The New York Times published an op-ed slamming yoga pants - and people are furious

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The New York Times published an op-ed slamming yoga pants - and people are furious

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yoga

Flickr/Dave Rosenblum

A New York Times senior opinion editor wants this woman to be wearing sweatpants.

  • A New York Times senior opinion editor published an op-ed arguing that yoga pants are bad for women. 
  • Women overwhelmingly did not agree. 

 

The New York Times published an op-ed slamming yoga pants - and people aren't too pleased with the publication. 

On Sunday, The Times published an op-ed written by senior opinion editor Honor Jones with the headline: "Why Yoga Pants Are Bad for Women." 

"We may be able to conquer the world wearing spandex," Jones wrote. "But wouldn't it be easier to do so in pants that don't threaten to show every dimple and roll in every woman over 30?" 

Overwhelmingly readers responded saying, no, in fact, life without yoga pants would not be easier. In fact, most people - especially women - saw the argument as simply absurd, and they took to social media to say just that. 

The crux of Jones' argument is that women wear yoga pants to be sexy, something that should not be expected of anyone while they're working out. 

But women provided many other reasons to wear yoga pants and leggings - namely, that they're comfortable and practical. 

"Somehow you are missing the point of how much easier it is to run, to contort, to move in any way, with pants that are streamlined," reads the top comment on The New York Times' Facebook post about the article. 

While Jones frames her argument as a pro-women, feminist take, many saw the anti-yoga-pants op-ed as part of a larger trend of demonizing anything feminine. 

"Yoga pants, skin care, makeup, wine, romance novels, fashion - if it's *culturally coded* as something that brings relaxation and pleasure to women, somebody is out there writing about how it's secretly insidious," NPR's Linda Holmes tweeted. 

Many criticized the publication for publishing something about yoga pants instead of focusing on more pressing issues, such as gun control.

Some were simply left begging people to read something else.

As is often the case on Twitter, the yoga pants debate began to spiral in unanticipated directions - including a (debunked) conspiracy that Honor Jones wasn't even a real person. 

Combing through responses on social media doesn't turn up many people willing to support Jones's argument.

Instead, people seem to agree with another Facebook comment on The Times' post: "So, how about we all just wear whatever appeals to us, and don't worry about what anyone else is wearing."

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