.org, I searched J.C. Penney’s website to make sure it wasn’t a mistake (yes, that’s my journalism side speaking) and, sure enough, there it is…on sale for $9.99. Ugh!

So what else can I do – speak up. I am sending a letter to J.C. Penney indicating my disappointment in their decision to carry this t-shirt but I’m also writing about it here in the hopes that you’ll do the same. Here is the executive list for J.C. Penney. And here you can find the email for its corporate communications department.

Change.org is also running a campaign to have J.C. Penney pull the shirt from its inventory. If you want to sign on, click here.

Let’s make some noise and tell J.C. Penney, and others, that this kind of message to our girls AND boys will not be tolerated.

~Megy

There are Fair Trade Sex Toys?

Coffins, Cats and Fair Trade Sex Toys – now there’s a book title I never thought I’d see. Fair Trade Sex Toys? Who knew?!

I guess I’m a little late to the party since this book has been out in the marketplace for a couple of years already. Jeremy Piercy, founder of Shared Earth Ltd, tells the story of what fair trade is all about, how it has gained momentum and who is shaping the movement.

In the book we take a tour of a world we don’t normally read about including the quirky world of coffins, cats and, fair trade sex toys? I’ve not read the book yet but this is what the reviews and overviews are sharing about the book. OK, I’m hooked. I just placed an order for it so I’ll share more once I read it.

Have you heard about the book or read it yet? Will the book’s title encourage you to buy it or offend you? Do you think the book title will encourage more people to learn more about fair trade? Jury is still out for me until I read the book…but I will say the book’s title definitely caught my attention!

~Megy

Eid Mubarak – Lots to Celebrate this Year

Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: ‎عيد الفطر ‘Īdu l-Fiṭr), often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (sawm). (Thanks, Wikipedia!)

Eid is an Arabic word meaning “festivity,” while Fiṭr means “breaking (the fast)”. The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The first day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day of the month Shawwal.

I am not an expert on this holiday or the Muslim faith, but as someone who is fascinated with religions and very respectful of anyone’s religious beliefs, I’ve always loved learning more about holidays and how people in various countries celebrate their beliefs.

I was hoping to have time to interview someone who was celebrating this holiday but time escaped and I didn’t get the chance. Nonetheless, I wanted to share something on my blog and perhaps in the next few weeks I’ll have had a chance to discuss the holiday with some friends!

In the meantime, I encourage you to learn more about this holiday, too, by doing your own research and seeking out someone who is celebrating the holiday. And it definitely seems to be a celebratory holiday! From breaking the fast by enjoying meals with friends, dancing, playing music and applying henna.

From what I’ve learned so far, in South Africa’s Cape Town, hundreds of Muslims will gather at Green Point in the evening of the last day of Ramadan each year for the sighting of the moon. The gathering brings together people from all walks of life, and everyone comes with something to share with others at the time of breaking the fast. The Maghrib (sunset) prayer is then performed in congregation and the formal moon-sighting results are announced thereafter.

Most Muslims in the United States offer the Eid prayer in big-city Islamic centers, convention halls or open parks. Muslims from different cultures with multi-national customs get together for prayers and celebrations. In some cities, prayers are done at multiple times to accommodate the large number of attendees. Generally, Muslims visit each other’s homes on Eid or hold large feasts in mosques or community halls.

During the weekend of the Eid week, many Muslims join big parties sponsored either by a community mosque or Islamic center or by a wealthy Muslim in the community. Children receive gifts, and all participants enjoy sweet, spicy and other flavorful delicacies. Many Muslims also donate money to those less fortunate.

So, with that, Eid Mubarak, my friends! And for those of you who aren’t celebrating, Happy Tuesday!

~Megy

The Help Encourages Discussion of Life’s Imbalances

The Help is a great book on many levels. It’s an entertaining read but it’s so much more than that. The book highlights the imbalances of relationships, specially between white women and black maids in the early 1960’s, in Jackson, Mississippi. Author Kathryn Stockett tackles a volatile subject matter with a deft hand. I couldn’t help but see the similarities between her subject matter and the relationship between the Northern and Southern parts of the world as it relates to fair trade.

The book has been translated into a movie that opened in theaters nationwide last week. From what I hear, it’s a great film and now that I’ve read the book, I’m looking forward to seeing the flick as well. But here’s what I’d really love to do – talk about the book and what it is trying to teach us. And this is where retailers can help.

Host a book club to talk about the book in your shop. Organize a film viewing date. Encourage your customers to share their thoughts and stories during an afternoon event. Let’s not just read the book or see the movie and be on to the next thing. Take the topic further and ask how we can balance the imbalances of life and how fair trade is working (or not working).

If you’ve not read the book, I highly recommend it. If you have read it and have a copy, share it with someone else (that’s what I’m doing with my copy). Buy it from your local independent bookstore and support them in the process, too (hey, perhaps you can even offer to host a book club session and speak on the topic of fair trade in their shop?).

What did you think of the book? Would love to hear your thoughts!

~Megy