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It annoys me a lot when men who wear tanks are called "wife beaters".
So, if a guy prefers to wear a tank to bed in the summer for a comfortable night's sleep, he is or will be a wife beater . I do this 5 months a year around my house and do not want to be grouped as such. Which man in their right mind would beat their wife, and why is it associated with a common clothing material.
Its similar to grouping women who feel comfortable wearing short tight shorts and skimpy tops are "sluts". Why do we allow one's clothing preferences to define their attitude. Such stereotypes should not exist .
Please discuss your thoughts and feelings.
Spoiler
And in truth, "husband beaters" who wear tank tops exist as well , though there are very few.
Because of shows like Cops, where aggressive and violent husbands are dragged out of their homes in undershirts. Because of movies like Streetcar Named Desire, where Marlon Brando as abusive Stanley is standing out in the street in an undershirt yelling at Stella. It's a pretty well-documented cultural meme, but it's not to be taken seriously.
Last edited by fleetiebelle; 12-06-2013 at 09:26 AM..
Mainly because humans are idiots and think they have to "name" everything.
My Grandfather wore those type of shirts his entire life and it ticks me off when I hear them referred to as "wife beaters".
It is a television/movie stereotype that is not even remotely close to being true.
As far as the tight shorts for women I personally think they just look tacky but it generally does not take away from the type of person they are. Honestly I don't really want to see that much of your body while I am at the grocery.
It is their choice though and I am not condemning them for their choice it just isn't my choice.
Because of shows like Cops, where aggressive and violent husbands are dragged out of their homes in undershirts. .
When I moved to the US, I asked my ex about wife beaters (because I find them rather sexy on a good built guy). He told me about the Cop show. So then I watched "cops" and yes, TRUE. So funny!
They are? That's the first time I've ever heard of it.
I think it's more likely the men are just actually wife beaters and it has nothing to do with wearing a tank top. I wear wifebeaters and have never been called one. I get a few people teasing me about wearing a wifebeater since they're generally trashy, but if I'm slumming it around the house why do I care?
I hated that show "Cops". Police are portrayed as very violent people on that show, while in reality they are actually nice people. In my town, such situations occasionally occur, but they are never dealt with in such a violent and boneheaded manner. Consequently, people don't act very violently as well and comply. I feel that some of their actions do in fact look like police brutality and use of excessive force. I live in a small jersey suburban town though. Things may be different in a big city hood.
The term 'wife beater' for a particular type of shirt has been around for a while, pretty sure it pre-dates 'Cops" by a good while. This is to me the most likely explanation.
"its pejorative nicknames, wife-beater or guinea tee (which come from cultural stereotypes of a former era when they were considered an underwear-only type of clothing and wearing one in public was alleged to connote low social class)." Sleeveless shirt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(the term now refers to the shirt only, not to the person wearing it)
It is just a slang name, nothing to be taken seriously. No one, unless they are insane, thinks if a person is wearing one, he is beating his wife.
As others have stated, it comes from shows like Cops. The term predates Cops as I heard them called this before Cops was a show. I think it comes from as to why it is labeled a "wife beater", because numerous times police respond to domestic violence, it seems many men were wearing one, so the term just generated from that.
You have to see the humor in it when police show up to husband on wife violence calls, many men are wearing the same outfit.
Names just do not come out of the blue, there is always a reason for it.
I hated that show "Cops". Police are portrayed as very violent people on that show, while in reality they are actually nice people. In my town, such situations occasionally occur, but they are never dealt with in such a violent and boneheaded manner. Consequently, people don't act very violently as well and comply. I feel that some of their actions do in fact look like police brutality and use of excessive force. I live in a small jersey suburban town though. Things may be different in a big city hood.
A little off topic, but Cops does not show police brutality, if for any reason, the cameras are on them. What the police do on Cops is pretty tame; I sure as heck would not be so kind with many of those people the cops have to deal with.
It's just slang...wearing underwear as outwear equated with low class, much as behaving abusively toward one's wife...thuggish men being equated with the kind of guy who slobs around in his underwear around the house.
My dad always calls white tank tops "A-shirts," just a generational thing.
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. I do this 5 months a year around my house and do not want to be grouped as such. Which man in their right mind would beat their wife, and why is it associated with a common clothing material. 
.
, though there are very few.
