Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

have wanted to slap the ignorant women at the Tate Liverpool today???

54 replies

toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 21:23

when, as we were looking around the Picasso exhibition a man with dwarfism (I'm still not sure that's the correc term is it??????) came in and DS3 (3) wandered over closer to him and looked at him. I didn't drag him away or call him back, I just let him look (and the said man smiled at him).

DS3 then came back to me and asked "why is that man that little".

I paused - as I had a mental block about the correct term (stii aren't - having a really blonde day today I think ) - and before I had a chance to say anything this woman stood next to us leant down to DS3 and said "it's beause he didn't eat all his vegetables up"

WTF???????? Yes really helpful thank you mrs ignorant woman. Like spieling crap is going to help/inform anyone ARGHHHH

OP posts:

Original poster

toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 22:00

Beer - she can't have been more than 40 at most - possibly around my age (though I'm not very good at guessing ages).

OP posts:

DirtyMartini · 19/08/2010 22:00

At what age are children OK to come along to museums in your book, sanielle? And surely everyone "wanders" in a museum, not just kids.

kids in museums

DS is a regular museumgoer and loves it. He is 3. He asks to go about once a fortnight. Fortunately the Museum of Scotland is very welcoming to little ones.

BeerTricksPotter · 19/08/2010 22:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

stleger · 19/08/2010 22:05

He's off to school? Museums are always full of children in school holidays, surely? Except the really dull one near us, it's always empty. The 'installations' are tempting to touch.

Original poster

toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 22:09

oh yes there were quite a lot of children - not so many in the Picasso exhibition - I think because you had to pay to get in.

but I've NEVER paid to see any art before - and I do rather like Picasso's works (though "know" nothing about art - just know what I like iykwim) and really fancied it so off we went - thankfully it was just £10 and children under 12 free when accompanied by an adult - woohoo. So effictively it was £5 each (as it was only DS1 and I who had an interest lol)

OP posts:

sanielle · 19/08/2010 22:12

I said I was grumpy... Glad your eldest enjoyed himself though! and in your little one's defence.. Those sort of installations are not art are a bit much for a 3 year old to understand.

Original poster

toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 22:14

yes I know - some of those installations even DS1 was saying "what's that - it looks like a load of junk"

I'm not sure I understood it either (the sofa.......)

OP posts:

sanielle · 19/08/2010 22:17

Dirty pants on the floor are not art. Couches are not art. Plastic cats are not art. anything by Tracy Emin is not art But thats all for another thread.

Original poster

toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 22:18

hehe agreed - but Picasso is art - omg so much of his stuff all in one place - it was awesome!!

OP posts:

StewieGriffinsMom · 19/08/2010 22:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

stleger · 19/08/2010 22:21

i suppose though, vaguely wandering back to the topic, it is hard to be a small child asking questions about art and general sofas, whilst not being supposed to be interested in people around the place I can also imagine my MIL making the 'vegetables'comment...

StewieGriffinsMom · 19/08/2010 22:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 22:25

actually SGM - in one of the sculpture galleries there was a "dance floor" with mirrors on either side of the gallery, and flashing lights, and they had head phones - so I got to look around that particular gallery in perfect peace as they praned around on the flashing lights (and 2 of my children are now in other tourists photo albums as a women in that gallery thought that DS3 was so adorable dancing that she asked to take a photo of him lol)

DS2 was more interested in the installation and scultptures than the picasso - DS3 - well he's a little whirlwhind all of his own and wouldn't stand long enough for me to read the information to him

although thankfully DS1/2 didn't ask what the

"is anal sex legal - is legal sex anal" in neon lights as "art" in one section was all about

DS1 looked horrifed at one very "crude" scultpture of a naked man lying down - very few features - just a massive errect cock

While DS2 was asking why there were so many boobs on show on the others LOL

OP posts:

StewieGriffinsMom · 19/08/2010 22:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

whomovedmychocolate · 19/08/2010 22:31

I had a similar experience the other day (apologies toccatanfudge for the hijack but I'd appreciate your views). I was in our local museum and there was a man there in a wheelchair. He only had one leg. DD (also 3 going on fourteen) smiled at him and because she was looking at his chair (she's obsessed with wheelchairs at the minute - bloody Playmobil! ) he said 'Are you wondering what happened to my leg? A shark bit it off, '

DD looked really scared and I said goodbye and took her off to one side and said I didn't really think that was true but he was making a joke.

