CELINUNUNU

November 21, 2019 4:37 PM

Celine Dion has a gender-neutral line of kids clothing. “They were looking at princesses. And they all wanted to be Minnie Mouse. And then I said, 'But what about Mickey?' ... I end up saying to myself, 'You know what, it's OK.' You know why it's OK? Because they're talking, they're finding themselves.”
posted by clawsoon (19 comments total)

Good for her.
posted by peacheater at 5:21 PM on November 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

Well - a New Day has Come, and its all about The Power of Love. And That's The Way It Is!

She is so completely cool and fully confident in herself - fully in control and adored. She makes me feel like being in our fifties is going to be the best ever. I'd totally choose her for Prime Minister of Canada if she ever decided to run.
posted by helmutdog at 5:23 PM on November 21, 2019 [11 favorites]

I don’t know when we all realized Celine Dion is freaking wonderful, but I’m glad everyone is all on the same page.
posted by schadenfrau at 5:24 PM on November 21, 2019 [12 favorites]

I love that people react to boys with long hair and clothes without pink bows or blue soccer balls by saying "SATANIC!" It's mind-boggling how panicky and fragile these people are.
posted by Scattercat at 5:41 PM on November 21, 2019 [12 favorites]

This is excellent. Props to Celine Dion!

That definitely goes on the list of things I never thought I'd say!
posted by Dysk at 5:42 PM on November 21, 2019 [4 favorites]

Her husband/manager first managed her when she was 12 yes? and then married her when she was of age? We are looking at a woman who has finally outlived her abuser who groomed her as a child. May she flourish now that she's free.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 7:01 PM on November 21, 2019 [19 favorites]

This is the wholesome content I didn’t know I needed today!
posted by en forme de poire at 11:44 PM on November 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

I found the FPP link via Céline Dion’s New Album Is the Crowning Achievement of the Celinaissance, which has lots more links.

I'm not sure when she started saying whatever the fuck she wants, but it's pretty awesome.
posted by clawsoon at 5:12 AM on November 22, 2019 [3 favorites]

I love that people react to boys with long hair and clothes without pink bows or blue soccer balls by saying "SATANIC!" It's mind-boggling how panicky and fragile these people are.

They react similarly when you or your pregnant partner answer their 'is it a boy or a girl' with, 'human, we hope'! Or even the gentler, 'it's a surprise!' Either way, the conversation stalls because apparently your gestating human's genitalia is the only thing worth asking about.

I am thrilled to know that not only is there another line of gender neutral children's clothing (I've bought things from primary for my nibblings), but also that it was created by someone who parents her children that way. Warms my genderqueer heart.
posted by carrioncomfort at 7:03 AM on November 22, 2019 [3 favorites]

What's really disorienting for people is when they heard you were having a boy, and then it turns out the ultrasound tech read the ultrasound wrong and it turns out your baby is a girl.
This happened to me and my partner! Apparently it almost never happens.
I actually recommend doing it this way because when we told them we were having a boy, people with boys gave us their hand-me-down clothes, and then when it turned out we had a girl, people with girls gave us their hand-me-down clothes.
posted by madcaptenor at 7:22 AM on November 22, 2019 [4 favorites]

Scattercat: I love that people react to boys with long hair and clothes without pink bows or blue soccer balls by saying "SATANIC!"

So it's Satan who likes people who express their gender the way that feels right to them, and God who demands rigid gender conformity? Makes you wonder if the Gnostics who identified God with the Demiurge were right after all.
posted by clawsoon at 7:42 AM on November 22, 2019 [3 favorites]

I'm pretty sure the "Satanic" bit is the big white cross on the shirt and the skull print on the leggings in the included photo.
posted by fiercecupcake at 9:10 AM on November 22, 2019

While I absolutely love both the concept and the designs themselves, there's no way I'm paying $70 for a onesie that's going to be outgrown in a matter of months.
posted by asnider at 9:26 AM on November 22, 2019 [3 favorites]

Following the links, it looks like the satanic concerns are about gender specifically:

“I’m convinced that the way this gender thing has spread is demonic,” he said. “It’s false. I don’t even know how many genders there’s supposed to be now, but there are only two that God made.” The demonic dimension of creating such a clothing line is very deep, according to him.

“The devil is going after children by confusing gender,” he said. “When a child is born, what is the first things we say about that child? It’s a boy, or it’s a girl. That is the most natural thing in the world to say. But to say that there is no difference is satanic.”

