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Original poster

To think this was inappropriate for World Book Day

58 replies

Discopanda · 06/03/2015 11:24

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2982244/Boy-11-excluded-school-turning-World-Book-Day-dressed-character-erotic-novel-Fifty-Shades-Grey.html

I don't normally admit to checking out the Daily Fail, but I kind of agree this boy's teachers were right. I thought world book day was about celebrating the children's favourite books, not their parents trying to be funny?!

OP posts:
Thereyouarepeter · 06/03/2015 11:25

Totally inappropriate/ place marker

Nabootique · 06/03/2015 11:26

There's a thread on this in Chat. But yes, agree it's a bit inappropriate!

AnnieMoor · 06/03/2015 11:28

Vanessa Feltz has just pretty much slaughtered the mother on her radio show. The mother came across as an absolute fool.

Wholly inappropriate imo & I would be very cross if my 11 year old was exposed to this. Plus it defeats the premise of world book day, in addition to all the Elsas & boys in football kit..

YouBetterWerk · 06/03/2015 11:32

'It's one of the most famous books in recent years'
So is Mein Kampf.
Bloody awful.

Deux · 06/03/2015 11:33

Just heard the mother on the radio. So glad she's not teaching my children as I think she has a really skewed view of what's appropriate.

She came across really badly. Just awful. She tried to say that it was no worse than going as James Bond as he kills people.

I'm staggered the mother is a teacher. Talk about bringing a profession into disrepute.

KittensOnAPlane · 06/03/2015 11:34

Totally wrong - its hardly likely to be his favourite book is it? stupid stupid stupid

My 13yr old has heard of this, but hasnt seen/read it (not interested)

AnnieMoor · 06/03/2015 11:34

Hear hear, Deux. I was flabbergasted at how idiotic that mother was on the radio.

Darkforcesatwork · 06/03/2015 11:42

Completely wrong! They are meant to be dressing up as a favourite character from a book they have read. Are they admitting that the 11 yr old boy has read the book? There is uproar when mums dress their girls as dubious female characters (Julia Roberts-Pretty Woman comes to mind in a recent story) and so there should be for this. My DD13 and DSnearly15 haven't read the book or made any reference to the film and it's content-why should they? It is an 18 and as far same we are concerned off their radar. I'm not saying they will not be aware of it but it is not a film/book that we would consider is appropriate for them to be discussing and certainly not encouraging them to acknowledge "as a joke". The repeated reference to the cable ties being small-WTF?! Cable ties to restrain a partner in S&M activities-but since they're only small ones that's OK. And I have no idea what the fact the kid has done acting has anything to do with it being OK portraying this character... Stupid woman and terrifying that she is a teacher!?!

EvilTendency1 · 06/03/2015 11:46

She's not exactly painting herself in a great light as a parent or a teacher.
That 11 yr old boy shouldn't even be aware of the book, as for sending him with cable ties ?! Shock

Bue · 06/03/2015 11:52

My jaw dropped when I found out the mother is a teacher.

On another note World Book Day in general has raised a serious red flag for me in terms of children and adults' literacy in this country. On FB and the like I have mostly seen Disney characters. Does nobody read real books anymore?!

juliej75 · 06/03/2015 12:00

Just because people are dressed in disney outfits, doesn't mean that's all they read(watch)!

I have an English degree and consider myself pretty well-read. All of my children love reading and we have enormous numbers of books at home.

However, I'm rubbish at putting together costumes so we look in Asda and the dressing up box then try and work out what character the costume is most like. And that's with enough money to buy costumes. If I was skint, the costumes would likely be even less like characters from 'real books'.

crocodiledundeelady · 06/03/2015 12:22

Tbh I find criticism of the boy/mum a bit ironic - celebration of literature to me means celebration of free speech and telling kids that they can dress up as any character they like - so long as the school approves seems vastly to undermine that.

The costume was presumably a pisstake on the kid's behalf- and I think it worked well. It showed that the school was not actually interested in encouraging any independent or creative thought but was ready to stamp on anything subversive.

The mum was on r4 this morning as well and while she wasn't particularly intellectual I don't think she seemed stupid. I think that she raised a couple of interesting points - kids are all aware of the 50sog phenomenon from advertising - but they're expected to maintain the pretence innocence that we want them to have. When they refuse to keep up that pretence it's jarring to adults - but very much in the spirit of world book day in that it's a refusal of that social expectation enforced by authority figures.

