NZ Wife Beaters

In the United States, white sleeveless undershirts are sometimes known as "wife-beaters." Spend some time with Google if you have no idea what I'm talking about. However, in New Zealand, wife beaters are black. And they're called singlets. Why? Because of a movie _Once Were Warriors_ (which is a really good movie - go watch it). Here's a clip from the film featuring the black singlet and the vicious beating of a wife:




Also, I have learned about POMs. This is the not-very-derogatory-anymore term for British people. It stands for "prisoner of (his/her) majesty" or "prisoner of mother England" in regards to the criminals sent to Australia when Oz was a penal colony. Wikipedia states a different etymology, but you know those POMs are a crafty bunch and wouldn't have any qualms about changing the entry.

Regardless, the point of bringing up POMs is that Stella Artois is known as "wife beater" back in the British Isles. Instead of the uppity image Stella has in the States, it is seen as a the drink of choice for spousal abuse across the Atlantic. I find this fascinating study in international branding.