This is my email back to Joann Fabrics:
Thanks for your response.
I do agree that the bulk of the blame goes on to the companies who produce these items (like Marvel)--but I'd like for Joann Fabrics to hear me out on why I think they are part of the problem.
I'm sure that there are a gazillion product lines that approach Joann Fabrics every year to be carried in the stores. Joann probably responds with "no, we don't wish to carry that" to more than a few--I'll hazard a guess that some of these products are things Joann Fabrics doesn't wish to sully it's good name by associating with and that many of the rest are just things that your company doesn't wish to sell or doesn't think will be profitable. I would imagine that the reverse may have also happened--that Joann Fabrics may have approached some of their vendors and said "X item is selling swell, if you expand that line, we'll carry it"
It's reasonable to say that Joann Fabrics did not think that these fabrics were racist/sexist/exclusionary. But, now Joann Fabrics is aware that at least one customer thinks they are (and I would say that if people at Joann go on the internet, they'd find that the discussion of sexism in products is pretty widespread. #WheresGamora would be a good term to start the Google search with). The question is, what to do about it.
In a world where corporations are people, I would love to see a company have the integrity to push back. I would love to see Joann Fabrics say "Where are the female superheroes?" or "Where are the people of color" on these products. I'd love to see Joann Fabrics say "Hey, Wonder Woman is on all these signs, where is the Wonder Woman fabric?"
(It would be even more amazing, however unlikely, for Joann to say "wow, this is incredibly sexist--where are the female heroes? We won't be able to carry these designs until you add them". But I know that that's asking a lot, I know; integrity like that costs a lot of money.)
I know that Joann can't single-handedly change the pervasive sexism. But Joann Fabrics, as a retailer with a working relationship with vendors can ask questions and apply pressure.
And really, the questions aren't hard--if you show the fabric to an 8 year old fan, and his/her response might be "where are the girls? Where are the non-white people?", that's not a hard question. It's just a hard question to answer without the producer of the project feeling put on the spot.
Thanks for taking the time to respond to my concern and to read this.
And for the gift card, which I will use to make something for my small super-heroine.
And please consider asking the easy questions that are so hard to ask.
-Me
Thanks for your response.
I do agree that the bulk of the blame goes on to the companies who produce these items (like Marvel)--but I'd like for Joann Fabrics to hear me out on why I think they are part of the problem.
I'm sure that there are a gazillion product lines that approach Joann Fabrics every year to be carried in the stores. Joann probably responds with "no, we don't wish to carry that" to more than a few--I'll hazard a guess that some of these products are things Joann Fabrics doesn't wish to sully it's good name by associating with and that many of the rest are just things that your company doesn't wish to sell or doesn't think will be profitable. I would imagine that the reverse may have also happened--that Joann Fabrics may have approached some of their vendors and said "X item is selling swell, if you expand that line, we'll carry it"
It's reasonable to say that Joann Fabrics did not think that these fabrics were racist/sexist/exclusionary. But, now Joann Fabrics is aware that at least one customer thinks they are (and I would say that if people at Joann go on the internet, they'd find that the discussion of sexism in products is pretty widespread. #WheresGamora would be a good term to start the Google search with). The question is, what to do about it.
In a world where corporations are people, I would love to see a company have the integrity to push back. I would love to see Joann Fabrics say "Where are the female superheroes?" or "Where are the people of color" on these products. I'd love to see Joann Fabrics say "Hey, Wonder Woman is on all these signs, where is the Wonder Woman fabric?"
(It would be even more amazing, however unlikely, for Joann to say "wow, this is incredibly sexist--where are the female heroes? We won't be able to carry these designs until you add them". But I know that that's asking a lot, I know; integrity like that costs a lot of money.)
I know that Joann can't single-handedly change the pervasive sexism. But Joann Fabrics, as a retailer with a working relationship with vendors can ask questions and apply pressure.
And really, the questions aren't hard--if you show the fabric to an 8 year old fan, and his/her response might be "where are the girls? Where are the non-white people?", that's not a hard question. It's just a hard question to answer without the producer of the project feeling put on the spot.
Thanks for taking the time to respond to my concern and to read this.
And for the gift card, which I will use to make something for my small super-heroine.
And please consider asking the easy questions that are so hard to ask.
-Me