Looking at the manufacturer’s website, it really doesn’t seem to mike like this product is geared towards children. The parent was just offended that the “Toys and Games” category of Tesco’s website didn’t comprise only children’s toys and games.
The only reason I can’t work up a lot of indignation about this is because of how hard I laughed at a certain recent movie. I can’t explain more or even name the movie for fear of being a spoiler.
Oh BitterScribe, I think I know what you’re referring to — do the words “You Sexy Thing” mean anything to you?
Kids already have a minsefield to go through regarding sexuality- and it’s unthinkable to shove sexuality down the throats of little girls who really don’t have the maturity to understand it. This whole concept of sexualizing children bothers me, especially because it’s geared towrads a single gender (female). I see padded bras for 5 year old girls, but I don’t see padded thongs for boys of the same age. Both would be wrong, but singling out one gender does really speak volumes about the message that our culture wants to send out to the people- which is that women are valued primarily for their sexual desirability.
What a total non-story. It’s clearly from a line of products for bachelorette parties and for couples who want to put more “spice” in their sex life. It’s being sold by Tesco, Amazon etc — which is a major coup for the manufacturer, they must have some insanely good salespeople — but those companies have no idea how to sell sex toys and games, obviously. Dumb move to include it with the more “family-friendly” stuff in the Toys & Games section, although there are plenty of other popular games I might not want kids playing that nobody ever fusses about — colonialist history games like Puerto Rico spring to mind!
According to the story, it’s not aimed at or marketed to children; it’s being sold as an adult toy, and the parent was simply offended that it was in the store where a child might see, or see it labeled as a “toy.” I’m not sure how different this is from the yearly lawsuit where someone gets worked up over the fact that comic-book stores sell adult graphic novels and comics with adult content, because everyone knows that comics are only for, and marketed exclusively to, children.
it’s being sold as an adult toy, and the parent was simply offended that it was in the store where a child might see, or see it labeled as a “toy.” I wonder if there are any comparable mix-ups in states that don’t allow adult items to be so called, i.e. if it’s a novelty item, why can’t a kid have a dildo?
Geez… you’d think the company’d be smart enough to have a “toy” section and then an “adult toy” section… not merge them together!!! DUH!
Completely OT, but Evil Fizz reminded me of a story. My favorite aunt is a 60 yr old grandmother of twins and a GREAT woman. One day when the twins were about 2, one of them went into Gramma and Grampa’s bedroom, then came walking down the hallway holding Gramma’s dildo that the little girl had found in the nightstand drawer! Their father (Gramma’s son) was horrified, the mother amused- Gramma, who did not panic or get embarassed, just made sure to hide it better when the kids came to visit after that.
Dumb move to include it with the more “family-friendly” stuff in the Toys & Games section, although there are plenty of other popular games I might not want kids playing that nobody ever fusses about — colonialist history games like Puerto Rico spring to mind! I agree with you to a point. Yes, colonialist history games are stupid and bad for society in general, but over sexualizing children, especially young girls is far more damaging and problematic, as the effects of such can really derail a girl’s proper development and future safety. On a lighter note, adult toys really have no business sitting in displays with chidren’s/family toy items. Even Spencer gifts, a stand-by of every American mall, places its sex toys on racks of their own. This actually seems like a kind of stupid item that Spencer’s would sell.
I really do think that colonialist games and stripper toys are both bad, but at least colonalist games are age appropiate, and can be helped out with parential explanation, and yea…can’t see how stripper poles could be appropiate for the 6 year olds of the world, unless you removed the packing and said it was a ‘hitting your siblings’ pole…
My personal favorite bit was at the end: “Tesco last night denied the pole dancing kit was sexually oriented and said it was clearly marked for “adult use”. A spokesman added: “Pole dancing is an increasing exercise craze. This item is for people who want to improve their fitness and have fun at the same time.” High-larious.
I heard about that kit on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me this morning. They had a clip from the manufacturer saying that the kit was intended for adults, not for children.
Without disparaging the seriousness of the issue — clearly, if the item is being marketed to children it’s completely inappropriate — I couldn’t help but notice this comment by Dr. Adrian Rogers of Family Focus in the news story: This should only be available to the most depraved people who want to corrupt their children. Huh. Now that’s a law and order perspective you don’t see very often.
It is the use of kid like cartoon characters on the pole for sale that is gross, but I was also glad to find out that the kit is only marketed towards adults and not kids which really would’ve been beyond horrible.
Pole dancing is an increasing exercise craze. This part is true. There was a story on the nightly news in my area a few weeks ago about this, as well as a newspaper article (in the business section, no less). A couple of women have started up a pole dancing instruction outfit here. They have been swamped with applications, and they’re considering hiring more instructors. When they interviewed the participants, their responses to why they were doing it were pretty evenly split between “I want to do something special for hubby”, and “it’s a great workout, and much more fun than aerobics”. Supply and demand. As for it being in the kiddie section of the website, that’s probably just bad marketing, and not an indication that it was aimed at children. Do you really think that a (sane) parent would buy it for their child?
“Little Miss Sunshine!” if that’s what we’re talking about (“Superfreak,” yes). yes, hell funny. i don’t think that’s too much of a spoiler. i hope.
I’m kicking you out of the feminist movement for revealing the movie. hey now! weren’t you the person who said it was impossible to kick anyone out of feminism, epecially over teh internets? Where’s the real shannon!?
Shannon tried to make a joke. But she is not a good jokester. I believed that belledame would remember that post and see the irony and go ha ha, isn’t shannon a kidder? But yet again I have failed. Or you’re joking and my sense of humor has been turned to off. Probably the last. I should probably get some rest then if my sense of humor is gone.
Actually, Jill, it was “Superfreak,” IIRC. Unless we’re talking about different things. Damn, you’re right. We are talking about the same thing. Amazing.
“This should only be available to the most depraved people who want to corrupt their children.” ballgame is right. I’m still laughing at this.
Or you’re joking and my sense of humor has been turned to off. Probably the last. I should probably get some rest then if my sense of humor is gone. Teehee, yes, I was joking. =)
Having gone and watched strippers actually do pole dancing, hell yeah it would be a good workout. I spent a good bit of the time just impressed by the athleticism, the same way I am when watching pairs figure skating.
Having gone and watched strippers actually do pole dancing, hell yeah it would be a good workout. It’d be as good as doing the same amount of time in a yoga class combined with about 10 minutes of chinups. Sorry, exercise geek here, not impressed. Now parrallel bar stripping would be a sight to see, the stripper coming onto the stage in highheels, grabbin a hand full of chalk before launching her self onto the bars and into the air where she proceeds to strip while performing somersaults and spins before dismounting so that people can stuff money into her thong.
It’d be as good as doing the same amount of time in a yoga class combined with about 10 minutes of chinups. That’s…potentially a lot of chinups. Rhythmic yoga, yes. Other yoga, maybe not. Not that I’m pushing the strippercize craze, mind.