Last summer JC Penney introduced a T-shirt, targeting girls 7 to 16, with the slogan "I'm too pretty to do homework so my brother has to do it for me." Shoppers were livid. On Change.org, critics asked the company to "stop selling clothing with sexist messages for girls."
Others targeted JC Penney's then-chief executive with a petition that read: "Under the guise of being 'cute,' JC Penney is promoting merchandise that encourages girls to value looks over brains; to leave academics to the boys, and to aspire to nothing more than fawning after Justin Bieber." The company apologized and removed the shirt from stores.
JC Penney CEO Ron Johnson addressed his naysayers at Fortune Brainstorm Tech. The transformation of the embattled retailer has only just begun.
