Wendy Davis' pink shoes kick-start an abortion debate on Amazon
The Texas state senator's supporters — and detractors — flock to an unusual venue to voice their opinions
Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis became a liberal hero on Tuesday after standing up for an epic 13-hour filibuster of a controversial bill that if passed would ban abortion in the state after 20 weeks.
The content of the senator's speech wasn't the only thing people were paying attention to. The pink running shoes Davis wore during the whole ordeal also received plenty of media attention, even earning the Photoshop treatment on a Daily Show segment.
Amazon reviewers, perhaps tired of debating the merits of the Bic for Her pen, decided that the product page for the Mizuno Women's Wave Rider 16 Running Shoe was the appropriate forum for snarky political discourse.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The pink Mizuno shoes had 180 reviews as of 2 pm EST on Friday — many of them thinly veiled statements of support for Davis:
But for every few #StandWithWendy reviews, was one expressing distaste for the whole stunt:
While certainly intriguing to follow, the focus by Amazon reviewers on Davis' shoes is rather counterproductive, says Maggie Severns at Mother Jones.
"It's true that sneakers are an unusual choice for a state legislator — and that the specifics of filibustering, like how to deal with bodily functions when you can't leave the Senate floor, can get interesting," she writes. "But there are also a lot of non-fashion-related things worth noting; perhaps the mostly white, male room she was speaking to, or the tears she shed while reading testimony from one woman who was forced to abort her pregnancy because of medical complications."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Mizuno, however, seemed to take the publicity in stride:
The bill itself failed to pass after Texas state lawmakers missed the voting deadline by minutes, though Gov. Rick Perry has called a special legislative session for July 1 to give Republicans another chance to pass it.
Keith Wagstaff is a staff writer at TheWeek.com covering politics and current events. He has previously written for such publications as TIME, Details, VICE, and the Village Voice.
-
Why ghost guns are so easy to make — and so dangerous
The Explainer Untraceable, DIY firearms are a growing public health and safety hazard
By David Faris Published
-
The Week contest: Swift stimulus
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'It's hard to resist a sweet deal on a good car'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published