The James Bond thing is pertinent - James Bond glorifies violence and objectifies women but that is somehow an acceptable figure because it teaches boys how to become the typical heteronormative male authority figure ( who uses violence and sex in the 'right') way.

HereIAm20 · 06/03/2015 12:45

The boy was on Tv and said he hadn't read it or seen the film but that he was aware of the book and film because of all the publicity. After all even This Morning did their bondage special! The boy said he did it for a laugh and to give the teachers a bit of a giggle.

I don't think many kids dress as their favourite character but as a character that they can get a costume together for. We were told Tuesday that our school was participating this year as it doesn't usually. it was therefore a case of hunt and make do without the luxury of being able to get out to shop at weekend or order on Amazon!

I did joke about sticking a pair of handcuffs in my son's pocket and him going as CG and indeed many friends sent me the link today! However It wouldn't have sent him in as that but I guess I probably wouldn't have thought twice about James Bond!

browneyedgirl86 · 06/03/2015 12:48

I think it's inappropriate. I too can't believe the mother is a teacher!

turquoiseamethyst · 06/03/2015 12:53

I thought it was funny.

Why are there so many 'can't believe the mother is a teacher' comments? Teachers aren't saints or virgins.

fascicle · 06/03/2015 12:57

The reality is that children these days seem to have an increasing knowledge of and even access to films and games beyond the guidelines for their age (ironically, getting hold of age inappropriate books has probably been more straightforward over the years). So it's not a surprise that he was aware of the character/book/film.

I agree that the James Bond comparison is relevant. Another point in the DM article was that a teacher dressed up as Dexter! So I'm inclined to have some sympathy for the lad.

crocodile, you make some interesting points and HereIam20, I agree that it's often about finding a costume that is relatively straightforward, sometimes with not much notice.

Viviennemary · 06/03/2015 12:59

No it wasn't appropriate. It's highly unlikely the boy will have read the book. And I sincerely hope he hasn't. This calls into question this woman's fitness to be a teacher if she thinks there is nothing wrong with this.

pictish · 06/03/2015 12:59

I thought it was tongue firmly in cheek and funny.

The80sweregreat · 06/03/2015 13:07

I think she should have given it more thought..i get her james bond / elsa argument ( at least Grey was in a book , Elsa isnt ) but it isnt a kids book either. My youngest son's old school was mad on this dressing up for anything, i just found it all a PITA!

wineandpopcorn · 06/03/2015 13:08

I think it's funny! Grin

DisappointedOne · 06/03/2015 13:13

DD wanted to go as the Singing Mermaid (Julia Donaldson). With less than a week's notice I'm afraid I bought an Asda Ariel dress. She's only 4 so the likes of Anne of Green Gables or Elizabeth Bennet are a bit beyond her just yet.

There was a sea of Elsas and Annas at school this morning though. I do have an issue where the film comes before the book!

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 06/03/2015 13:14

I think it's wildly inappropriate - either the 11 year old knows what the cable ties are for, in which case he shouldn't be taking them, or he has no idea - in which case, he shouldn't be taking them.

The mother says he hasn't read the book, so it's not even any kind of 'celebration of literature/free speech/ideas' - and nothing to do with world book day.

I'm sure his tongue was in his cheek, but I don't really see that that matters tbh.

I sympathise with the parents of Elsas, because I always found that most characters we could think of didn't really wear anything distinctive - just as most people don't! - so I can see why you'd go for a costume that's identifiable over one that's literary, I suppose. This is the problem with fancy dress! (Although I must admit I liked doing WBD costumes, and rather miss them!).

Littleturkish · 06/03/2015 13:16

I was surprised she was a teacher because to do this when you know what an arse it will be for your child's school to sort out is a special sort of selfish.

I like the points made above about the ridiculous mainstream promotion of the book that isn't 'family friendly' BUT this isnt a suitable protest. It comes across and condoning the popularity, not objecting to it.

hiddenhome · 06/03/2015 13:19

Bloody hell, the teaching profession must be on the skids if they're employing people like this Confused I thought she sounded like a real plank on the radio this morning.

Reekypear · 06/03/2015 13:29

50 shades is not literature, it's trash.