Of “Kidz” and ‘Ho Clothing
By the Rev. Charles H. Nalls
Special to The Christian Challenge magazine
This morning, as on many mornings, I was thinking on the dignity of the human person. I was looking at the Acton Institute’s website and rereading the Statement of Principles for Economic Personalism which begins:
This gem goes on to address human action:
Speaking to economic liberty as a subset of liberty in general, the Statement addresses the duties that are tied to liberty:
Against the backdrop of these succinct statements and feeling generally sanguine about the market and the moral actors who freely participate in it, I began to read my e-mail which, inter alia, contained a message from a parishioner that included a link to Pimpfants.com. Apparently, the site was featured by cyberjournalist Matt Drudge under the heading “‘Ho clothes for kiddies”.
Given the irate nature of the message, I took a look at the site, and discovered that Pimpfants.com is a purveyor of clothing billed as bridging the gap between adults and their children through a unique line of clothing. Well, fine and innocent enough, but this “generation bridging effort” largely consists of designs aimed at making the very young look much older, or, rather like much older streetwalkers. Couched in a standard commercial, “kidz” clothing format, the Pimpfants.com folks were vending apparel that was calculated to hyper-sexualize the very young.
The site almost immediately became “unavailable” following its exposure on the Drudge Report. Perhaps the Pimpfants.com staff suddenly realized their “duty to others to participate in the market as a moral agent and in accordance with moral goods.” Not.
The site did undergo a bit of a rework in which the purveyors of such apparel items as the "Lil Beater" (a/k/a "wife beater")tank top, offered an apolologia of sorts. In the FAQ section, the Pimpfants team acknowledges that the term "pimp" "conjures up unpleasant thoughts for some people, however, our intent is to simply reflect nothing more than a play on two words that today describe a 'hip baby'." That would be a hip baby strutting in his "wife beater" shirt or "Junior Pimp Squad" basketball set.
Undoubtedly, those who find this sort of thing distasteful were swift in their complaints, and the effect was immediate, albeit temporary. But, there are many, many others in the market vending the same sort of “look” and with enough savvy to adopt less provocative names for equally provocative articles of children’s fashion.
It is good to reflect on the priority of culture in the market. As well, “It is crucial, then, that the law guarantees private property rights and voluntary exchange.” However,
So, when exercising consumer choices, we do well to consider the role of a moral culture and family in the context of that choice.
Given the swiftness of reaction, it may well be that this is precisely what happened in the market for children’s wear this morning. It certainly did not happen on the part of those on the supply side of the equation.
At the end of the day, the dignity of the human person is grounded in the fact that man is created in the image of God. In the exercise consumer preference, an constant awareness of that fact, as well as the responsibilities that the person of faith bears in the exercise of individual liberty in the market, can and does change the market and, ultimately, the culture.
Pimpfants.com-may it soon rest in peace.
Special to The Christian Challenge magazine
This morning, as on many mornings, I was thinking on the dignity of the human person. I was looking at the Acton Institute’s website and rereading the Statement of Principles for Economic Personalism which begins:
The human person, by virtue of being created imago Dei, is an independent substance, individually unique, rational, the subject of moral agency, and a co-creator. Accordingly, he possesses intrinsic value and dignity, implying certain rights and duties with respect to the recognition and protection of the dignity of himself and other persons.- Journal of Markets and Morality, Volume 4, Number 2 (Fall 2001)
This gem goes on to address human action:
Human persons are by nature acting persons. Through human action, the person is able to actualize his potentiality by freely choosing the moral goods that fulfill his nature.
Speaking to economic liberty as a subset of liberty in general, the Statement addresses the duties that are tied to liberty:
Liberty, in a positive sense, is achieved by fulfilling one's nature as a person by virtue of having freely chosen to do what one ought…. As such, the bearer of economic liberty has not only certain rights, but also duties.… [T]he economically free person will also bear the duty to others to participate in the market as a moral agent and in accordance with moral goods.
Against the backdrop of these succinct statements and feeling generally sanguine about the market and the moral actors who freely participate in it, I began to read my e-mail which, inter alia, contained a message from a parishioner that included a link to Pimpfants.com. Apparently, the site was featured by cyberjournalist Matt Drudge under the heading “‘Ho clothes for kiddies”.
Given the irate nature of the message, I took a look at the site, and discovered that Pimpfants.com is a purveyor of clothing billed as bridging the gap between adults and their children through a unique line of clothing. Well, fine and innocent enough, but this “generation bridging effort” largely consists of designs aimed at making the very young look much older, or, rather like much older streetwalkers. Couched in a standard commercial, “kidz” clothing format, the Pimpfants.com folks were vending apparel that was calculated to hyper-sexualize the very young.
The site almost immediately became “unavailable” following its exposure on the Drudge Report. Perhaps the Pimpfants.com staff suddenly realized their “duty to others to participate in the market as a moral agent and in accordance with moral goods.” Not.
The site did undergo a bit of a rework in which the purveyors of such apparel items as the "Lil Beater" (a/k/a "wife beater")tank top, offered an apolologia of sorts. In the FAQ section, the Pimpfants team acknowledges that the term "pimp" "conjures up unpleasant thoughts for some people, however, our intent is to simply reflect nothing more than a play on two words that today describe a 'hip baby'." That would be a hip baby strutting in his "wife beater" shirt or "Junior Pimp Squad" basketball set.
Undoubtedly, those who find this sort of thing distasteful were swift in their complaints, and the effect was immediate, albeit temporary. But, there are many, many others in the market vending the same sort of “look” and with enough savvy to adopt less provocative names for equally provocative articles of children’s fashion.
It is good to reflect on the priority of culture in the market. As well, “It is crucial, then, that the law guarantees private property rights and voluntary exchange.” However,
Liberty flourishes in a society supported by a moral culture that embraces the truth about the transcendent origin and destiny of the human person. This moral culture leads to harmony and the proper ordering of society. While the various institutions within the political, economic, and other spheres are important, the family is the primary inculcator of the moral culture in a society.
So, when exercising consumer choices, we do well to consider the role of a moral culture and family in the context of that choice.
Given the swiftness of reaction, it may well be that this is precisely what happened in the market for children’s wear this morning. It certainly did not happen on the part of those on the supply side of the equation.
At the end of the day, the dignity of the human person is grounded in the fact that man is created in the image of God. In the exercise consumer preference, an constant awareness of that fact, as well as the responsibilities that the person of faith bears in the exercise of individual liberty in the market, can and does change the market and, ultimately, the culture.
Pimpfants.com-may it soon rest in peace.