Is this really offensive?

[MNNHFLTX]

Just as when I see all those young kids running around with words like "cutie" or "hot stuff" on their behinds, I think it is tasteless.

I have to agree with you there. However, I think a t-shirt promoting breast cancer awareness is not quite on that level. Besides, if it was like the t-shirts that I have seen, the wording is pretty straight-on and not strategically positioned.

[SurferStitch]

I don't have a problem with the shirt at all. It sounds kind of cute. I haven't seen one yet.

Would I wear it? - No. It's just not my thing to wear a shirt like that, but more power to those who will! It's for a great cause after all!

Does it belong in WDW? - Probably not, but I'm sure it's MUCH better than some of the sleazy things I've seen teens (and adults) wear in WDW.

I think ta-ta sounds much nicer and cuter than "breast" anyway!

Some (like that woman in line) are offended by anything and everything....I think there are people who just love to complain.

[PirateLover]

I don't find it offensive at all. Actually, the whole idea behind the phrasing is that laughter heals. A simple "Breast Cancer Awareness" shirt does not have the same effect/impact. I agree that on the whole our society is losing respect for one another but this is not an example of that in my opinion. And if a child asks.... why not just tell them the truth?

[Cookie123]

First off - I would never in a million years made a big fuss over it.

Did I find it offensive ? No, Not really.

However , I do find it tasteless, and
disrespectful to breasts, women in general, and also disrespectful to breast cancer victims.

Surely ..... they could have found a better way to get that message out without making light of a very serious thing.

This is akin to my friend losing her breasts, and someone making a joke about her finally getting her wish to lose weight.

It is too serious a subject to be making a cute little joke about.

[irish1967]

Personally, I have no problem with the shirt at all.

I would have much rather had a conversation with my children explaining the word "ta-ta" than "double masectomy" and why they couldn't give their favorite aunt a hug while she was recovering from her surgery.

[PirateLover]

However , I do find it tasteless, and
disrespectful to breasts, women in general, and also disrespectful to breast cancer victims.

Surely ..... they could have found a better way to get that message out without making light of a very serious thing.

This is akin to my friend losing her breasts, and someone making a joke about her finally getting her wish to lose weight.

It is too serious a subject to be making a cute little joke about.

I guess it's just how each individual person looks at it then. The point of the campaign is that breast cancer is SUCH a serious matter that you have to find a way to laugh to help you get through it.
From the website:
"For fun, for attention, spread the word, laughter heals.

Julia Fikse wants to save the ta-tas, including yours! Exposed to the effects of breast cancer at an early age when her grandmother lost both breasts to the disease, Fikse learned the value of accepting and loving oneself no matter your appearance.

After a second run-in with breast cancer in 2004 when another family member had a mastectomy and questioned her femininity, Fikse realized the importance of promoting self beauty and confidence in the hearts of women battling breast cancer. After 12 years as a fashion designer for brands like Levi's, Gymboree and Adidas, she dedicated herself to making a difference by launching the cheeky t-shirt line ta-tas."

[Gator]

I'd say it was tasteless and out of place at WDW. If a guy walking around in boxer type shorts that said "Save the Stones" on it, people would be greatly offended. But that's because we haven't been desensitized about testicular cancer. And please, save all your Mick and Keith jokes.

[Nascfan]

I think it's absolutely fantastic that they've found a campaign that even teens can relate too.

Bingo, in my opinion.

[pook@wdw]

As a breast cancer survivor, I can't say that I personally find that, offensive. This young lady may have a survivor in her family, or may just be a supporter. Whatever the case, any way of bringing the cause to light is a good thing. Maybe some people are simply uncomfortable w/public displays of support for something that used to be suffered in silence. Frankly, I wish I could've saved mine !!

[Ed]

See what that one shirt has done for breast cancer awareness right here on Intercot? Two pages of discussion and still growing. And in my mind, that's a good thing!

While the shirt would never pass my mother's "Sunday-going-to-church" clothing criteria, she definitely would agree with the underlying message. But she can't approve nor disapprove. Because she died of breast cancer at the age of 61, thirty-two years ago, when breast cancer was something that simply was not discussed in public.

In my book, anything short of outright vulgarity that raises awareness and perhaps prompts one person to contribute to finding the cure is a positive thing.

And I hardly think this particular shirt comes even close to being vulgar. Cancer is vulgar. Are you doing your part to defeat it?

Learn more.

