GapKids x Ellen DeGeneres Anthem (2015) :75 (USA)

The Riot Grrl anthem creators Le Tigre’s song “Deceptacon” blares as little girls - thank heaven for them - skateboard, breakdance, play drums, solve math equations, direct and rule in general. A generation of women who grew up with Le Tigre are most likely high-fiving each other watching this, while their daughters wonder where Katy Perry is. Of course Degeneres new line of Gap clothing is, according to headlines out there, tearing down ye old gender roles and stomping out stereotypes.
This - by now quite old - tactic of empowering little girls is going to shift product into the arms of soccer-moms who confuse being unfeminine with being powerful. Ladies, remember when you made those little rugrats that you're dressing? It took me 45 minutes and no pain reliever to deliver a 9.03pound healthy baby girl, femininity is power and strength. We are the only humans who can make other humans. It's bloody magic, is what it is. While I appreciate jeans that aren't cut so low as to constantly show a crack when little girls are on the monkey bars, I'm growing increasingly tired of the "empowering" meme that forgets how powerful womanhood actually is. Of course little girls can be "doers and dancers and dreamers, bikers and boarders and builders", and if they want to wear a pink tutu while they're at it, who are you to stop them? In fact, the ED line should probably come out with pink boys tutus to really even the playing field and shatter gender roles. This is just a return to the 70s girls wear muted colours+pants during the week & then fancy dress on Sunday that I grew up in, repackaged with Ellen DeGeneres stamp of approval.

Client: The Gap