To want heads on platters? Utterly inappropriate school assembly

[Renarde1975]

This is a fucking corker. I am fuming but I'd like the hive minds' view.

At DS assembly today. Topic is 'Evacuation: WW2'. All good. Actually, they've done a great job and it's really excellent. Then this.

Towards the end, Christine Aguilera's 'Candyman' comes on. I'm watching open mouthed. I still cannot believe it.

MN: let me refresh you on the 'choicest' lyrics.

He's a one stop shop, makes the panties drop

He took me to the Spider club on Hollywood and Vine
We drank champagne, and we danced all night

He's a one stop shop, makes my cherry pop

And no, MN - this was NOT the radio edit.

And then to cap it all off for some inexplicable reason we are treated to two renditions of Don't Stop Believin' by Journey

A singer in a smoky room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on, and on, and on

WTAF? Did I smoke crack this morning and enter into a parallel dimension? I am a teacher, that another member of my profession could fuck up so royally is just, wow.

I don't want my nine year old son to be singing this in a school assembly, or listening to words that objectify women and glorify alcohol. Turns out the kids were practicing the dance moves to Candyman for three weeks!

Renarde1975, exactly! I am 40 but and I am certainly not 'Conservative' but in my mind, schools that provide a good education take you out of your comfort zone and tap in to the natural curiosity of children. Surely, this could be embraced by exposing them to different types of music. Choosing a song or composition is not about lack of budget so it's perfectly possible to make those choices in a state school.

Yes, I remember pop songs at age 9 but they were certainly not used in my school.

On hand we have people complaining about mysogynistic attitudes, and on the other hand we are normalising vocabulary which demeans women and girls. There is a link, I think, and it's not good enough to say that the children aren't listening or understanding. Subliminal messages get through...

^THIS

I teach in a heavily male dominated subject. A Level Physics. There is always some drive or other to get girls into the subject. But we then bombard them with messages in song lyrics.

It's all going into their heads!

The lyrics to Greased Lightening went totally over the head of me, aged 12. Just saying.

@Renarde1975

It gets worse...

You make me tremble when your hand moves lower
You taste a little then you swallow slower
Nature has a way of yielding treasure
Pleasure made for you, oh

Get in the middle of a chain reaction
You get a medal when you're lost in action
I want to get your love all ready for the sweet sensation
Instant radiation
You let me hold you for the first explosion
We get a picture of our love in motion
My arms will cover, my lips will smother you
With no more left to say

Pure unadulterated filth, I tell ye.

@pallisers

*trying to get my head around professormoody - a teacher who would laugh derisively at a parent who objected to a 9 year old singing lyrics like

He's a one stop shop, makes the panties drop*

Only he didn't sing it.

Totally agree Golden

liver

There you go you see! I never took that on board that he was noshing her off!

I'm pretty relaxed but I wouldn't be too thrilled with "Candy Man". There's always one child who will get it. And tell the rest, although I'd probably judge inwardly! I have no issue with "Don't Stop Believin'".

My real gripe would be disappointment that they didn't use war time tunes/40s music. Takes 10 secs to say what it is & why it's relevant. I would have thought "Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye" and "We'll meet again" were more appropriate. And there's lots of great, catchy songs from the era!

Wasn't the candy man song used in Willy Wonka in the sweetshop scene? Or is this a different one?

Vera Lynn's "We'll meet again" is a bit more appropriate as a WWII evacuation song.

Totally inappropriate and very poor judgement by the teacher. There are hundreds of other songs they could have selected. I think heads on platters is too much but I would definitely complain to the school. I also agree with pp that accepting these kinds of messages has a cumulative effect on our kids.

As others have said - there is so much great music out there from the forties!

worried I dont know - you mean the Depp one?

@worriedauntie- It's a different, PG Candyman . Although he does promise kids that they can even eat the dishes. HEALTH AND SAFETY!! What if a kids tries to bite a plate!!!

But why not go for "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"? Same style of music, actually WWII and quite a fun story if you do listen to the lyrics.

Well quite!

This would be my main objection. If they are doing a WW11 topic then they should have chosen authentically 1940s music not some modern pop that sounds "a bit like"

God is this what happens when your children reach school age?If that's the case I don't want my DD to grow up! Being so offended about everything and to be "fuming" about a song and so bloody over the top is ridiculous. Chill the fuck out. And I've only read 1 page. Is he going to remember that song or anything about that assembly in a months time? No. Is it going to colour his future views on women or impact his life in general? No. Seriously is it just some parents this over the top or are teachers like it too now?! I'd hate my DD to be around anyone making this much of a mountain out of a molehill.

At my daughter's 10th bday party they were all rapping along to Nodal Yellow by CardiB...they googled it themselves....yabu.

I think you're massively overreacting.

Bodac yellow even!

I agree with you OP, I also think both songs are a really weird choice for an assembly on evacuation. There are plenty of actually relevant WWII songs they could sing that aren’t borderline inappropriate.

As for kids singing Timber (twerking in their bras and thongs) I mean really?? I would absolutley complain.

I'm with you. I was made to sing Every Breath You Take in school assemblies because the headmaster was a big fan of The Police. I always thought it was creepy and my mum was always a bit tight-lipped about us singing it. Turns out it's about a stalker... go figure.

It's a bit crap when they could have used some actual music of the era.

Just tacky and lacking imagination and effort imo.

perfectly Oh agree, that is such a weird song.

I did dancing at age 6-10 and when I was around 8 we did a show and our song was Candy man. Its an upbeat song very easy to make a dance routine to.

Over reacting in its finest form

It's a bit crap when they could have used some actual music of the era.

Exactly. It just suggests really dumbed down expectations of the kids. School is supposed to be about broadening their horizons and introducing them to something new that they are unlikely to encounter outside the classroom, not just reiterating bland numbers from the charts.

I would be disappointed with this.

One I did a double take on your post because I was wondering if you were 12 or something. It was released in 2006! Fuck me. How time flies.