[crazypoohbear]

I'd say it was tasteless and out of place at WDW. If a guy walking around in boxer type shorts that said "Save the Stones" on it, people would be greatly offended. But that's because we haven't been desensitized about testicular cancer. And please, save all your Mick and Keith jokes.

Okay, you need to get over here and clean the diet coke off my computer screen! I hate the feeling of coke coming out of my nose!
But... I have a friend Dick who is a testticular survivor I think anything that gets the message out is good.
I dont' find either message offensive, They are both tongue in cheek and gets communication going.

I have been a participant in the relay for life for years and the only thing that I find offensive is people not being aware!

There are plenty of other words that they could have used that would have been offensive. Tata's is not one of them.

Why is "breast" any better or worst that "ta ta's"??

[Mousefever]

However, I do agree with Ian in that, our country has gotten so 'okay' with 'sexifying our children' (I know that is not a word, but I am sure you get what I mean.). I assume the Ta Ta wording was right on the Breasts. Just as when I see all those young kids running around with words like "cutie" or "hot stuff" on their behinds, I think it is tasteless.

I don't think that "Save the ta-ta's" on a t-shirt sexualizes our children, or that it can be equated with "hot stuff" on a child's shorts, which I also find distressing. Raising awareness for breast cancer is not the same as treating our children as if they were grown-ups, by letting them wear provocative clothing. Just as seeing part of a nursing mother's breast is not the same as oogling a woman at Hooters.

I don't believe that the message cheapens our society, but I do think that it would have bothered my modest and proper Great Aunt Mary, who died from the disease in 1994. However, she would have had the tact to simply ignore the shirt and go on her way. I personally don't have a problem with the shirt.

Amy

[LauraleeH]

I can see how some people with breast cancer could be offended. They might think that people are taking something serious as a joke, but...
My cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple years ago. She was under 30 years old. She ended up beating the cancer and she was the girl on the breast cancer awareness special episode of "Deal Or No Deal" and she has worn this shirt. She is very active on getting the word out and she finds this shirt as a good way to spread the word. She didn't find it offensive, so there's no reason why I should.

[Rhetoric2000]

Actually I think "Save the Stones" is probably an even more needed message than the Ta-Tas.

Indeed I think the more potentially embarrassing the illness the more important it is to convince someone they need to see a doctor - my grandmother died from endometrial cancer having known there was something wrong with her for ages but not wanting to see anyone about it (This is decades ago and before I was born, BTW, not recently).

Incidentally Re: Ta-Tas in British slang: I haven't had the opportunity to bring it up in conversation yet since I was playing cricket all weekend and there were few in evidence. I shall keep you up to date.

[IloveDisney71]

I realize it's not like the end of the world or anything, but I just don't get the need for the coarseness of the shirt. I actually find that it cheapens the cause to a degree.

Why not just make a nice, tasteful shirt that says, "Breast Cancer Awareness" on it or something? What do you gain by adding the tasteless slang to the shirt?

I dunno ... I find this to be just another part of the overall coarsening of our society. I just don't see the benefit ... keep it clean and more people will be interested.

Look at that woman that was offended. Did the shirt do anything to help her become more interested in fighting breast cancer? A potentially offensive shirt alienates some people, while a nice, tasteful shirt is going to help your cause across the board.

Very well said! I've seen the bumper stickers and I just think they're tacky and insensitve. But I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.

[tyandskyesmom]

Here's my take on it ....

Do I find it offensive? No, not really. But it is tasteless, and I just don't understand why it's necessary to be tacky in order to raise awareness for breast cancer.

I actually find it doubly tasteless to wear a shirt like that in Disney World with so many kids around. I really don't feel like standing in line with my DD6 and having to answer the question, "Daddy, what are ta-tas?"

I realize it's not like the end of the world or anything, but I just don't get the need for the coarseness of the shirt. I actually find that it cheapens the cause to a degree.

Why not just make a nice, tasteful shirt that says, "Breast Cancer Awareness" on it or something? What do you gain by adding the tasteless slang to the shirt?

I dunno ... I find this to be just another part of the overall coarsening of our society. I just don't see the benefit ... keep it clean and more people will be interested.

Look at that woman that was offended. Did the shirt do anything to help her become more interested in fighting breast cancer? A potentially offensive shirt alienates some people, while a nice, tasteful shirt is going to help your cause across the board.

100%

I am finding myself agreeing here.

While I am not offended by the shirt though, it is her choice of where to wear it. And it is not the message that is inappropriate for the setting but the wording.

