Sigh.
Aren’t we supposed to be past this by now? Target released a new line-up of Star Wars clothing in anticipation of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But something struck us as a bit “off” regarding this shirt we found in the boys department on their website.
The shirt looks fine at first, until you remember that Luke never met Vader in the hallway of the Rebel Blockade Runner. He was still fixing the moisture vaporators on Uncle Owen’s farm on Tatoine when this scene took place. Instead, it was another hero of the Rebellion that stood up to Lord Vader and his stormtroopers.
That’s right, Target replaced Princess Leia, the hero of this scene, with Luke Skywalker, because girls are icky and have cooties or something.
I’m sure that Target made this change based on the repeatedly debunked theory that boys will not wear anything that has a girl on it. But in doing so, they shortchange girls of a role model, and they subtly reinforce the narrative that women can’t be heroes and that boys should never look up to them.
The Dark Side isn’t more powerful, Target — just quicker, more seductive. Be better than this.
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