For me, the problem isn't that the Republicans are insulting the Democrats--this is a part of politics and somewhat expected... rather what I find disturbing is their genderized tailoring of the insult in which the "feminine" is something to be ashamed of and is constructed as an insult. Am I overreacting? Is this funny? Something to be proud of?
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'Girlie man' insult a rally cry for GOP
By Michelle Maitre, STAFF WRITER
Love it or hate it, you've got to admit the governor's "girlie man" comment made for one heck of a catchy sound bite.
And for college Republican groups, it's a fund-raising opportunity and marketing ploy that's just too good to pass up.
California College Republicans, the umbrella group that represents Republican student groups on campuses throughout the state, is offering a line of "girlie man" merchandise that is selling faster than you can say "governator."
"They are selling faster than cheap pizza on college campuses," said Michael Davidson, chairman of California College Republicans, who is obviously no slouch either when it comes to throwing out quotable sound bites.
Two lines of T-shirts, one reading "Don't be a girlie man: Vote Republican" and the other reading "Don't be a girlie man: Join the College Republicans" are making their debut on college campuses this month.
A version could be seen Thursday at University of California, Berkeley's Calapalooza for new students. San Jose State University's College Republicans ordered 50 of the shirts and will hand some out to active members at chapter meetings. The T-shirts could also make a debut in a few weeks at California State University, Hayward, where the fall quarter doesn't start until Sept. 23.
The statewide group is offering the shirts at cost to college groups, which can sell them for a profit. The group has also been offering the shirts for $15 on its Web site, www.college-gop.org, as well as buttons that sell for $1.50. An expanded line with sweatshirts, banners and bottle openers is also in the works.
Davidson said the group has already sold "hundreds" of T-shirts, many of them to out-of-state folks who heard about the
T-shirts through the media.
"I did a radio interview in Detroit," Davidson said, "and we got a lot of orders after that."
The idea for the merchandise came, of course, from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous political stop on July 17, when he told a crowd at an Ontario strip mall that Democratic legislators, who he claimed were stalling the budget process, were "girlie men." The phrase, though, was first coined on a Schwarzenegger-inspired "Saturday Night Live" sketch in which two ridiculously muscled men with Austrian accents disparage non-weight lifters as "girlie men."
Schwarzenegger's Ontario speech quickly caught fire, and a chorus of voices throughout the state said the girlie man bit was insulting to gays and women.
To Davidson and other college Republican groups, the phrase is just funny.
"I really love the idea," said Amaury Gallais, executive director of Berkeley College Republicans, which will sell the shirts for between $12 and $15. "I found them really funny, and it conveys an important message and they're also really fun T-shirts."
The back of the shirts are decorated with the "girlie man" phrase and include a drawing of a chagrined donkey, the mascot of the Democratic party, wearing a silly dress.
Gallais said the shirts aren't meant as a slight to gays or women, although he admits he does have it out for one group. "If it makes the Democrats mad, that's more of our goal than anything," he said. "Our intent is purely political."
Rich Stowell, acting vice president of the Cal State Hayward College Republicans, said the shirts shouldn't cause a stir on campuses, at least as long as everyone keeps their senses of humor intact.
"I just think that very often Republicans and Democrats take politicians and politics much too seriously, so a comment like that from somebody in such a high profile position kind of breaks the fog and cuts through all the super-seriousness," said Stowell, who is also chief executive officer of Hayward's Campus Conservatives.
Megan Brill, chairwoman of the College Republicans at San Jose State, agreed.
"It's just kind of a catchy, fun message, and I think college students respond to it," Brill said. "I'm not afraid of offending anyone at all."
California College Republicans aren't the only group that's hoping to turn the "girlie man" cachet into a cash cow.
A San Francisco entrepreneur has created a line of baseball jersey-ish shirts with the slogan "Sacramento Girlie Men," available for $24 at www.sacramentogirliemen.com "The Sacramento Girlie Men welcome you back for another winning season," the Web site says. "Remember, we're all winners ... not just special interest groups and action heroes! Go, girlie men, go!"
Davidson said the "girlie man" comment has appeal for young people.
"Our generation, we're not like the politicians who say what they say just to get elected," said Davidson, a UC Berkeley alumnus. "We like straight talk, even if it's politically incorrect. That's what the governor did, and we decided to take advantage of it."
Contact Michelle Maitre at mmaitre@angnewspapers.com .
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