Disney World is a place where families go to have a clean, fantasy type vacation. The word "ta-ta" is not clean or family orientated. If we came across this girl, I would have to stop to explain to my very impressionable 9 year old son (who loves to test his limits with his knowledge of new, funny sounding words) what ta-tas are. Disney World is not the place that I want to be having him testing new (inappropriate) word limits or having a discussion about breasts or cancer or having to discipline him. And I say "having to discipline" because the work ta-ta is not an anatomical word for breast and in fact, when/where/how I grew up it would have been just as bad as some of those other words used to describe a breast. I am 37, so it is not like I'm old-fashioned or anything...in fact, I have lead a pretty liberal life. I have breast fed both of my kids (Tyler for about a year and he was almost 6 when Skye came along so it was not some secret thing that caused us to go hide every few hours either). BUT, I do not want to have that conversation in the middle of my fantasy world. If/when it is time for the discussion about Breast Cancer, we will discuss it without using the word ta-ta.

I do not have a problem discussing a breast. I would expect shirts like that during my normal everyday wandering or an event geared more towards an adult audience but not at Disney World. The person wearing it probably took enough time planning what to bring with that she could have planned to not wear that shirt there.

It really does not have anything to do with who she knows or what she may have been through because the plain fact is, you don't know if that is what happened or if she was just contributing to the cause (I assume proceeds from the shirt went to the cause) and thought it was funny for the same reason some of us think she should not have worn it there. And I would have absolutely no problem with a shirt using the word breast.

Basically, I guess I am saying that I would not wear it. I would not like to have to disrupt my fantasy world to explain to and possibly discipline my children regarding the use of the word "ta-ta". I would be very upset to hear my child using that word to talk about a breast...whether it be for important talk or seeing what he could get away with. It was just the wrong venue to bring the word...not the message. If she had felt that strongly about Disney World being the correct venue for her public message she should have and could have chosen a better shirt to do it with (meaning "more appropriate for the setting).

I have seen people being asked to turn a shirt inside out because it is a beer advertisment. I have seen The Queen of Hearts refuse to take a picture with a guy because his t-shirt had a popular beer logo on it. To me, the word ta-tas is more offensive that the name of a beer that kids these days are all too used to!

Oh, and I do thing the lady going on about it for 25 minutes was a bit overboard too.

Oh ya, and the point about this thread here on Intercot bringing more awareness...while it has gotten me talking and thinking...it is not talking and thinking about the cause...it is talking and thinking about the shirt...it has done nothing to further my knowledge or interest in furthering my knowledge of the horrible issue that I do not already know.

[DisneyWizard]

I'm really sorry, but this is a very sensitive subject with me and we really need to get the message out, to women and girls of all ages.

No, the message needs to get out to everyone - men and women. I have a male friend who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

How is "ta-ta" tasteless? It's creative. It's certainly not eloquent, but not tasteless either.

[Jeff G]

I read this post last week and refrained from posting but after chewing on this I wanted to share my . Is using ta-ta's socially acceptable now? I am fairly conservative and from how I was raised ta-ta's isn't an acceptable phrase (along with many other slangs for breasts) nor would allow my kids to use it. If I heard one of my boys referring to breasts as ta-ta's I would tell them it's inappropriate.

I am friends with our schools principal and in a discussion I asked him what his stance would be toward this shirt. Without hesitation he said if a child wore this to his school they would be sent home to change and if a child used ta-ta's in his school they would be asked to refrain.

If the shirt isn't appropriate at school is it appropriate for WDW? My thoughts no.

Let me preface this, this is my opinion. I'm not attacking others for their opinion on this matter. I have family members who have passed away from cancer & to me awareness is very important. I give money to cancer fund raisers & research every chance I get. I guess I'm old fashioned and feel there are more tactful ways to get the message out there without pushing an envelope to get attention.

[Bethis26fan]

Intreasting topic. I myself wouldn't have found it offensive being a 28 year old woman, but listen to some of the guys and parents I could see how it would be.

[laughingplace<3]

Why is "ta-ta" a "no-no" anyway??
Don't little kids have names like that for lots of different body parts? I surely didn't expect my kids to use the proper anatomical terms when they were younger.

I agree. Think about if the shirt said the other word for ta-ta's (not the t word, the little less vulgar b word, not breasts...). Then it would not be okay. Whoever made the shirt obviously thought of a more friendly, personal name for them that would reach a larger audience. The word ta-ta is not offensive to me and probably was derived from having a word for the body part available for children.

However, I see how people might see it as offensive. Then again, the time comes for children to ask about what words mean, and would you rather have them ask when it is used vulgarly, or used in a beneficial way?