It's A Singlet

[jhameia]

Okay. So tonight we were in the midst of rehearsal and discussing what our Bottom should wear for his final scene. My director said, "well, I'm hoping he'll be wearing a singlet."

Everyone else, mostly girls, went all, "it's called a wife-beater!"

And my director said, "well, I don't like that name." At this point, he had to talk over the entire crowd. "Anyway, when you pick it up at the store! It is not called a wifebeater! The label says SINGLET!"

I don't understand why it's called a wife-beater in the first place. Is it because the men who wear it all beat their wives?

That sort of makes no sense. Growing up, singlets were a part of life; my dad wore them under his dress shirts, and my brother and I wore them around the house because they were sleeveless and, well, cheap to buy. We certainly didn't beat any wives.

I understand that they're associated with the image of "trailer trash" men who wore them and boxer shorts, sit around all day and smack people around whom they don't like, particularly drunk. But I don't think it's fair to label it "wife beater" when perfectly good men, who have never lifted a finger in violence in their lives, also wear the same thing.

Comments

[eiko82.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I never understood that either.

[tenchan.livejournal.com]

Maybe look up the name origin? Sometimes stuff like that isn't what you think. Like a faggot is really a bundle of sticks...

Living in WV...

[music-whiz2002.livejournal.com]

...I must say I know of at least one reason why it's called this. The correct name most of us know it by is white-beater. Why beater? I don't know. But there's also the idea that (WARNING: Heavy Stereotyping Ahead):
White trash men wear these things with beer stains on the front in boxer shorts or underwear a la Pauley in Rocky. These white trash men wear these also while bitching at their wives to make them a sandwich or bring them another beer. Or they may wear them while beating their wives because she didn't make dinner correctly. I have not witnessed this personally but from the amount of domestic abuse cases I read about in the WV areas, one cannot help but make the association.

Once again, however, this is really stereotyping. I can't speak for everyone. Hope this made sense.