I’m too pretty to do homework.

So my brother has to do it for me.

Where was this t-shirt when I was in school?

I would have proudly worn it, because, yes, my brother did most of my homework for me.

But that wasn’t until highschool, when I was so over the whole homework thing. This is what happens when you have a genius older brother and an assignment that takes three hours which can be done in 30 minutes by him. I mean, with. I would at least sit with him.

Now, I know there’s currently much brouhaha over this. The s*#^ has hit the fan.

Oh, JcP, what were you thinking?

They weren’t.

In this day and age of politically correctness in all things, they should have known they’d never be able to get away with selling this tee for young girls.

Does it send the wrong message? Every article I’ve read says yes. Granted, it’s not exactly the most positive thing and leads to one thinking that being good looking and female, means you don’t have to do anything.

But I think a larger question looms here. A societal one with image.

I don’t care who you are and what you say — all of us, when meeting someone for the first time, or even seeing someone from across a room, instantly forms an idea and story behind who that person is.

What is this based off of? Looks. Plain and simple.

Research shows that it takes us less than 15 seconds to form and construct an idea of who someone is. Are they rich? Poor? Snobby? Friendly? Successful? Lazy?

Apparently we’ve already decided. And rather quickly.

There’s a reason why we think Johnny Depp is so sexy, along with a lengthy list of other celebs … symmetry. They’re all blessed with some pretty amazing bilateral symmetry.

If one is physically balanced right to left this indicates health and beauty by the possessor.

So really, I find this JcPenney tee predicament rather humoring. Isn’t this already a long standing notion … overplayed and overwritten in books and movies, a classic stereotype … manipulation in the form of good looks by women who know how to use them.

Yet, isn’t this something that we already see and come on ladies, some of us have used?

Everyone uses what they can to the best of their advantage, be it looks or intelligence. This is a natural thing to do. A sort of inherent survival instinct.

Do I think JcPenney meant to send a hurtful and potentially harmful message out to its consumers? No.

Should they have pulled the shirt? Considering all the outrage and hate mail, which has made this an even bigger deal,  yes.

The point I’m trying to make is: this isn’t just about a t-shirt. It’s a larger look and role that our bilateral symmetry plays on a day to day basis and the way in which we use and construct that.

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