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Friday, January 28, 2011

Sex / Savage Love / Fashion "The Pegged Boyfriend"

Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 8:52 AM

"I was taken by surprise—or taken from behind—by a new pair of Gap jeans while I was working," writes a Slot tipper and frontline Gap employee. "Jeans that fit the progressive and submissive boyfriend perfectly. Enjoy!!"

Hm... either the product development team at the Gap didn't think to Google "pegged boyfriend" before launching this new line of jeans... and so didn't realize what "pegged boyfriend" meant... or they did and they did.

Comments (40) RSS

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Heh heh..."Gap".

Posted by Fistique on January 28, 2011 at 8:58 AM

oh, this is awesome!

Posted by mr. herriman on January 28, 2011 at 9:05 AM

Of course they knew. This is free publicity for them and they're hopeing their product will become the new go to name brand for teh gays.

Posted by despicable me on January 28, 2011 at 9:10 AM

In for 8 pairs.

Posted by Ziggity on January 28, 2011 at 9:10 AM

Now I need to go to the gap just to steal one of these tags.

Posted by Lissa on January 28, 2011 at 9:11 AM

oh look danny saying 'pegged' again...

Posted by Mrs Jones' 4th grade class on January 28, 2011 at 9:12 AM

They're not going to be popular with the gays. Pegging is, by definition, an exclusively hetero sex act.

Posted by Dan Savage on January 28, 2011 at 9:24 AM

Fall into the Gap! Indeed!

Posted by Keekee on January 28, 2011 at 9:25 AM

Pegged Boyfriend, GAP, 1969

all on one pants. can't get any better than that.

Posted by Simone on January 28, 2011 at 9:26 AM

My Dad's in his 60s and refers to skinny jeans as "pegged pants." Revival of an old term, but of course it has new connotations.

Posted by sikandro on January 28, 2011 at 9:29 AM

"Slot" tipper? I guess if she's into pegging...

Posted by TheMisanthrope on January 28, 2011 at 9:29 AM

@3 & @7- Dang, Dan beat me to it. So excited I had something to contribute.

@6 - Not sure, but I think you are being sarcastic. Amirite?

Posted by Norbeck on January 28, 2011 at 9:32 AM

Dan @7, good point, I didn't think about that.

Posted by despicable me on January 28, 2011 at 9:46 AM

http://images1.memegenerator.net/ImageMa…

Posted by venomlash on January 28, 2011 at 10:01 AM

Perhaps the jeans feature a button-up flap?

Posted by LimeLemminkäinen on January 28, 2011 at 10:01 AM

Someone in marketing's getting fired over this.

Awesome!

Posted by Confluence on January 28, 2011 at 10:25 AM

Knowing what I know about the Gap, these are women's jeans. Brands only name articles of clothing "boyfriend" when they are for women.

Posted by Callie

on January 28, 2011 at 11:46 AM

Hmm...I think I have a HUMP video idea percolating here...

Posted by Geni on January 28, 2011 at 11:47 AM

Not to beat a dead horse, but despicable me, I think you really were onto something. The marketing gays at Gap knew full well that "pegging" was a term coined in a gay's column after voting by readers among whom number all us gays.

No matter the sexual preference of who gets pegged, I'm willing to bet way more gays know its meaning than straights.

Posted by gloomy gus on January 28, 2011 at 12:02 PM

I'm with Gloomy Gus. Of course, they knew what they were doing. Otherwise they would have called them pegged-legged boyfriend jeans, right?

Posted by Bauhaus I on January 28, 2011 at 12:37 PM

Yeah gus, I think they knew and I think they HOPED their item would be the new hip go to item that everybody just had to have. OMG, look at mmmeeeeee!

Posted by despicable me on January 28, 2011 at 1:07 PM

So, despicable me and gus, is this a harbinger of a new art T-shirt: "I got pegged at the Gap. And for $49, you can get pegged, too." ??

Posted by Canuck on January 28, 2011 at 1:19 PM

Yet, Callie @17, you're probably right too. So in summary: it'll be popular with girls who seek advice on jeans-buying from gays, as in, every male Gap sales clerk.... (I love that of all the issues on Slog today, this is the one I've struggled with the most!)

