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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

dd (8) has been invited to a birthday party.....

61 replies

northender · 09/01/2013 09:13

"Footballers and WAGs". Dress up as your favourite footballer or put your glam rags on to become a WAG

I'm sure most of the mums at school will say this is just harmless fun. Dd didn't know what a WAG was and she has clearly been so well indoctrinated educated by me that, when I explained, she straight away declared she would be going as a footballer.
With so many great female role models out there people really think its okay to dress 8 year olds up as WAGs??

OP posts:

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Hullygully · 09/01/2013 09:14

oh dear lord

hideous

move schools

steppemum · 09/01/2013 09:28

hideous, can't believe that - at 8 too, must be parent's idea, child would never have come up with that.

I hope all the girls go as footballers, my dd would (and she is quite girly otherwise, but she would be at the WAGS

CaseyShraeger · 09/01/2013 09:36

Blech.

MrsWolowitz · 09/01/2013 09:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CajaDeLaMemoria · 09/01/2013 09:39

This has been all over TV recently, on those rubbish real-life channels - it's a big American thing that seemed to explode over Christmas. Maybe the parents or child saw it and thought it could be fun, without really thinking about it?

It is horrible though. Going as a footballer is a great idea, I'd do that too.

msrisotto · 09/01/2013 09:40

Eugh jesus how stupid do you have to be???

strumpetpumpkin · 09/01/2013 09:41

yuck, i wouldnt let her go

fuckadoodlepoopoo · 09/01/2013 09:44

I would probably find a reason not to go or actually just tell the truth and say that little girls dressing up as what will probably end up looking like child prostitutes is completely inappropriate. They'll probably just think you're uptight though!

pictish · 09/01/2013 09:47

Do WAGS look like prostitutes then fuckadoodle? Can't say as I've ever noticed that. It's usually designer handbags and shoes, and bland but expensive outfits as far as I can tell. Not that I know much about it mind you.

northender · 09/01/2013 09:57

When ds was her age, he went to a pirates and princesses party. I was a bit at that as I hate all the stereotyping but this takes things to a whole new level. The girl whose party it is is quite new to school and I don't know her mum but yes, surely she must have come up with the idea. Will have to see if I can spot a wannabe WAG at school this afternoon.

OP posts:

snowshapes · 09/01/2013 11:36

northender, DD had a (general) fancy dress party and one of the girls came in this fabulous pirate costume, it was brilliant. But footballers and WAGS, oh dear. DD's best friend (a girl) plays football. I do feel a bit sorry, though, if the girl is new and a party is a chance to meet people and parents, that it is so .

Your DD has the right approach, imo. Show friendship and go, but turn the stereotype on its head.

morethanpotatoprints · 09/01/2013 11:43

I totally agree with turning the stereotype on its head.
I don't really consider myself a feminist or not, but my dd would be going as a footballer.
To me it is another example of sexualising our dds and a bit sickening really.

Beehatch · 09/01/2013 11:46

Sounds appalling, I'd have no issue with turning down that invitation - can you imagine the sort of party games that might go with that theme?

That said my two are going to a princess party in a couple of weeks, both DD and DS have opted to dress as pirates/knights!

iseenodust · 09/01/2013 11:53

Find a fluffy pup outfit and go as Wag the dog ?

iseenodust · 09/01/2013 11:54

Guess that's the end of the Olympics legacy then ?

northender · 09/01/2013 12:05

Oh I really hope not iseenodust. Dd loves Jess Ennis, Helen Glover and even Katherine Grainger although she is "quite old" (for the record, dd, I'm even older!).

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fuckadoodlepoopoo · 09/01/2013 12:17

Pictish. Well the outfits are usually pretty revealing, shit loads of makeup and shoes they can't walk in. Im not an expert either but i think an 8 year old trying to dress like one is going to look so wrong! Way too sexualised, way too skimpy clothes. Its just wrong.

fuzzpig · 09/01/2013 12:34

Ewwww that's gross. So the boys get to go as somebody who is successful through hard work and talent (whatever your opinion of football!), and the girls get to go as somebody who is famous just for being pretty and bagging a rich partner

If my DD (5) was invited to that sort of thing she would probably stick on her Chelsea kit damn DH with his brainwashing but then I have also rolled my eyes at two pamper/makeover 6th birthday parties.

Incidentally on the pirate/princess thing, my friend is a reception teacher and was supposed to do a pirate/princess theme as a short topic. She quietly dropped the princess half of it this year. The girls loved being pirates.

AmandaPayne · 09/01/2013 13:40

It is revolting.

I could kind of see how, if you were deep in denial about sexism and the patriarchy, a boy's mother could come up with that theme. "Shit, DS wants a footballer party. Not all the girls will like that, what can they do?" It's how you end up with crap like pirates and princesses a lot of the time too. The fact that it was a girl's mother makes it even worse - the little girl is the appendage at her own party.

Vile, just vile.

DewDr0p · 09/01/2013 13:45

Oh. My. Goodness.

I am so shocked.

btw at our pirate party everyone dressed up as pirates, girls, boys, even a few mums, dads...

snowshapes · 09/01/2013 14:24

Well the outfits are usually pretty revealing, shit loads of makeup and shoes they can't walk in.

AmandaPayne · 09/01/2013 14:48

Good Dew - they would at our pirate party too and glad to hear you are fighting the good fight ! However, I have heard mothers worrying what a girl could wear to such a party

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DewDr0p · 09/01/2013 14:52

Crazy isn't it Amanda ? The girls loved it!

fuckadoodlepoopoo · 09/01/2013 15:17

Snow. Possibly, but if you do a Google image search of wag its loads of pics in underwear, naked for lads mags, boobs out, tons of black eye makeup etc.

What are the girls supposed to wear? Its like having a pirate party but saying that to wear an eye patch or parrot is a stereotype, so what would they wear instead but still be recognised as a pirate?

What clothes can they wear so that they are recognizable as a wag? Dungerees? No. Something tame? No. What?

Its the image that a huge amount of wags have unfortunately. Im not going to pretend that they have a completely different image to the one they do just so that i appear pc.

PiccadillyCervix · 09/01/2013 16:11

I wouldn't let my daughter (or son) anywhere near that party or those kind of people. Fuck sending her in as a footballer, imagine the response she will get and that's shit you can't undo.

CajaDeLaMemoria We don't say WAG in America?

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