Several advertisements for men's T -shirts remain on the Canadian website of Amazon, despite the fact that the Advertising Council decided that this phrase used to describe them – “introduced his wife” is offensive, trivializes the family violence and violates the Canada advertising code.
The term slang belongs to a certain style of densely suitable shirts, represented in the 1930s as a male beacon. The shirt entered the popular culture in 1951, when Marlon Brando wore one, playing in the tough, cruel Stanley Kovalski in Tram by name desireField
The ongoing acceptance of Amazon to slang and the inability of Canada force the retail seller to remove him, caused the angry of some defenders of women's rights.
“We should strive to live in a culture that respects women,” said Harmy Mendos, the executive director of Womanact, a lawyer group that works on the violence of an intimate partner. “Wife Biter is a term that offends, [and] Insults not only women, but also survivors. “
After watching Amazon advertising, published by third -party sellers, Mendoza He began a petition This week, lobbying online retail giant to remove the phrase from its website.
“He normalizes gender violence, and we want to live in a society that is aiming and eliminates this type of behavior,” she said.
In 2024, the Council with seven members with Canada’s advertising standards, the self -regulatory body of the industry, came to a similar conclusion regarding the complaint about advertising Amazon about the male Tank Top Top. Advice The announcement was violated by the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards Showing “indifference to illegal behavior of violence against women.”
The Council asked Amazon to delete or change the ad. Nevertheless, commitment is voluntary, and it seems that the American company decided to ignore the request of the Council.
In response to the initial complaint, AD standards reported that Amazon defended the phrase, saying that “this descriptor of clothing was usually understood and accepted within the framework of the retail and popular culture” and did not violate it Politics of the occurrence of productsField
CBC News found 10 advertisements for the “wife -biter” sold by third parties on the Amazon, and sent them to the company, as well as fears that Mendos raised the phrase.
Amazon answered in an email that the company seeks to support the store that welcomes for everyone, ”and that it causes judgment and retains“ cultural differences and sensitivity … in view ”when making decisions about the lists of products on its web site.
CBC News also contacted dealers selling the tops of “Beater Tops” on Amazon. So far, two answered by removing the term or all advertising.
“I am so grateful for informing me,” NATPOST said. “I will immediately delete the link.”
“I am deeply regretted that this caused harm,” said the dealer, Wangyunhui2025. “I apologize for supervision and appreciate what you will deliver to this issue.”
Why is the code voluntary?
The Canadian Code of Advertising standards is Voluntary Code of Conduct Developed and controlled by the financial industry of advertising standards.
The non -profit organization refused to interview the record with CBC News or provide more detailed information about the Amazon case. This, however, provided reference information.
Advertising standards say that the code is voluntary, because the industry was developed in addition to the advertising laws of Canada. The organization noted that the vast majority of companies comply with the rules.
Amazon is criticized for selling children's clothing on his website with a clear message. Products are prohibited in accordance with Amazon “offensive products”, but the company removed them only after the investigation of the CBC news.
Activists call for the regulatory body
As for Amazon, advertising standards noted that the retailer was faced with the consequences, as he was publicly named in the decision of the Council published on the Internet.
But this is not enough for some activists. Sociologist Caitlinn Mendes says that the federal government needs to create a regulatory body that can provide its online platform, which is considered harmful.
“We need to have these mechanisms to force them to make these changes,” said Mendes, the Canadian research chairman of inequality and sex, and professor of the Western University in London, Ontario.
“Something, which actually has the teeth that will make these corporations obey, I think, is incredibly important, and perhaps this has never been more important in our time.”
In 2023, Canadian police Received 139 020 reports Intimate partner of violence. Most of the victims were women.
In 2025, several regions, such as Parts of Ontario And New Scotlandreported that cases of domestic violence are growing.
What happened to the act online?
Some countries have adopted a law on the prevention of online content, which is considered harmful.
Under The Law on Digital Services of the European UnionOnline platforms, including e-commerce sites, such as Amazon, are faced with strict user safety rules and content moderation.
The US administration has the USA Criticized the actAffirming that it is expensive for American technological companies and limits freedom of speech. Meanwhile, Amazon will take the EU to the courtAffirming that this should be released from the law, because its online market does not represent the systemic risks considered in the law.
Last year, Ottawa introduced Bill C-63, Online Vedas Lawintended for the police of harmful content on the Internet. Legislation, which is largely aimed at platforms of social networks, turned out to be controversial From -with fears, this can strangle freedom of speech.
Both contradictions And the score died In January 2025, when the parliament was previously.
CBC News asked the federal government whether he has any plans for the revival of his law on his online Vreds, and if so, what can include.
Heritage Canada answered in an email, saying that the government was seeking to fulfill the promises given in the Liberal Party platformIncregnated during the last federal elections.
A 65-page document It seems that it does not contain proposals for the legislation that force the company to adhere to the Canadian advertising code.
But this did not hold lawyers, such as Mendoza's Mendoza, who hopes that she hopes that her online transfer of Amazon will exclude the term “women's beet” from his website.
“It is important that we do not use … This type of language in Canada,” she said. “Please delete it.”
