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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think 6 year olds should not be wearing this

758 replies

welliments · 01/02/2018 17:57

Merchandise from a major dance show at the excel centre in London next month. They sell these, and tshirts from age 6 up.

I’m going to have to explain to a 10 year old why she can’t have a jumper...

To think 6 year olds should not be wearing this
OP posts:
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14
NataliaOsipova · 02/02/2018 11:10

It's not the "do", or the "it" or even the "do it". It's the "do it" in the deliberate absence of context, which then has to be inferred by the reader/listener.

E.g. The Victoria Wood song. It's clear that the "do it" in the song refers to sex. If, however, I'm talking to a male friend about, say, going to a restaurant on Saturday and he says "Let's do it!", then I will of course assume he means "book a table" rather than "let's have sex".

LemonShark · 02/02/2018 11:14

"Yesterday 18:55 Annwithnoe

I wouldn’t expect my dd to get it, or anyone born after 1980, but I would be aware that older men would read the double entendre and I certainly wouldn’t want my dd wearing anything that would attract pervy older men. So a no from me"

I was born 88 and knew what OP meant instantly! It's a famous double entendre. Professions do it with 'feature of profession'. It's an old tired joke, but it's so common I'm fascinated by PP who've managed to never see it! Or perhaps they have come across it but because they didn't notice the wider usage of the format in other areas they took it very literally as lots of one offs and only saw the words in their child friendly meaning, not the sexual double entendre. Oh to be so naive 😂

Also struggling to believe that all PP claiming the OP is seeing things or sex obsessed genuinely aren't aware of the well known usage of this format/pun. I bet some know full well what OP is getting at but can't resist and opportunity to display wide eyed innocence and accuse OP of being easily offended or dirty minded.

YANBU op. I wouldn't personally care much as it's a double entendre that will go over the head of most kids, but I can see why it's inappropriate for adults to see young kids wearing it. It's in poor taste.

If nothing else this thread has educated a few people on a well known pun in our culture. It's really lovely to see a few PP admit they didn't know about it but can understand it now. Makes a nice change from the ones who openly refuse to be educated on something and stand by their original assertion no matter what contrary evidence is shown to them.

LemonShark · 02/02/2018 11:16

The 'do it' to mean sex is the basis of why this known pun is meant to be funny. The 'do it' is not solely what makes this shirt inappropriate, to those confused. It's that the original pun format relies on sniggeringly saying 'do it' meaning sex. 'Do it' alone doesn't necessarily infer sex. But this pun format relies on that link, hence why 'do it' on this shirt in the context of the format means sex. Context, people!

DreamyMcDreamy · 02/02/2018 11:20

I bet some know full well what OP is getting at but can't resist and opportunity to display wide eyed innocence

As I've said, countless times, I can see it's a double entrendre (now it's been pointed out) but it still isn't the first thing I thought of and I still don't see a problem with wearing "dancers do it with attitude."

LemonShark · 02/02/2018 11:22

"Today 07:06 TheGoldenBowl

I think Blue mirror and Dreamy should get some sort of award for their performance on this thread. Their dogged defence of an untenable position is just awe-inspiring."

Said much better than I could 😂

This thread is perfect for those types who can't wait to trot out 'have we ran out of things to be offended about?' 'People will be offended at anything these days!' 'Stop the world I want to get off' and 'only someone with a dirty/sexist/racist mind would see smut/sexism/racism in thing'. I swear they must have these stock phrases sitting in the notes app of their phone ready and waiting!

RhiWrites · 02/02/2018 12:16

Dreamy does it without innuendo.
OP does it but not where her daughter can see.
I do it while taking notes.

I love this thread.

Original poster
welliments · 02/02/2018 13:27

lemonshark

Yep, not allowed to say anything nowadays without the anti PC/professionally unoffended jumping on your back.

I don't know what the world is coming to nowadays.

OP posts:
raviolidreaming · 02/02/2018 13:46

Are they jumping on my back in a sexual way though?

TheGoldenBowl · 02/02/2018 14:50

No, I just disagree with you... not trying to keep up a dogged defence of an untenable position at all

Interesting. Of course disagreeing is allowed. But it's a bit odd to disagree with actual facts. It is (I think we cam now agree) a fact that the slogan derives from an old and hackneyed joke about sex. I think you've even admitted that.

So what are you disagreeing with? Is it just that you disagree with the idea that it's questionable to put said slogan on a child? Fair enough. But you can surely see why some of us think that's a bit inappropriate.

Why dig your heels in over that? It's certainly not controversial to say "I don't want smutty slogans plastered across my six year old." Which is essentially the objection OP was raising and which has, bizarrely, annoyed you to the extent that you need to keep arguing the toss.

furcoatnaeknickers · 02/02/2018 15:08

Yanbu
It’s totally tacky and inappropriate and I certainly wouldn’t let my dd wear it, yuck

BlueSapp · 02/02/2018 15:12

There is no double meaning when its a child's item, If it were a tight fitted skimpy woman's t-shirt I could see your point.

