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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

Iโ€™m being sexually harassed by overstock.com. Wait. Let me back up.

First of all, I had every intention of boycotting the swimsuit industry this year. No, I was not going to be that chick you see at the public pool wearing gym clothes in the water. (By the way, if sheโ€™s not going to suit up, she could at least get some band-aids. Iโ€™m just saying.) I spent big bucks on a suit last year that covers what needs to be covered and accentuates the few good things Iโ€™ve got going for myself.

However, our friend with the Corvette, currently known as the-most-fabulous-man-to-ever-take-a-breath, went and got all sweet and chivalrous on me. He bought Monkey and me a trip to Disney World to coincide with his and his Princessโ€™s trip to Disney World. And weโ€™ll be staying at the Chi-Chi resort. And it has a water park. And heโ€™s just betting that in seven days, Iโ€™ll need more than one old swimsuit.

Fine.

I first attempt to purchase a swimsuit off the rack. However, with the way Iโ€™ve been fighting the size of my butt lately, I just gave up after the first mirror image of myself under fluorescent lighting. Plus, I was becoming that chick in the dressing room who tells the teenage girls, โ€œIf you think youโ€™re fat now, wait until youโ€™re my age.โ€ Iโ€™m just too young for that, and I donโ€™t think Iโ€™m going to single-handedly solve the body image problems of our young girls in a big-box retail establishment. Especially since Iโ€™m officially saving for lipo now.

So, like the consumers of Viagra and porn, I go online to satisfy this spandexed need. Upon the recommendation of my own online shopping sherpa friend, I visit overstock.com. After I un-sidetrack myself from the shoes, which one can never get too fat for, I begin the search for what Iโ€™m looking for in swimwear: something that makes me look thinner and doesnโ€™t cost a lot. Simple.

Surprisingly, it is very simple. I find what I need on page one. A sensible tankini that does not scream โ€œMamawโ€ but does say, โ€œI know Iโ€™m hot stuff, but Iโ€™d prefer you to check out someone else please.โ€ And itโ€™s DKNY! And they have my size! I bless the powers of the lycra and click โ€œCheck Outโ€ right quick because this baby is going to sell out soon.

So THIS is why they call themselves โ€œThe Big O!โ€ I never thought online shopping could serve as retail therapy since it does not involve the instant gratification of a shopping bag, but Iโ€™ve also never owned DKNY anything. Not even socks. I consider filing this one under my companyโ€™s psych-help insurance.

Finally, the box arrives at my doorstep. I pull out the tank of the tankini. Itโ€™s perfect. Perfect size, shape, color and just what I need. And apparently thatโ€™s all Overstock thinks I need, because I canโ€™t find the bottom.

So I call the Big O. I explain to a very nice young man named Stephen that Iโ€™ve heard that Disney is a very family-orientated kinda place, and Iโ€™m sure Iโ€™ll need my bottom while Iโ€™m there. Stephen agrees. Stephen apologizes. Stephen is going to take care of the problem.

Then I get an e-mail from Jeff. Jeff wants me to print this label and send it back for refund. But there is no link to click. I respond to Jeff to let him know itโ€™s not working.

Jeff sends my concern to the Big Oโ€™s โ€œResearch Team.โ€ Then some guy named Brandon e-mails me the following:

โ€œThank you for shopping with Overstock.com. I apologize that the pull-on panty for the DKNY Halter Plunge Tankini we sent to you was missing when you received shipment. This has been a popular item on our site at a great price.

โ€œI have requested the warehouse ship you the pull-on panty.โ€

Darn straight youโ€™re going to send my panty! What kind of girl do you think I am, Overstock? You and that Research Team better hand it over because my flight leaves in three weeks. And, just so you know, my panty may be popular, but it is just not available for every Jeff, Stephen and Brandon to dig around for.

You best straighten this mess out before I tell Mickey. Donโ€™t say I wonโ€™t.

Previous Comments

ok em, i get the hint. No more rading your panty drawers. ๐Ÿ˜‰ jk


๐Ÿ˜› I actually received my panty one day last week. It was just sitting on the front porch for God and everyone to see. However, they did change the wording of the product from panty to, well, product. Going forward, I’m sticking with the shoes.


What a wonderful comic piece!! I really enjoyed this one!


EmilyB, If you are so uncomfortable with other people’s bodies I suggest you build a pool in your backyard and stay home. kisses, the Chick who swims in gymwear