I think I need to vomit. These are horrible. I'm sorry, but I can't think of any, any justification in putting these on little feet.

I actually take issue with putting infants and very young children into clothing that sends political messages, since they themselves have no voice in deciding what message they're sending. So whether the booties have the original or feministing mudflap girl, I don't think people should be dressing their kids in them . . . and it doesn't have so much to do with the sexual imagery (although that's an important conversation to have too); I don't think little kids should be dressed by their parents in Obama or McCain branded garb either! (Older kids, of course, have more opinions on what they want to wear and why, so that's a different story . . .)

That is why I personally leave my baby naked, so as not to inflict any ideologies on them, be they of a political or gendered nature. My naked baby is in fact, a statement about ideologically neutral parenting.

Some Feministing merch suggestions:

I think wall decals would be a good one. They stick to a variety of surfaces, and just look cool. Maybe stencils would work, too. I'd put a Feministing stencil on some clothing, or something. And the underwear is a great idea.

I would totally rock Feministing underpants. I'm plus-size, though, so I don't know if cafepress or the other typical logo merchandise vendors even make my size.

An iron-on logo would do the trick for us plus size gals... it isn't as easy, but it would be better than being excluded.

After reading the headline for this post, my eyes immediately skipped to the image without first reading the text. My first thoughts were (1) It was the Feministing logo on the apparel and (2) the apparel was kneepads. After my resulting chaos of neural activity calmed down a bit, I thought, man this is going to be some kind of multilayered post. Alas, my unrealistically high expectations were not met. Oh, well.

The only problem I have with the logo is that it's not really obvious that she's giving the finger. To me it's always looked like she was just pointing up. I'd be hesitant to wear something so easily misconstrued as supporting the original mud-flap-girl ideology. Could there be any way to make it more obvious she's giving the bird?

Yes, I would wear clothes with the Feministing logo on them. I don't think those booties are cute at all. I wouldn't even give those as a gag gift.

I use inkjet iron-on transfers to make shirts and onesies for my girls. To some extent I agree about not putting political messages on kids, but I despise all the princess bullshit that other parents plaster all over their girls, and think that someone needs to be sending a message to counter it.
I think the ideas that are tied up with the whole princess dynamic are very damaging to girls. Among other things, all the princess rhetoric tells them that their appearance is the most important thing about them, that if they're beautiful enough then they'll be rescued by some insipid prince, but if not then they're invisible, and that it's OK to be a materialistic self-centered brat as long as you're beautiful. So I make shirts with anti-princess messages like "I catch bugs" (my 4 y/o step-daughter loves catching bugs), "I'm smart and strong too" and "More than just a pretty face" (because every stranger she meets tells her she's beautiful), and "I can be pretty and do math" (to counter the 2 girls in her preschool class whose shirts say "I'm too pretty to do math"). We've also taught her to answer the many strangers who ask her if she's a princess by saying "no, I'm a real girl." If asked to explain she tells them that sometimes she likes to play soccer and T-ball, and to go hiking and camping, but princesses can't do those things in their fancy dresses and tight shoes.
I know a lot of people think the princess thing is harmless, but I disagree. She already knows (and my 10-month-old will know soon enough) that she's beautiful, cute, adorable, etc. I want them to get some positive messages about their other characteristics.

All of the baby clothing on that site is horrible. I am now wondering, though, what you guys think of http://www.mudflapboy.com/ -- objectifying men? Or positive re-appropriation? (BTW, the link for Men's clothing just goes to man-sized clothing with the same "Mudflap Boy" graphic, not to Men's clothing with the mudflap girl.)

You could have been joking, I'm not sure, but if you mean potentially making baby merchandise with the Feministing logo, I have a few thoughts.

I wrote a community post two days ago on the danger of babies dealing with adult concepts (be them sexual or political), but sadly it was sent to the void and never made it up.

In NZ Marketing Magazine this month, Amanda Stevens talks about scary new research that when the brain of young girls are made to process adult images, behaviours and actions, it triggers the release of adult hormones.

Hence, we can't just blame hormone-pumped chicken for the fact that girls as young as 8 are hitting puberty.

I'm wary of ANY baby merchandise and marketing campaigns that have an adult message, be it sexualised or not.

Stevens says that the difference between the lipstick and mini-skirt play in the past was that it was in the dress-up box; now they are in the wardrobe hanging next to a size seven uniform.
The difference? Adult concepts are now incorporated into kids' real, not fantasy, life.

The proliferation of daily 'babychinos' scares me. Why not just call it hot choccie or hot milk - why give it an adult name?

It's like parents get a kick seeing their little ones act like mini-adults and don't realise the damage, then are so shocked when their kid grows pubic hair.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of new Feministing merchandise - but none for kids please!! If a kid wears the logo it will be misunderstood by many as being sexual, and others will ask what it means. Always explaining the logo of Feministing to strangers in public in front of your toddler is dangerous as it is far too adult a concept.

There are many many ways to bring your child up to have feminist values, but making them a visual political statement is not one of them.

I apologise if you were joking, but after reading the article I had to spread the word.

Thanks for the link, Kinda.

What do I think of the mudflap boy? I'd say it's positive re-appropriation. As someone here (I think it was EG) said, everyone is both subject and object of the admiring gaze; the problem is that from a patriarchal viewpoint, women are only objects and men are only subjects. The mudflap boy subverts that.

Someone spoke about their naked baby being an ideological statement, or something of some such wording. You are my hero.

After what gendered clothing did to me...if I ever have a baby they ain't wearing clothin' till they can put it on themselves.

Now, as for the topic of the original post. I would TOTALLY LOVE to sport boxers with the feministing middle finger girl. I look forward to it.

I would love it if you made actual mudflaps with the Feministing logo. LOVE IT. I would proudly put them on my truck. I wanted to buy the stickers sold on cafe press and stick them on my mudflaps, but I don't think they would stay on very long, plus I think the logos only face one way. I was thinking of having a friend make a silver vinyl sticker set of the logo but I don't want to get in trouble using the logo without permission. :)

I do not think that this is right, by making all of these graphics on kids clothing will put ideas into their head before they are even able to figure out what it means.

Just as long as the clothing is fairly made.
It would be really ironic(disgusting) if Feministing gear were made in sweatshops using underpaid, feminine labor.