--- title: 'Throw Rocks at Girls' Jewelry Billboard: Internet Backlash description: A controversial jewelry billboard that some think encourages violence against women has sparked widespread online outrage. canonical: https://time.com/4713984/throw-rocks-at-girls-jewelry-billboard-internet-backlash/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-03-27T19:27:47.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:42:17.718Z og:title: It’s OK to Throw Rocks at Girls' Billboard Sparks Backlash og:description: "Talking about hitting girls is never funny. Ever" og:url: https://time.com/4713984/throw-rocks-at-girls-jewelry-billboard-internet-backlash/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt82899c0e88def27b/6988c00d8e06012878469b30/gemstones.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: 470636057 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: It’s OK to Throw Rocks at Girls' Billboard Sparks Backlash twitter:description: "Talking about hitting girls is never funny. Ever" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt82899c0e88def27b/6988c00d8e06012878469b30/gemstones.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Sometimes, It’s OK to Throw Rocks at Girls': Jewelry Billboard Sparks Internet Backlash  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Mar 27, 2017 7:27 PM UTC  Gems GemsLEMAIRE Stephane/ Hemis.fr/Getty Images  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Mar 27, 2017 7:27 PM UTC A [controversial jewelry billboard](http://time.com/3740758/topless-nun-billboard-naples-italy-pope-francis/) that some think encourages [violence against women](http://time.com/4049106/un-cyber-violence-physical-violence/) has sparked widespread [online outrage](http://time.com/4617005/video-texas-officer-arrests-mother-litter/). Featuring the tagline, “Sometimes, it’s OK to throw rocks at girls…,” surrounded by colorful gemstones, the Spicer Greene Jewelers advertisement — which was placed along the interstate in Asheville, N.C. — has been criticized by many who were upset by the slogan. Spicer Green apologized for the billboard on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/spicergreenejewelers/posts/1283202268396240) Thursday, saying the sign was not intended to convey a violent subtext. --- > “” --- > [](https://twitter.com/WLOS%5F13/status/846105607375667200) However, many Twitter users took to the social media site to denounce the ad, calling it “[misogynistic](https://twitter.com/alli%5Fmarshall/status/846065571884142593)” and “[tone-deaf](https://twitter.com/LaraEwen/status/846219189115408384).” It even caught the attention of Chelsea Clinton, who tweeted, “Talking about hitting girls is never funny. Ever.” > [](https://twitter.com/ChelseaClinton/status/845316669702635520) > [](https://twitter.com/mskimkelley/status/844941702792187909) > [](https://twitter.com/litchik/status/844954971359625217) > [](https://twitter.com/SpaceDoctorPhD/status/846410380406636544) > [](https://twitter.com/chitaskforce/status/845670571006480384) > [](https://twitter.com/Pipsquak88/status/845325255329665025) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4713984/throw-rocks-at-girls-jewelry-billboard-internet-backlash/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4713984/throw-rocks-at-girls-jewelry-billboard-internet-backlash/"},"headline":"'Sometimes, It’s OK to Throw Rocks at Girls': Jewelry Billboard Sparks Internet Backlash","datePublished":"2017-03-27T19:27:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:42:17.718Z","description":"\"Talking about hitting girls is never funny. Ever\"","url":"https://time.com/4713984/throw-rocks-at-girls-jewelry-billboard-internet-backlash/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Internet","viral","North Carolina","Ads"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt82899c0e88def27b/6988c00d8e06012878469b30/gemstones.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Megan McCluskey","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt82899c0e88def27b/6988c00d8e06012878469b30/gemstones.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"470636057","caption":"Gems","creditText":"LEMAIRE Stephane/ Hemis.fr/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4713984/throw-rocks-at-girls-jewelry-billboard-internet-backlash/","name":"'Sometimes, It’s OK to Throw Rocks at Girls': Jewelry Billboard Sparks Internet Backlash"}}]}] ```