To take away the male or femaleness of a baby is hitting at the very heart of nature by denying a simple truth of the way that child was created, Msgr. Esseff explained. “People behind this are influencing children to disorder,” he said. “This is definitely satanic. There is a mind behind it—an organized mindset.”

posted by clawsoon at 9:47 AM on November 22, 2019 [3 favorites]

We are looking at a woman who has finally outlived her abuser who groomed her as a child. May she flourish now that she's free.

I mean, yeah, but have you heard her talk about him? She's very sweet and talks about him incredibly lovingly. It's definitely a questionable situation, but this isn't her view of the situation at all.
posted by GuyZero at 11:29 AM on November 22, 2019 [2 favorites]

I have a soon-to-be 6 year old and the RAGE RAGE RAGE I feel about the sexist fucking shit I see when clothing shopping for her is REAL.

Girls: leggings, jeggings, super tight tight everywhere.. skin tight so you can see the outline of asses and practically camel toe, no pockets. It's soft material that doesn't protect on the playground or for riding bikes, etc. Even the denim is cut to be skin tight. The shorts are short-short, inches above the knee or ending just below the ass, soft material, NO FUCKING POCKETS. Kids need pockets you sexist fucks, what the actual fuck? Everything in PINK AND GLITTER AND UNICORNS and MERMAIDS AND PRINCESSES or "inspirational" messages about being kind or friendship or what the fuck ever propaganda they are shoving down the throats of what little girls should be. T-shirts are also cut TIGHT and short, offering no real protection for play. Why do girls have to wear skin-tight clothing made of thin materials? Girls want to be superheroes and scientists and


Boys: They get actual pants. Actual pants that fit nicely on the body without being skin tight and materials that protect the body during play. With Pockets Plenty of god damn pockets. Extra pockets everywhere! The shorts are nice and loose (once again with pockets) and they go down to just above the knee. They do NOT stop just below the ass. They are not skin tight cotton. A lot of the pants have reinforced knees, even!

I buy 99.99% of my daughter's clothing in the boy's department because they are a thousand times more durable, have pockets and are materials that are actually made for play. Luckily her favorite color is blue and she's obsessed with rocket ships and telescopes or I'd be fucked.

I swear to god it starts right from birth. I'll never forget a display of newborn onesies I saw when I was pregnant. The boys were Daddy's Slugger, Mad Scientist, Future POTUS, etc. The ones for girls were Daddy's Cupcake, Princess, Precious, and, I am NOT joking here: Single and Loving it. For a newborn. They are already commenting on the relationship status A NEWBORN. A NEWBORN, PEOPLE. It's disgusting.

Also - it's nice that Celine has this clothing line like this. But, uh... $48 for a pre-distressed sleeveless T-shirt with tiny moth-holes is a no-go. I mean, if I were to look at that t-shirt, I'd even been too embarrassed to put in the donate pile. It'd be straight to trash. HARD PASS, even if I could afford it.

Ok, Ahem. I didn't know I needed to get that off my chest, but apparently I did.


/end rant
posted by crayon at 5:14 PM on November 22, 2019 [14 favorites]

I feel your pain, crayon. One more thing I noticed - in addition to every single thing you've pointed out - when my daughter hit the 10-12 clothing range was that the neck holes got gigantic. I ended up getting her turtlenecks from the boys' section to put underneath her shirts because we live in Canada and it's cold, goddammit.
posted by clawsoon at 5:19 PM on November 22, 2019 [4 favorites]

I've been training my kid to buy things online where I can browse the boys and girls section without getting public feedback and we can buy stuff equally. When I bought her boy underwear by accident (she wanted blue, I was in a hurry!) she discovered it was way more comfortable than the thin-elastic and higher-cut ones, so now we have to find 'boy cut' underwear in the girl's side. Which is just - why not call them boxers?

All I can say is thank you Jonathan Van Ness for wearing skirts and talking about non-binary on youtube because my eight year old daughter who gets called a boy is willing to wear comfortable clothes she likes now "because Jonathan does and he says I'm a girl."
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 6:12 PM on November 22, 2019 [5 favorites]

I mean, yeah, but have you heard her talk about him? She's very sweet and talks about him incredibly lovingly. It's definitely a questionable situation, but this isn't her view of the situation at all.

She met him when she was 12 and he was 38. And from that moment on he was her manager and controlled her life. When she was of age *supposedly* she pursued him. Grooming is grooming, and he got to feign disinterest until she was all over him so he could stay as morally clean as he could be. And he was known to be very very controlling. It is no coincidence that she's striking out in a new direction *now* because as long as they were married she had no control over her own musical identity. As in even post marriage he was her manager and in charge of her every move. There is a reason grooming is so vile.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 8:52 PM on November 22, 2019 [4 favorites]