The Peter Alexander boys pyjama top which has been pulled from the shelves. Credit: Peter Alexander online store
A popular Australian pyjama brand has removed a boys' jumper emblazoned with the slogan "boys will be boys" from the market after concerned parents complained about the use of the phrase.
The grey pyjama top was marketed in Peter Alexander's children's range, and was spotted by Melbourne mother Bridie Harris in a shop last week. She then made a complaint to the company on social media.
'Boys Will Be Boys' pyjama shirt from Peter Alexander.Credit: Peter Alexander online store
"Boy won’t be boys," she wrote on Facebook on June 20.
"Boys will be held accountable for their actions. I hate to see an Australian store, who makes such great pjs, put such a sexist statement on a t-shirt intended for young boys. Excusing boys of their behaviour is not a step in the right direction. It’s 2018."
The company reviewed the feedback and told her they were removing it from sale on Wednesday.
"I was shopping in Peter Alexander for a gift for a friend, and she saw it and we both just were a bit taken aback that that was something Peter Alexander would do," said Ms Harris, who has a two-year-old daughter.
"It was not something I expected to see from them. I got home and I kept thinking about it.
"I just think that it allows boys to do whatever they want because they are boys. It gives them an excuse for inappropriate behaviour. If a girl hurts someone or does something, you never hear someone that says girls will be girls."
She said the phrase had the connotation that men "tend to get away with stuff just because they are boys".
"As kids, I get it's little tiny things, like rough play, but it sets up for a culture where they can get way with anything. I thought it was a long-resolved discussion," she said.
Another Facebook user, Chris Pearson, posted pictures of the top to the Peter Alexander Sleepwear page and said: "What are you trying to say here? ...Boys will be held accountable for their actions, surely."
Peter Alexander boys pyjamasCredit: Peter Alexander online store
The company wrote back to both complainants saying it would take the top off the market.
"I just wanted to update you and again thank you for taking the time to get in touch with us and bringing this to our attention. We do not tolerate the behaviour that is being associated with this slogan," the statement read.
"In the light of your feedback, we have decided to withdraw this item from sale."
Ms Harris said she was pleased to receive the update from the pyjama brand, as she didn't want her daughter exposed to the underlying messages associated with the phrase.
"I would be worried if someone were to hurt her, boy or girl, that she thinks it would be ok, and ok for them to do so just because 'boys will be boys'. I don't want her to think if someone pushes her on the playground it's just 'boys will be boys'. I want her to stand up and tell someone and be able to feel safe, playing in playground or walking home at night as an adult," she said.
The pyjama top is no longer available on the website's online store.
Before it was pulled from sale, the description for the item read: "Boys will be boys, so leave them to it in this warm and cosy quilted sweater. Perfect for winter adventures."
The decision to take the top off the shelves has caused heated debate online, with some describing it as a indication of "over-the-top PC culture", arguing the core message was simply that children will be children.
"I still interpret the "slogan" as a child will get up to mischief where they break things, throw balls on roofs etc," one Facebook user wrote.
Melbourne woman Jenny told Tom Elliott on 3AW on Wednesday afternoon that she was a victim of domestic violence and said the debate over the shirt was “ridiculous”.
“It has to stop. It’s gone too far. There are so many rules. Nobody can be themselves any more,” she said.