Portland Thorns women's soccer team pulls T-shirt from sale

The Oregonian ^ | March 22, 2013 | Allan Brettman

[ConservativeStatement]

The Portland Thorns are removing a T-shirt from store shelves and the team's website in response to criticism that its slogan "Feelin' Thorny?" was sexist.

The T-shirt was gone in slightly less than 24 hours since the controversy broke on Facebook and was fueled on other social media platforms.

[sphinx]

I think you're shooting at the wrong target. The popular culture is drenched in sexual innuendo, and I'm among those who find it offensive. Sexual addiction is clearly running amuck, and it is doing enormous damage to the society. So all of us have day to day decisions to make whether we contribute to or resist the tide. That goes for institutions, including professional sports teams.

The immediate question here is how a women's professional soccer team wants to market itself. Does it want to sell its players as sex objects, or athletes? Take a good look at the team -- IMHO, the young ladies sell themselves quite well enough without putting smutty slogans into official team advertising.

[SampleMan]

...removing a T-shirt from store shelves and the team's website in response to criticism that its slogan "Feelin' Thorny?" was sexist.

Crass perhaps, but not at all sexist. And this from the same people who trumpet the Vagina Monologues or whatever in the hell it is.

[pleasedontzotme]

Got all cross, did they?

[Max in Utah]

Maybe it’s just me but that slogan, “Feeling Thorny?”, smells of both racism and homophobia.

You're right-- it is just you.

[redhead]

Maybe it’s just me, (LOL!) or where I live, but this (”thorny”) is absolutely meaningless to me beyond a crude pun. We here in Wasilla call ourselves “civilized,” but a lot of this stuff simply never reaches us. Or, if it does, it is laughed at and/or ignored. From the looks of things “Outside” maybe it’s a good thing.