Skinny dip gone too far? Or spot on? You decide

[rocketgirl22]

Following another thread,

Call me old fashioned and may be I am I freely admit abit of an old prude - I blame my strict girls school. My dd just turned 12 was given this wonderful gift for her birthday.

www.skinnydiplondon.com/search?q=f*ck+it

All of her friends have been into skinny dip from top shop since they were 10 years old and upwards and the market is largely aimed at pre teen/early teens so why this??

The phone cover just takes the bloody biscuit!

Would you send your child out with this tat?

We were stunned when she opened it, and it was passed around. Granny spat out her tea and visibly blanched, my youngest sniggered having added that to her growing vocabulary that day.
Later we spent an agonising twenty minutes trying to find the right words for the thank you cards.

How is this ever acceptable??

And why haven't the daily mail picked up on this very useful piece of evidence that britain has indeed reached sewer level (they are never there when we actually need them!)

And er, no I am not giving it to charity! It would give the lovely old ladies that work in there a heart attack.

Am I the only one who opened this thread and thought it was going to be about swimming?!!!

Why don't you take it back to the shop and swap it for something more suitable...or is all their stuff like this?

I would take it back to Top Shop and try and exchange it. And probably make a song and dance about it.

Did anyone else open the thread expecting it to be a thread about skinny dipping?

Given the amount of swearing on mumsnet (which far exceeds what I meet with in real life) I'm quite surprised at the strength of reaction here.

No balance I thought it was about swimming too

I'm no stranger to swearing but I would be having serious words with my 21 YO if he felt the need to walk around with swear words printed on clothing or gadgetry that was visible to all and sundry.

I can't imagine why anyone thinks this sort of thing is necessary for an adult never mind a 12 year old.

Bunbunny

Sorry to disappoint! but my life just isn't that interesting sadly!!

I haven’t bought from French Connection since they started their FCUK logo, it’s so juvenile I can’t give them my money (I know they don’t care). I used to love French Connection in the 80’s. I dropped Benneton over their silly shocking adverts too (do they even exist now?).

Apologies, I misread that you had put it in the charity bag.
Just take it back so your daughter still has something and the friend's money isn't wasted.
All I was doing was pointing out that Topshop's target market is not pre-teens. It just isn't geared towards teenagers. I have no hidden agenda lol. My children won't be sporting sweary accessories, either.

Thanks to a post here naming no names ReanimatedSGB I am wondering if they will do a new range of catsbumface

We could all buy it then

Just NO.

And we wonder why girls are growing up to quickly in western society. It is a ridiculous gift for a child.

Ah yes, looking terribly mature by using swear words. Childish as.

Bin and tell the giver that they need to grow up.

I am nowhere near offended by swearing, but i would never buy this for anyone let alone a 12 yr old

I'm offended by swearing, I feel like I'm in the minority though nowadays. I wouldn't dream of using the F word in everyday conversation. I actually cringe when I hear excessive swearing in public. I remember taking my son to a kids play centre years ago and one of the members of staff had a t-shirt on saying Fuck It in huge capital letters, I never went back again. Thankfully, I'm surrounded by non swearing folk because it upsets my soul, but everyone's different, for some people it's no big deal.

It isn't about being a prude, it's just not nice. This isn't appropriate for any one at any age. It's unimaginative and boring as well.

Wow, massivley inappropriate for a 12 year old. I am under no illusion my 12 yo knows swear words and probably uses them with friends. however they are under strict orders never to swear infront of or to adults or young children. And so far they haven't.

Never in a million years would I buy that for someone elses 12 years old dd. I wouldn't buy it for someone elses 16 year old etiher! Its just plain inappropriate.

Not helpful, but I quite like the ‘flying fuck’ case.

Have to go against the grain a bit here. I'm fairly relaxed about swearing and while I try not to, the kids have sometimes heard me. I've noticed that 12yo DS will now stop himself saying fuck in front of me, because he clearly does with friends, which I think is normal. He also reads things that will occasionally have swearing in, including perfectly mainstream journalism etc. We discuss it and he knows you can't say it in front of teachers etc. I'd rather that than have us all pretending he's still unaware of it.

So with this I'd probably have a comedy "shocked" reaction and let it go. Otherwise you're making out that it's not part of a 12yos world and that's surely not the case for most of them.

The FCUK thing came to my mind too - it was shocking at the time, because though it was very clever, obviously the average person sees/reads it as fuck. But then within a few weeks it was just meh.

Really, by 12 I think that ship has sailed and making a fuss will just make you look a bit clueless. Realise I'm in a tiny minority though!

I also think SkinnyDip as a name sends out an inappropriate message to pre-teen girls, not relating to naked swimming but the underlying implication that skinny is good.

Things like this make me feel ancient. It's just so puerile and ugh. I'm coming over all Ann Widdecombe . Help me.

The thing about swearing is that there is a shock factor attached that is designed to shock. The word fuck describes sex and to see those words anywhere near a kids person, to me, is so very wrong.

On a personal level...I think swearing, when done well, is imaginative, very funny and effective but around those who condone it. Which is why I agree with Pictish that flying fuck amuses me though I am not sure I would carry it around in public. For an older generation the word fuck has a weight to it that younger people aren't aware of. Its disrespectful.
Mind you, you want to hear my 80 year old mum kick off with the f word when she needs to make a point.

I also don't think sweary products are terrible or unimaginative. They can be funny. I saw a lovely Victorian-style sampler somewhere that spelled out "Fuck This Shit" - made me laugh (not because swearing itself is hilarious, but the commentary on stuff women are expected to do). Plenty of evidence that swearers are not less imaginative and don't have reduced vocab, but actually the reverse.