RYAN LOVIE

Article – Crikey – Thursday, 24 January 2008

[T-shirts in Jay Jays’ ‘little loser’ range are branded with tasteful messages like ‘Miss Bitch,’ ‘Mr Well Hung,’ ‘Ms Wasted’ and ‘Mr Pimp’, with pictures that mimic a children’s book series.

What hasn’t yet been reported is the self-evident clash in values between Jay Jays’ ‘little losers’ and the organisation it sponsors, ReachOut , which provides a help line and website to help kids and young teens dealing with issues such as mental health and body image issues, s-x, drugs, alcohol and abuse.

Alongside the online catalogue displaying the ‘little loser’ clothes and accessories, the Jay Jays website has a special section dedicated to ReachOut, noting that “Jay Jays has joined forces with ReachOut to bring you info and tips on feeling good about life and staying positive.” Just how a t-shirt called ‘Miss Floozy’ promotes this message is something only a spinner could tell us. Though even they would have their work cut out for them with slogans like “If I’m not wasted, the day is” and “Party ‘til you puke”. It’s almost as if Jay Jays have taken every one of ReachOut’s values and twisted them.

When Crikey contacted ReachOut about the ‘little loser’ range, spokesman Bruce Walmsley said that although the organisation “does not endorse the messages on the ‘little losers’ branded range of tee-shirts … we’ve been very happy with the response from Jay Jays to our concerns.” When asked to define what this “response” was, ReachOut declined to answer.]

I found this article really interesting, as i have seen the shirts myself and think their funny. But as a target to the young generation Jay Jays are innocently just following a trend and i believe had no intention to contradict with their support to ReachOut. The way ReachOut went by sorting this mess out as service seems very wrong the fact they don’t “endorse the messages on the ‘little losers’ branded range of tee-shirts” isn’t really showing that they stand by their purpose as a Youth Service.