Several advertisements for men’s tank tops can still be found on Amazon’s Canadian website, despite a ruling by the Ad Standards Council that deems the term “wife beater” offensive, trivializing domestic violence, and violating Canada’s advertising code.
The term “wife beater” is a colloquial phrase that refers to a specific style of tight-fitting tank tops initially introduced in the 1930s as men’s undershirts. This style gained popularity in 1951 when Marlon Brando portrayed the aggressive character Stanley Kowalski in the movie “A Streetcar Named Desire” while wearing one.
The continuous use of the slang term by Amazon and the lack of enforcement by Canadian authorities to compel the retailer to remove it have sparked outrage among women’s rights advocates. Harmy Mendoza, the executive director of WomanACT, an organization dedicated to ending intimate partner violence, emphasized the need for a culture that values and respects women, stating that the term “wife beater” is not only offensive but also insulting to women and survivors of abuse.
Following the discovery of these ads on Amazon, Mendoza initiated a petition urging the online retailer to eliminate the use of the phrase from its platform. She emphasized that normalizing gender-based violence goes against the goal of creating a society that actively combats such behaviors.
In a ruling by Ad Standards Canada in March 2025, it was determined that an Amazon ad for a men’s “wife beater” tank top breached the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards by showing insensitivity towards violence against women. Despite the council’s recommendation to remove or modify the ad, Amazon’s response defended the use of the term, indicating it was widely accepted in retail and popular culture.
CBC News identified ten ads for “wife beater” tops sold by third-party vendors on Amazon and raised concerns to the company, prompting some sellers to remove the term or the entire ad in response.
The controversy surrounding the use of the term has reignited discussions about the need for stronger regulatory bodies to ensure online platforms like Amazon remove harmful content. Some activists advocate for the establishment of regulatory measures to compel corporations to make necessary changes to protect users from potentially harmful content.
As discussions continue on regulating harmful online content, different jurisdictions have taken varied approaches, such as the European Union’s Digital Services Act and previous legislative efforts like Canada’s Online Harms Act, which faced backlash over concerns of potential limitations on free speech before being discontinued. Advocates stress the importance of addressing harmful content online, particularly in the context of rising domestic abuse cases in various regions across Canada.
While the Canadian government has not provided specific details on reviving the Online Harms Act, advocates like Mendoza remain steadfast in their efforts to hold platforms like Amazon accountable for promoting language and content that perpetuates harmful stereotypes and behaviors.
