It's finally the holiday season which means lots of things: lights, trees, baking cookies, watching Home Alone 75 times and wondering if you could pull off Kevin McCallister's mitten and knitted cap combo as an adult. But, let's not forget that the holiday season also brings out the rage in people's emotions.
There are lots of things people get outraged about during the holidays. Is it too early to put up decorations? Too late? Should we say "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas?" Are the Starbucks cups somehow offensive this year? Have we decided what about them is offensive or should we be low-grade offended until we can figure it out?
Whatever we are outraged about this year, we can all agree the holiday season is the time when our brains realize we are about to be cold for the next three months, so they decide to warm our fragile bodies with anger. (I'm pretty sure this is how bodies work but look, I'm not a biologist.) It's a time-honored tradition.
Also, some things are actually offensive.
Or just done in poor taste.Like when people insist on throwing ugly sweater parties.
Come on, can we wear normal clothes? This joke was over like two years ago.Now they make sweaters specifically for ugly sweater parties that are secretly cute.
So it's really meaningless! Ok, sorry, I'm getting distracted on the sweater soapbox. Let's move on.A Marks & Spencer window display in Nottingham, England is making people angry.
via: Shutterstock
Marks & Spencer is a fancy department store in the United Kingdom.The window display shows items from the men's department and items from the women's department.
To be clear: @marksandspencer believe that the 'MUST HAVES' are: For MEN: 'outfits to impress' For WOMEN: 'fancy… https://t.co/5c4K0Fi7Jh— FiLiA (@FiLiA)1542571552.0
It's not hard to see why people were offended by this.
via: Shutterstock
Men need business clothes, and women need underwear?People had strong reactions.
@FiLiA_charity @marksandspencer Could be that @marksandspencer thinks that women's "fancy little knickers" ARE" out… https://t.co/YQZ2gmt1G9— Dr. Ann Olivarius (@Dr. Ann Olivarius)1542716099.0
In fact, there were a lot of reactions.
@AnnOlivarius @FiLiA_charity @marksandspencer Didn’t realize that my outfit for dressing to impress meant that I ne… https://t.co/A66dD4Xw4M— Amiya Santiago (@Amiya Santiago)1542825216.0
And Rose McGowan even had an idea on how to fix it!
Make it fair .@marksandspencer A window with men in lingerie and women in suits would make this okay https://t.co/LJztDmfv8M— Rose McGowan (@Rose McGowan)1542831400.0
Although, some people disagreed with her plan.
@rosemcgowan @marksandspencer Two thongs don’t make a right.— Alan Jankowski (@Alan Jankowski)1542831590.0
People pointed out that the display felt demanding.
@JeremyVineOn5 There’s so much wrong with that I can’t begin to explain in one text ... ‘fancy little knickers’ ..… https://t.co/TETBfg7Yvl— Emma B 💙 (@Emma B 💙)1542791018.0
But some people thought it wasn't a big deal.
@FiLiA_charity @marksandspencer Think your over reacting. Think there's more to worry about than this.— Holly (@Holly)1542833631.0
Some people thought it was flawed logic.
@AnnOlivarius @FiLiA_charity @marksandspencer It doesn’t say that the knickers are must haves to impress. It says m… https://t.co/P5TeGZC7Lf— Launceston Storm (@Launceston Storm)1542832950.0
To be honest, I think this was poor advertising.
But, as it turns out, there was more to the story.The original photo didn't show the whole display window, only a portion of it.
@AnnOlivarius @FiLiA_charity @marksandspencer Well no, because the same store had this window also https://t.co/aownR0vV7X— mikey m (@mikey m)1542724760.0
But people pointed out that even if there was a women's clothing window, there still wasn't a men's underwear window.
@_Mykee_ @FiLiA_charity @marksandspencer I'm delighted by that, actually! Now show me the window of the men's under… https://t.co/n4CQWIY5Mp— Dr. Ann Olivarius (@Dr. Ann Olivarius)1542726186.0
Others pointed out that store display windows are often based of which items are the most popular.
And men don't buy as much underwear.Users argued that dressing the mannequins comes down to pure economics.
@FiLiA_charity @marksandspencer I used to dress up mannequins at my first retail job. Part of my training was I had… https://t.co/LEKx3MWVgS— 🎂Birthdayweegee🎂 (@🎂Birthdayweegee🎂)1542849188.0
But the debate went on!
@enazmi_sey @BeccaPaintmore @_Mykee_ @AnnOlivarius @FiLiA_charity @marksandspencer The only $20 underwear I have we… https://t.co/XbNKUq4gpC— con-servatives aren’t conservative (@con-servatives aren’t conservative)1543022092.0
Some people said it was.
@rosemcgowan @marksandspencer Whats displayed in windows is what a company feels will bring in customers. It's not… https://t.co/tBcNDINLpD— Rhi Rhi (@Rhi Rhi)1542839508.0
A protester even changed the display text.
via: Shutterstock
They put a poster over the words so it read "Must have fancy little full human rights."Marks & Spencer said they won't take the display down.
via: Shutterstock
They don't believe it is offensive or sexist.In their statement they said:
via: Shutterstock
"M&S sells more underwear, in more shapes, sizes, and styles than any other retailer– especially at Christmas." They went on to say, "We've highlighted one combination in our windows, which are part of a wider campaign that features a large variety of must-have Christmas moments, from David Gandy washing up in an M&S suit through to families snuggling up in our matching PJs."Their spokesperson, David Gandy, responded to the outrage on his own Twitter.
If any men want any 'must have fancy knickers' for Christmas. Then i may know just where to shop:… https://t.co/qXzQPAvMXy— David Gandy (@David Gandy)1542814472.0
All in all, it was a confusing and complex argument.
Women are sharing photos of underwear with the hashtag #ThisIsNotConsent after a 17-year-old’s underwear was used a… https://t.co/u4oKun0Zc8— Zainab Salbi (@Zainab Salbi)1542810848.0
It felt personal for many women.
@davidgilson @_Mykee_ @FiLiA_charity @marksandspencer Not quite. First of all, the blokes' underwear is not part of… https://t.co/lLYMR6OjTD— Dr. Ann Olivarius (@Dr. Ann Olivarius)1542798856.0