[HPFGU-OTChatter] wifebeaters Re: Closets and Wardrobes

[P. Alexis Nguyen]

Carol:
>  How about the connotation of a man who beats his wife, the literal
>  meaning of the word? Doesn't it imply a false standard of masculinity
>  (male domination and violence)? That, not the ethnic origin or
>  "trailer trash"/"redneck" connotation, is what troubles me.
SNIP
>  Anyway, thanks for your perspective, Ali. It's probably similar to my
>  clients. Please forgive me, but I get the idea that your generation
>  just hasn't given the word any thought.

Ali:
I'm going to try to not sound snide (because I'm not being snide), but
what does the connotation have to do with it?  A wifebeater, the
object, is a shirt.  A wife beater, the person, can (and, in this day
and age, many times does) wear suits and other very respectable
clothing.  In fact, I would gather that the perpetuating myth is that
men who abuse their wives are rednecks and prone to wearing things
like wifebeaters.  And while I think you're right in that most people
haven't given the term thought, I think people of my generation who
have given it thought have also decided that it isn't worth it to
worry about the connotation of the name of a tee when the name is such
a part of the vernacular - also, I don't know how common my experience
is but the term has offended no one I've come in contact with before
(meaning people my age and their parents).

I mean, Lee's friend is right.  The term is a slang term, one that is
extremely common.  If your author/her character is someone in their
20s and referring to someone in his 20s, it makes very little sense to
not use the slang term unless the character is one who specifically
does not use slangs.  (And I'm pretty certain that the main romance
reader demographics will not find that term offensive - having had to
do the research for a business plan a few years back, if I recall
correctly, the big portion of the folks are right around my age and
above - professional women, I think around 25-32, with the next group
up being women in their mid-30s.)

I think that Magpie's suggestion of taking out the colour altogether
is best (but then, that's probably because, if I were the author, I
would vehemently argue for the authenticity of keeping the term
wifebeater).

My two cents.  (Sorry if I sounded mean/snide/whatever since I
honestly was trying not to be - can't guess how that came across,
though, so I'm just making apologies now.)

~Ali