"Wife Beaters"

[GoddessOfGuinness]

What insensitive dumbfuck made up this name for his shirts?
I know, I know...it's supposed to be an indirect reference to Stanley Kowalski's (Marlon Brando's) attire in A Streetcar Named Desire.

If you ask me, it's in exceptionally poor taste. My son wants me to buy some for him. I refuse.

[Lavender Brown]

1. I knew it was a generic term for that kind of tank top

I didn't know it was a brand now. That's gross.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

2. some people call them undershirts

fancy that.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

17. I told my son I'd be glad to buy him undershirts

but I won't buy him wife beaters.

[tjwmason]

40. In England it's vest

Or occasionally singlet, but that's more for specifically sporting stuff.

When I first heard the term 'wife-beater' I was bemused by it, and it took me a while to realise that this referred to clothing.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

44. That's interesting...

"vests" are worn over shirts here.
Here's to good British brew! :toast:

[realisticphish]

3. it used to be a generic term for undershirts

but this is sick :puke:

[Richardo]

10. Yeah. *Under*shirts

Men who wear them in public have no class and look like rejects from "Cops". Put on a goddam shirt. Spare me and the rest of the world your pasty upper arms and hairy shoulders. x(

Women who refer to them as 'wife beaters' have problems of their own. That being said, they sure look better on the ladies. :evilgrin: But women wear tank tops all the time.

[LynzM]

11. Hrm...

Some of us appreciate seeing a decently-built guy in one :P

[Richardo]

13. ;-)

Point taken, LynzM, but the guys I usually see are the model for Carl from AquaTeen Hunger Force. :scared:

[LynzM]

18. Ick

Point taken, as well. I guess the guys I'm used to seeing them in were high school or college. And I kinda have a thing for the 'sorta badass' look, anyway :) (but not the ATHF variety, apparently, LOL)

[tjwmason]

39. It's the same with guys who walk around with no shirt in summer

Why why why oh why is it always the guys who can't pull it off that do. :scared:

Personally wouldn't be seen dead in public without adequate coverage, I know how bad I look...

[no name no slogan]

46. Or 99% of guys who wear Speedos to the beach.

For some reason, they seem to be German tourists in Mexico. But I'll save the details for another thread :P

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. Tanks, I've got no problem with...

I don't mind if my son wants to wear his undershirt around the house. Sleeveless jerseys on basketball players just make sense.

But referring to them as "wife beaters" makes me sick...

[Abelman]

4. I think the actual term

is A-shirt. A type of undershirt. They've been nicknamed wife-beaters for a long long time - which doesn't make it right.

Unfortunately, the pic is blocked by my school's firewall, so I have no idea what it is.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. It's a pic of a man and a woman wearing t-shirts that say "wife-beaters"

on the front.

[vi5]

5. He wants them with that printed on it? Or just that type of shirt...

Poor taste or no, that's always been the slang for that style shirt as far as I can remember. Although the fact that it is a brand is new to me. Make sure you are hearing him correctly as to what he wants, and if he is referring to just that style undershirt or that particular brand with that logo on it.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

21. I think he just wants tanks, but likes to get my goat

by calling it them wife beaters. He's got money he can spend on any "wife beaters" he'd like to buy. I'll be glad to buy him tanks or undershirts.

It's all in the name.

[vi5]

36. Hahahah...I understand.......although in the scheme of things...

....probably one of the smaller parent/kid battles. Good luck.

[MuseRider]

6. My boys did too

when they were in High School. I had never heard the term used so often but it was a BIG deal at their school. I refused and told them that if they bought any and brought them into my house I would throw them away. Very poor taste, I agree with you.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

7. It's just a nickname and nothing more. Call them tank tops or A shirts

don't refuse your child because some people call them a name you find offensive.

[democracyindanger]

8. I think what she means

is that some genius is actually using 'Wife Beaters' as a brand name.

[Left Is Write]

9. That's how I took it too.

Using "wife beater" as a brand is way beyond poor taste.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

31. oh oh - I see. Sorry for my densosity!

[evlbstrd]

12. My daughter

is knitting one for her boyfriend. But she can kick his ass.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

22. Knitting one?

There's a new twist!

[regularguy]

14. I don't care if people call them that informally ,

but just looking at that guy with "wife beater" actually printed on his shirt makes me want to take a crowbar to his head. I grew up around "wife beating" and don't find it cute.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

23. Exactly...

I'm sure there are a lot of battered spouses of both sexes that don't find it funny either...

[fluffernutter]

26. i agree with you.

[derby378]

16. The same guy who invented "Wife Beater" shirts...

...also invented novelty handicapped parking tags, allegedly to let able-bodied drivers park in handicapped spots. What a fun guy.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

24. I'd like to think you were kidding

but somehow I know you're telling the truth. What a prick!

[derby378]

41. I can't make this stuff up

Entrepreneur charged in faking placards

DALLAS (AP) - A man who last year drew the ire of women's rights groups for selling so-called "wife-beater" T-shirts on the Internet is facing a felony charge for purveying another questionable product: fake handicapped-parking placards.

James Doolin, 31, was arrested in Denton County on Sept. 5 for selling 100 phony tags for $500 to undercover sheriff's department officers.

He was charged with tampering with a government record, punishable by a maximum $10,000 fine and up to 10 years in jail, Denton County Sheriff's Department spokesman Kevin Patton said Thursday.

http://chat.amarillonet.com/stories/091302/tex_entrecharged.shtml

[GoddessOfGuinness]

43. It figures...

He's from Texas, too.
Probably good buddies of Dumbyass.

[KinkyDem]

29. It's Milk and Cheese!

Dairy Products gone bad!

It's been so long ...

OMG ... I'd almost forgotten!

[northzax]

20. gee, I always called them 'Italian Dinner Shirts'

was that wrong too? :evilgrin:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

25. Those are tomato-colored.

:D

[HEyHEY]

28. After dinner yes

[northzax]

30. not straight out of the package

it takes a couple of hours...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

33. Someone should tie-dye them that way to begin with...

then new stains can only add to the effect.

[GalleryGod]

37. Whoa! Hold ON there, Babba-Booey!

Look out ! Her comes Paulie Walnuts and Silvio:spank: :nuke:

[HEyHEY]

27. It began as a slang term on the streets - you can't fight culture

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. ...or lack thereof...

[Placebo]

32. Eh, it's just a joke.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

35. See #23

[grace0418]

38. And who the hell is that in the photo? Someone should tell them

that the 80s have been over for years.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

42. Maybe people wear the shirts to distract people from their

bad hair days.

[Elidor]

45. I assumed they were called that to denigrate peeps who wear them

Even when I was young and studly and gorgeous I hated those things. It's the perfect piece of apparel to transform anyone into the stereotypical low-level guy in a Jersey mob crew.

[Schema Thing]

47. Hey, that's what those type shirts are called

... it's too bad that people who wear them decided to start being physically violent to their spouses, but is that the wife beater undershirt's fault, I ask you?