What about that "wife-beater" shirt? Any myLotters wear them?

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Reading the discussion by @amadeo about the long sleeved t-shirt with buttons that became known as the 'Wallace Beery" (old time movie star) shirt made me wonder about that other shirt called the "wife-beater." Why, I wondered, was it called that repugnant name? It is like a tank top, but tight fitting, used as an undershirt (unless the guy is showing off his gym build then he wears it with no other shirt). Marlon Brando wore one in "Streetcar Named Desire (killer movie) and Sylvester Stallone wore one in "Rocky." On the "Fun & Trivia" site I read that it might go back to medieval times when armored knights wore a chain mail shirt like that under their other armor. It was called a "waif-beater" since if the knight had lost his armor in battle, he was a waif but could fight bravely on. Apparently lots of these "wife-beater shirts were seen on the show "Cops" too, usually worn by, well... wife-beaters. I have never favored that kind of undershirt. No photo found (If i had the shirt I'd model)