Posted by gloomy gus on January 28, 2011 at 1:22 PM

They're women's jeans. Check the size in the photo: 24/00.

Posted by And that's not all, there's more ... on January 28, 2011 at 1:49 PM

What was wrong with the old pegged boyfriend?

Posted by Lilliable on January 28, 2011 at 1:49 PM

...maybe she's buying them because she has a new pegged boyfriend.

Posted by And that's not all, there's more ... on January 28, 2011 at 1:50 PM

Ha ha Canuck, or maybe "I got pegged in my Gap."

Posted by despicable me on January 28, 2011 at 1:51 PM

Canuck, but I'm scared at the thought of wearing such a shirt - as Dan points out, everyone would think I'm straight!

Posted by gloomy gus on January 28, 2011 at 2:13 PM

Love your new avatar, dm! (I always write "avatart" and have to change it--for some of us, that might be apt, though...)
Excellent shirt for the straight boys, despicable me, I have a feeling my oldest would love one...

gus, you having to wear a shirt like that would be like me having to put a Sarah Palin bumpersticker on my car: Not happening. Besides, next thing you know, those cute Gap boys would be bringing you pleated khakis and oversized pink button-down oxford shirts...shudder.

(I will have you know, however, that on another blog, I was recently made an "honorary gay", so nya! I am *too* one of the cool kids...)

Posted by Canuck on January 28, 2011 at 2:51 PM

@25- Good question.

Posted by dwight moody on January 28, 2011 at 3:09 PM

Congrats Canuck! I think this is probably one of the few times when saying "you're so gay" is a good thing!

I just had to change my avatar. I waited for someone else to change theirs to this but no one did.

Posted by despicable me on January 28, 2011 at 3:16 PM

Thank you, despicable me, I was SO pleased...

My Google avatar is Dorothy's red glitter shoes (http://tangoshoedivas.com/ameimages/0907…) and it was a BIG decision, but I finally went with the wicked witch infomercial for Slog...the red shoes are very special, though. I would like a pair, myself.

Posted by Canuck on January 28, 2011 at 3:33 PM

Nobody's getting fired in Marketing. I know a GAP exec, he's gay, and I guarantee you the double-entendre here was not lost on anyone at the company. Just some sneaky fun for people to laugh at.

Posted by SFT on January 28, 2011 at 7:43 PM

Is there a velcro seam at the buttocks?

Posted by Rach3l on January 28, 2011 at 11:01 PM

Canuck, there are a LOT of replica shoes out there calling themselves "Dorothy's red glitter shoes" but they are always made of sequins and are cheap looking. If you ever find a pair close enough to the real thing, I'll bet it's going to cost you a bundle but they'll be so worth it.

Oh and Congratulations Dan and Terry. Not sure if anyone knows, but this is what they are up to this weekend.

http://www.familyequality.org/site/PageS…

Alas, I could not make plans to attend. I have a 350 mile round trip drive to make for my niece's gymnastic competition.

Posted by despicable me on January 28, 2011 at 11:34 PM

I usually buy off-brand jeans, but in this case... I might need to make an exception.

Posted by Pidgeon_Rat on January 29, 2011 at 12:57 AM

I hear Katie Holmes was seen out and about rather a lot while in NYC wearing some pegged boyfriend jeans back in 2008...

Posted by Absurdist1968 on January 30, 2011 at 1:18 AM

@7 hey Dan, can't lesbians peg? Or is called something else in that situation?

Posted by Pegdyke on January 31, 2011 at 6:27 AM

@35 never been to the Smithsonian have you?

You might find nicer, better made shoes out there, but the originals are made with plastic sequins. At the museum, you can even see video of them being cleaned by by specialists going in between each sequin with a cotton swab.

Posted by kathy. on January 31, 2011 at 11:54 AM

The term "pegged boyfriend jean" has actually been around for a few years - Gap is just bringing it to the masses. (It's still funny as hell, imho, especially when you consider Katie Holmes is one of the celebs most associated with the style.)

http://www.denimblog.com/prps/how-to-wea…

http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyl…

http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/20…

Posted by Peggy1969 on February 3, 2011 at 10:57 AM