On Tuesday night, The Laboratory, a local bar/cafe on University Avenue, unveiled its new promotional T-shirts. One of the T-shirt designs was offensive and misogynistic, portraying a woman’s buttocks (her face was not shown) as she was entangled in tentacles. The accompanying caption read, “The Laboratory: more fun than a night in Japan!”
Not only does this image objectify the female body, but it blatantly conveys rape imagery. Despite vocal protests from myself and two other female patrons of the establishment (and likely some silent protests), owner Larry Bruce continued to promote the shirt with its misogynistic imagery. Bruce states that only two shirts were made as ”gags” and were given away, not sold; however, this does not mollify the offensive nature of the shirt, and the notions that female objectification and rape are a “gag” magnify the ignominy of the shirt.
In addition to its offensiveness, the image perpetuates violence toward women, a trend on the rise. According to the Parents Television Council, violence toward women on television has increased 120 percent in the last five years. Promoting a business using rape imagery and objectifying women is unacceptable. I want Bruce to recall the offensive shirts and issue a public apology. Until then, I am boycotting The Lab and will unabashedly tell this story.
