JC Penney: Undermining Girls’ Education Since 2011.

Aug 31

We can all agree that selling a t-shirt for girls ages 7 to 16 emblazoned with “Too Pretty to Do Homework, so my brother has to do it for me” is a terrible, terrible idea, right?  (With the caption “Who has time for homework when there’s a new Justin Bieber album out? She’ll love this tee that’s just as cute and sassy as she is.”)  The problems with that shirt (setting aside its awful design) are many — tying appearance to the need to do homework, suggesting getting a boy to do it for you.  Just terrible.

If you’ve been following the show on Facebook, you might have guessed that the next release from Spare the Rock Records will be connected to girls’ education (not yet ready to fully announce it, but soon), and this is exactly the sort of message that is damaging.  And gets me really, really angry.  I intend for this shirt to be a prime example of exactly what we need to do better in messages to our daughters.

JC Penney won’t be getting our back-to-school shopping.  Or any other shopping.

You can contact JC Penney here.  I did already.

Update: It looks like they’ve taken it down.  Good on them as a first step.  How about an acknowledgment that it was a terrible, terrible idea?  Publicly?  Screenshot of what it was is above; click on it for a full-sized view.

Update 2:  They’ve apologized, and in a pretty straightforward, non-“we-apologize-if-you-were-offended” way.  Good on them.

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Playlist for 8/27/2011

Aug 27

Listen any old time at our page at WRSI.com!

Segment 1
TMBG – It’s Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG – Older
Randy Kaplan – No Nothing (in-studio)
Caroline Herring – Building of the Road
ID
Grenadilla – Arabella Angelique
Dean Jones – Lucky
ID

Segment 2
Bobby Bare – I Care
Dr. Dog – Unicorn
ID/prep to rock
They Might Be Giants – Don’t Spare the Rock!
Alkaline Trio – Movin’ Right Along
Strange Kidz – Corren
Rabbit! – In My Blue Jeans
ID

Segment 3
Mr. Richard – Butterfly Day
Graham Parker – The Kid With the Butterfly Net
ID
Men Without Hats – Safety Dance
New York Dolls – Dance Like a Monkey
Lunch Money vs. Grody – You Are Here (remix)
ID

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster – Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
ID
Wee Hairy Beasties – Cyril the Karaoke Squirrel
OK GO – Muppet Show Theme Song
Todd McHatton – Green Eleven
ID
Muckafurgason – Dictionary

Segment 5
Farmer Jason – Punk Rock Skunk
Beat Farmers – Never Goin’ Back
ID
Hipwaders – Hey, Josie!
Mike Park – Everybody Loves to Jump (Smile!)

Segment 6
Jimmies – Every Day’s a Holiday
Replacements – Jungle Rock
ID
Dan Zanes – Saro Jane (with Barbara Brousal)
Primate Fiasco – Sunny Side of the Street
John & Mark – Colors
ID
TMBG – Particle Man
TMBG – Spare the Rock

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2011-08-20 Playlist

Aug 20

Listen on-demand at our page at WRSI.com!

Segment 1
TMBG – It’s Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG -Even Numbers
Randy Kaplan – Loquat Rooftop
ID
Recess Monkey – S-L-E-E-P-Over (in-studio)
Psapp – Everybody Wants to Be a Cat
Dan Zanes – Moonlit Town (in-studio)
ID

Segment 2
Patty Griffin – I Love (Songs of Fox Hollow)
Elizabeth Mitchell – Ladybug Picnic
ID/prep to rock
TMBG – Don’t Spare the Rock
Kevin Kammeraad – Petoskey Stone
Kevin Kammeraad/ScribbleMonster – The Fur Trade?
Pixies – Bam Thwok
The Jimmies – Kids Wanna Rock
ID
The Not-Its! – Hank Is a Rock Star

Segment 3
Gruff Rhys – Candylion (Candylion)
Lunch Money – A Cookie As Big As My Head
ID
Polyphonic Spree – Section 12
Solanna – Preparons-nous pour Faire la Fete (Kids World Party)
Milkshake – Happy Place
ID

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster – Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
ID
Dan Zanes & Shine – Wake Up Baby!
Little Richard – Land of a Thousand Dances
Bunny Clogs – Shpilkas
ID
Ozomatli – Love and Hope
ID
Nields – Who Are You Not to Shine?

Segment 5
Justin Roberts – Kickboard Baby, yeah
Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke
ID
Rabbit! – Apple Tree
Billy Kelly – The Family Garden
ID

Segment 6
Prince – Starfish & Coffee
Parliament – Mothership Connection
Sara Hickman – Radiation Man
Buddy Miller – Sneaky Snake
ID
TMBG – Courage the Cowardly Dog

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On This American Life

Aug 15

You may have picked up that in my day job, I’m a law professor.  One of my areas of interest is amusement ride safety, and, in that context, I did a ton of interviews (and a visit to Six Flags New England) for a segment on This American Life — a segment that ultimately didn’t air.  But I did get a thank-you, and I like that, so you can hear it too (with a Guns ‘n’ Roses music bed!):

Thanks to Bill Childs

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Playlist for 8/13/2011

Aug 13

Listen on demand any old time at our page at WRSI.com!

Segment 1
TMBG – It’s Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG – James K. Polk
Renee & Jeremy – Rely
Elizabeth Mitchell – Bright Morning Stars
ID
Calexico – Victor Jara’s Hands
Lunch Money – At the River
ID

Segment 2
Interview re: PJ Library w/ Rachel Berezin
Randy Kaplan – Mazal Mazal
Ralph Covert – Fools Will Try
ID/prep to rock
TMBG – Don’t Spare the Rock!
Mighty Weaklings – The Monster Under My Bed
John Wesley Harding – Sing Your Own Song
ID

Segment 3
Jonathan Coulton – The Princess Who Saved Herself
ID
Ellen & Matt – Side by Side
Pink Floyd – Bike
Sippy Cups – My Loose Tooth
ID
Stan Ridgway – Wondered What It’d Be Like?

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster – Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
ID
Keller Williams – Hula Hoop To Da Loop
Me 3 – I Don’t Know!
ID
The Clash – Lost in the Supermarket
Miss Gail & the Jumpin’ Jam Band – Hey! Hey!
CandyBand – Get Up Already
ID

Segment 5
Booker T & Sharon Jones – Representing Memphis
ID
Dan Zanes & Friends – In the Basement (w/ Sharon Jones)
Etta James – Born on the Bayou
ID
Dog on Fleas – Green Grass of Summer
Cat & a Bird – Bee Jive
ID

Segment 6
Sarah Lee Guthrie & Family – Go Waggaloo
Jimmies – Bonfire
ID
Michael Franti & Spearhead – Hey World (Remote Control Edition)
Telephone Company – Bomb Pop
Flaming Lips – Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
ID
TMBG – New York City
TMBG – Spare the Rock

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