TheGoldenBowl · 02/02/2018 15:16

Uh oh - somebody hasn't rtft...There were lots of anecdotal and pictorial examples of wildly sexualized phrases/images on kids' clothing - even baby clothes!

ButterflyOnTheWindow · 02/02/2018 15:20

Their dogged defence of an untenable position is just awe-inspiring

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

DreamyMcDreamy · 02/02/2018 15:28

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

Yet again, nowhere have I said that I don't see there is a double meaning.

ButterflyOnTheWindow · 02/02/2018 15:30

There is no double meaning when its a child's item

The 'slogan has' a double meaning. It's been proven and evidenced and double proven. It doesn't matter how big the clothes are or who's wearing them. It's the 'slogan' that has a double meaning.
It has a double meaning on a car sticker, or a mug. It has a double meaning on a shopping bag or a fridge magnet or a beer mat. And yes, it has a double meaning on a child. That's why it's poor taste to put a smutty slogan on a child's jumper. The fact that it's on a child does not remove the smuttiness of the slogan.

It's like wading through toffee, this.

DreamyMcDreamy · 02/02/2018 15:31

Uh oh - somebody hasn't rtft...There were lots of anecdotal and pictorial examples of wildly sexualized phrases/images on kids' clothing - even baby clothes!

The wildly sexualised ones mentioned in the thread definitely aren't appropriate, surely no one would think they are.
Or indeed noone has said that they are suitable for kids.

DreamyMcDreamy · 02/02/2018 15:32

It's like wading through toffee, this.

You're right, it is. When people flat out refuse to see that sometimes, ust sometimes, there is a different viewpoint out there and theirs isn't always the only one.

AgainReally · 02/02/2018 15:33

Mumsnetters do it with venom surely!

No I would not put a child in any clothing which by style or slogan opened a way for someone to make an inappropriate remark to them.

So no, I wouldn’t put a child in that hoodie.

Eolian · 02/02/2018 15:35

There is no double meaning when its a child's item, If it were a tight fitted skimpy woman's t-shirt I could see your point.

That makes no sense whatsoever. The words have the same meanings and implications on whoever's t-shirt they happen to be.

ButterflyOnTheWindow · 02/02/2018 15:39

Yet again, nowhere have I said that I don't see there is a double meaning

But what you don't see, is that it's entirely inappropriate on a child's jumper. Nobody can make you see that if you don't want to see it.

DreamyMcDreamy · 02/02/2018 15:46

But what you don't see, is that it's entirely inappropriate on a child's jumper. Nobody can make you see that if you don't want to see it.

If it said "I wanna do it" with no context I'd take your point.
With dance,it just as easily means to dance. Which is probably why quite a few don't straight away think sexual things.
Which I explained upthread. The highlighted statement works both ways, at least I said there are two meanings, but you clearly don't want to see any other point of view.

WildWindsBlowing · 02/02/2018 15:50

Well it is a double entendre, using a pun. So it is easy to say it is perfectly innocent when it isn't really. The child won't understand, an adult will. It is creepy actually.

What's wrong with a plain, pretty pink sweat shirt.

Original poster
welliments · 02/02/2018 15:50

No one is saying you’re not allowed another viewpoint.

The point we are making to you is that it is widely accepted that this is a child’s jumper with a sexualised joke on it. You’ve accepted that yourself.

And that some, not all, people will know that.

And that because of that it’s not ok to have a child wear it.

But you think it is ok for a child to wear a jumper with a sexualised joke on it.

And you call other people dirty minded and a perv for pointing it out.

That’s what I have a problem with.

You’re totally entitled to your opinion. I think most people on here now think it’s a little bizarre and possibly a case of not wanting to admit that you might have got it wrong. But if you say it’s what you would do, put a child of 6 in a jumper which to many adults insinuates that she has sex with attitude, and you are happy with that. That’s fine, your call.

OP posts:
ButterflyOnTheWindow · 02/02/2018 15:53

With dance,it just as easily means to dance. Which is probably why quite a few don't straight away think sexual things

But most of us do. Which is why it's inappropriate.
I would think "Why on earth is that child wearing a smutty 80s slogan on her jumper?" Other people may think other things, some innocent, some less so. That's why I would not like to see a child
wearing it.

Original poster
welliments · 02/02/2018 15:55

dreamy

You are so all over the place with this.

You agree it has two meanings.

You say anyone who sees the sexualised one has their minds the gutter.

But you’d be happy to let your child wear it, knowing that there are people like me and others on here with our smutty, gutter minds seeing a child in a jumper suggesting they have sex with attitude.

It’s not a different viewpoint. It’s a contradictory load of blah to prevent you from having to admit that you don’t know what you’re on about.

OP posts:
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