What A Bunch Of mASSholes!

I read about this on a few sites after it happened. I'm linking to Billy Masters because — well, it's a pretty cool site. If you don't go there routinely to get the goods on your favorite celebrities, you're hopelessly missing out.

Anyway, check out how Macy's has snubbed their gay and fair-minded customers — buying into some sort of idea that arranging two male mannequins next to each other symbolizes gay sex and is something they need to censor:

This is Gay Pride Month, and it should be a joyous and uplifting occassion. But that's not the case in Billy's native Boston. To commemorate the event, the department store Macy's designed a window at its Downtown Crossing location around a schedule of gay pride activities. Included in the display were two buff mannequins — both in tight T-shirts and one wearing a gay pride flag wrapped around his waist. The conservative watchdog group Mass Resistance objected to the display and asked supporters to call Macy's and complain. Within a day, the mannequins were gone — although the schedule remained. Macy's spokeswoman Elina Kazan felt this was an acceptable compromise and stated, "[The display] did offend a few of our customers, and we had to re-examine it." The more things change....

OK — File this under: Isn't There Something Better You Could And Should Be Doing With Your Time? I guess the folks who "support" mASS Resistance have very, very simple lives. Still, they got the ear of someone at Macy's — so kudos to them. I mean, this display probably would have gone relatively unnoticed — but thanks to their efforts, the entire nation has gotten to see it. Way to go!

Macy's ought to be ashamed about being so easily duped. The two mannequins weren't even holding hands — how does that offend anyone? Was it what they were wearing? Maybe Macy's ought to consider that when they promote some of the spring lines.

But, that's cool. I tell you what — I know a few of my gal pals really object to the window displays that feature female mannequins in bikinis, undergarments or other revealing outfits. I mean, what kind of message does this convey to young girls?

But there is recourse. Macy's has just established an interesting protocol. If a display offends a few people and they call in to complain, they'll remove the offending parts. So, I assume they will be taking down any display that offends from here on out. Feminists — unite with your mass resistance! Gals who aren't skinny as store mannequins — don't take this crap anymore! Folks who think butt floss and naval-baring is offensive: RISE UP!

As I like to say: Stay tuned.

For Pete's sakes, people — This is fashion. Get over yourselves.


Postscripts:

In researching this post, I found a great web site that keeps tabs on this group of mAssholes: http://massresistancewatch.blogspot.com. Visit and bookmark it now.

They are an interesting group. That is, if you equate "interesting" with "seriously disturbed."

According to the site, Macy's angered the mAssheads because they only removed the mannequins — they wanted the entire window display squealched. When that didn't happen, the group vowed to continue the fight:

Even though the mannequins were removed, [the group proclaimed,] "THAT IS NOT ENOUGH, WE MUST CONTINUE THE PRESSURE."

Yawn....

Even MORE entertaining, check out the blog published by these mAssholes themselves! It would be completely hilarious if it wasn't so hyperbolic, incendiary and ludacrois.

Wait a minute — no, it really is completely hilarious. For instance, the Massfaces really have an issue with what they see as a difference between Macy's "heterosexual" mannequins and the "gay" ones:

It seems [a Mass Reistance critic] is also confused over male-female physiology, and can't quite bring herself to admit that Macy's "gay" male mannequins do NOT exhibit normal pectoral muscles. (And she also seems to be strangely focused on Victoria's Secret mannequin breasts. Have they "undermined [her] confidence" in her own body? Why bring up Victoria's Secret in a discussion of radical homosexual propaganda?)

Wow. You can't make this shit up. I can't believe Macy's would ever feel inclined to align with these folks. I suspect they haven't been tipped off to the views they present on their site — otherwise they might not have been so easily fooled into believing they were dealing with sane people.

Hmmm — looks as though I have a few phone calls to make and letters to write. Again — stay tuned....


Update:

Macy's has made wikipedia. I'm thinking the fat lady is not singing about all this just yet:

A national boycott campaign has began for consumers (straight or gay) offended by Macy's decision to appease bigotry. Many cut up or returned their Macy's credit cards with a request to cancel their accounts. The boycott called for offended consumers to not shop at any store owned by Federated Department Store, Inc. until Macy's offers a public apology to the citizens of Boston, takes the mannequins "out of the closet," and puts them back into the store window.

And, as Queerty reports, an article in the Advocate, the gay and lesbian newsweekly, will bring the brouhaha to — well, pretty much every gay person in America and beyond (subscribers will relay the news to their friends and acquaintances who aren't Advocate readers). That can't be good.

In the end, as David at Queerty points out, the crux of the whole controversy is likely to be settled when Macy's reflects on this essential question:

Why cater to right-wing conservatives when they aren't your market, anyhow?