From the Times 14/04/10:
Primark, the clothing chain, today ordered padded bikini bras for girls as young as seven to be removed from sale immediately after criticism that they sexualised children.
The company apologised for any offence caused by the £4 item and said profits from any bikinis already sold would be donated to a children’s charity.
Nice save. Possibly.
The Children’s Society lambasted the High Street store for “premature sexualisation and inappropriate advertising”, while Shy Keenan, a child protection consultant with Phoenix Chief Advocates, which helps victims of paedophiles, called for a boycott of Primark until the bikini top was withdrawn.
David Cameron also intervened in the row and condemned sale of the item, which came in candy pink with gold stars or black with white polka dots, as “completely disgraceful.”
Bully for Dave, eh?
[Previously] Asda was criticised for selling lace lingerie, including a push-up bra, which were aimed at young girls, and Tesco withdrew a pole-dancing kit which appeared in its toy section. WH Smith announced last year it was also withdrawing Playboy stationery, including a pencil case, but refused to say if this followed criticism about the brand being sold to schoolchildren.
Wow. To be a kid again would be scary I think. I dread to think what ‘accessories’ came bundled in the pencil case but imagine it might well be something that would make a seasoned employee of Ann Summers blush.
Huh, well, that's fairly tasteless. I wonder what the thinking process behind that was. Did they make one and think "nah, that looks ridiculous, sew in some padding?"
ReplyDeleteI think all those items are a bit too much for a kid, its bad enough having to see pre-teen girls in make up and wanting to be and look older than they are.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine you going to Ann Summers and being all shy lol
I remember reading about the pole dancing kit a while ago... I wonder who thought of that!
ReplyDeleteStephen - yeah, I totally agree. It's a product that shouldn't have come to market in the first place.
ReplyDeletePooni, I take it you've got a rampant rabbit or two then!
Andro, maybe it was a mix up with the packaging and it was actually an adult toy mistakenly packaged as being for kids? Nah, I'm clutching a straws.
A pole dancing kit? OMG.
ReplyDeleteYup, I was pretty surprised to hear about it too!! :-0
ReplyDeleteBUT WHERE??? May I now ask, will I get padded bikinis that fit me?? EHY?!?!!
ReplyDeleteLOL no I haven't, I had to buy a candy thong for my manager who was leaving, omg it was sooo funny!
ReplyDeleteThank God for online shops... ;D
ReplyDeletePooni, did you get embarrassed and say it was 4 yourself, then? :p
ReplyDeletehehe, Andro. So that's how you keep yourself amused of an evening!! I dread to think what you're up to in between blogging and tweeting! ;-)
I was so embarassed and when I said it was for a friend, I knew they thought 'yeah right' lol.
ReplyDeletei think its all a bit ott!
ReplyDeleteWhy is inflation of female secondary sexual characteristics socially OK, yet the same is not true for males? (ie, if young boys went around buying padded boxer shorts that would seem rightly ridiculous and wrong..)
ReplyDelete