I don't honestly believe his leg was bitten off by a shark, and was a bit that he'd say this. Since he had other obvious physical differences (I don't know the right word for this - you know when someone's arm is really short and almost flipper like at the end?)

I'd really rather DD learn that people who are different are just that, different and to go back to the OP, I think that's what you object to as well. The idea that it's better to make a joke of disability or difference, rather than just saying, for example - that man has limited stature, it means he can't grow as tall as most people, or that man uses a wheelchair because he was born with a different sort of arm and leg and they don't work the same as yours?

Original poster

toccatanfudge · 19/08/2010 22:32

ahh actually you know it's funny - I just looked that anal sex/sex anal thing up - and funnily enough it's Tracy Emin

talking installation art - you been up to the Modern Art Gallery near you and seen the massive table and chairs - and the stacked plates - my boys loved those

OP posts:

dylsmum1998 · 19/08/2010 22:46

toccata- if you are looking for things in Liverpool to do have you tried the World museum yet? its opposite Lime street station- just across from the Tate.
Very large and lots of hands on things for the children to do in it.

There is also a place called underwater street ( unless it has closed now) near to the ferry/ docks where the children ply it has lots of role play/ arts and sciency type things in it. Lots of fun for all ages. Not been there for a couple of years but dd had fun when she was 2 and ds was 9 also enjoyed, as did I but am very mucha big kid in some ways

Olifin · 19/08/2010 23:38

My 4 year-old DD recently met a friend who is very short. DD studied her for a moment and then asked: 'Are you a grown-up?'. Friend was not offended

WhatsWrongWithYou · 19/08/2010 23:54

If you can cope with another gallery, the Walker is fab but totally at the other end of the spectrum than the Tate.
Some truly great paintings there which I'm sure you and your oldest will love and you'll then be truly soaked in kulcha having seen the old and the new in a matter of days.

I'd forgotten about the Picasso - must get up back home before it finishes!

sungirltan · 20/08/2010 00:01

achondroplasia is the correct term

emkana · 20/08/2010 00:08

sungirltan, not necessarily, there are many different types of skeletal dysplasias, achondroplasia is the most common type.

sungirltan · 20/08/2010 00:13

true true. if its not that its something else ending in 'plasia' though.

singsinthebath · 20/08/2010 01:11

This thread reminds me of an incident with my DCs a couple of years ago.

DS would have been about 5 and he saw a teenager who lives near us who has restricted growth and shouts in a loud voice " Is that an elf?". His big sister replies (also quite loudly): "No, it's a dwarf" and goes on to try to explain the differences.

Meanwhile DH (who was with them), is trying to steer them away. No offence was intended by either kid - they were both too young.

It's very hard with kids; they're just naturally curious. But I agree with OP that there was no need for the vegetable comment in the museum.

Onetoomanycornettos · 20/08/2010 11:25

I think the man with the shark tale probably developed that line to make a funny joke that might get the children chatting, given that he couldn't stop them staring. My two would have immediately asked him 'really, really?' and been very intrigued, perhaps a conversation could have developed. Or perhaps he liked scaring children (very unlikely). I'm not sure why people with disabilities aren't allowed to make jokes or play with ideas about their appearance and always have to be on a mission to 'inform' correctly. Sounds a bit like hard work to me, and also makes sure everyone else says stupid things or doesn't say anything, for fear of not knowing the 'right words' or using an offensive 'term'. The vegetable remark was off, but precisely that kind of stupid thing that people say without thinking. I doubt the woman went around looking for people with dwarfism to use it on. She probably went home and kicked herself.

I have a friend who recently gave birth to little boy has Downs syndrome. She'd give anything for her friends to ring up and refer to her 'Downs syndrome' baby (even though this is not politically correct, it's supposed to be person with syndrome). Actually, no-one calls much at all, and they certainly don't talk about the Downs syndrome. I think you can get too hung up on correct terms and miss the sentiment sometimes.

LucindaCarlisle · 20/08/2010 11:29

Seeing as it was in Liverpool, he may have been one of Ken Dodds "Diddy Men"

Is the OP from Liverpool or was she a tourist?

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread