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Original poster

Is it offensive or am I being silly?

999 replies

CocaColaaa · 02/03/2019 15:57

Just a quick one but NC for this as I guess its outing.

My childrens school are doing world book day and the “theme” is peter pan, its given some suggestions of characters you can dress up as and one is tigerlilly. I was thinking of chosing that one for DD as I hate all of the tinkerbell dresses but ive heard its offensive to dress up as certain things. Native americans being on of them. Is it offensive or am I being silly? Why oh why do they have to do themes and not just let people pick their favourite book characters 😩

OP posts:
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PickledLimes · 02/03/2019 17:21

Peere. How the hell is that remotely the same? Seriously? A business suit is not specific to one nation either, and is in no way equivalent to a crude, racist stereotype of a people who come from numerous tribes, cultures and traditions. And do you really think that grass skirts are all that Hawaiians wear?

NannyRed · 02/03/2019 17:21

Sorry if I’m being a naive bitch, but what is the difference between a white girl dressing as Tigerlilly and a black girl dressing as Wendy? Just dress as your favourite character and stop reading much into it.

Original poster
CocaColaaa · 02/03/2019 17:21

Shes very girly, she wouldnt want to dress as a lost boy or pirate. She just wouldnt 🤷‍♀️ We are not white but im not sure that makes a difference though. Wendy is just a night dress so I felt it was abit boring, dd isnt happy about the theme this year so ive been looking for outfits to show her. I noticed tigerlilly suggested on the news letter but remembered reading it was offensive to dress up as a native american so thought I would double check opinions.

OP posts:
StinkyCandle · 02/03/2019 17:22

the portrayal of stuffy and awkward English people is awfully racist in Peter Pan if you think about it...

PickledLimes · 02/03/2019 17:22

I'm just picking a business suit at random but an Indian man wearing a business suit is doing just that wearing a suit and not perpetuating an offensive and harmful stereotype.

BertrandRussell · 02/03/2019 17:22

For the avoidance of doubt, I do not think dressing a child up as Little Black Sambo would be appropriate.

Anyone on this thread prepared to say they’d do it?

Whereareyouspot · 02/03/2019 17:23

You’ve lost me with ‘she’s very girlie’

Limensoda · 02/03/2019 17:23

I'm Scottish, I don't find it offensive when people (of any race) dress up in a kilt and wear an orange wig 🤷 it's just a daft stereotype that's pretty ridiculous but funny

Pity there's not more like you. There was outrage when a manager at Vodafone dressed like that recently because some staff in Glasgow are being made redundant.
They claim he was taking the piss when in fact he was celebrating some staff winning a trip to Edinburgh. It was even mentioned in parliament.
World's gone mad

Haffiana · 02/03/2019 17:23

People need to understand how utterly offensive it is to fairies, all this dressing up and bells and wings and stereotypes like that. Just inappropriate and utterly thoughtless. How would you feel? FFS.

MitziK · 02/03/2019 17:24
  1. If it's free choice, most kids turn up in either a very expensive football kit or a generic Disney Princess outfit.
  1. It sounds almost intended to engage boys in the event more than usual. Which can't be a bad thing.
TinklyLittleLaugh · 02/03/2019 17:26

The Native Americans in Peter Pan are very much charicatures particularly in the film. I think it’s very much on a par with portraying Africans with a bone through the nose.

Is it okay because they are just characters in a story? I mean the pirates are not like real pirates are they? They are romantic exaggerations.

I think it’s a tricky one; I’m a bit on the fence. 15 years ago I dressed DD1 up as Tiger Lily but I’m not sure I’d do it now.

DoneLikeAKipper · 02/03/2019 17:27

So all those who find this offensive (unbelievable!) I assume then that you find Indians (from the sub-continent) dressing in European style clothes and people from Hawaii dressing in anything other than grass skirts etc etc

I’m out. Seriously, I can’t believe in this day and age that people are this uneducated when it comes to understanding the difference between perpetuating harmful stereotypes of cultures and just dressing in modern clothing, along with the idea that it’s ok to take from cultures that were destroyed for the very things that are now thought of as ‘fun bit of dress up’.

People across the world have had everything taken from them, oppressed, nearly wiped out for not conforming, and now should be grateful we want to copy some sick idea of their cultural? Fuck off.

PickledLimes · 02/03/2019 17:28

Are people seriously comparing fucking fairies who do not and never have existed with Native American people who do exist and who have been treated terribly, their numbers depleted, forced into reservations, removed from their families as children etc. WTF?

Original poster
CocaColaaa · 02/03/2019 17:29

I think im just going to go with it.
Pp are right everyone gets offended by something. DD not wanting to dress as a boy is offensive now Hmm she knows the lost boys are well... boys and that the pirates are all males. Shes 7, she wants to dress as one of the girls, some pp need to get a grip!

OP posts:
recrudescence · 02/03/2019 17:29

The crocodile community is very hot on cultural appropriation before anyone suggests going down that route.

StinkyCandle · 02/03/2019 17:29

You’ve lost me with ‘she’s very girlie’

here we go, girls are not allowed to be girlies nowadays for some.
let's be outraged and offended by girly girls too GrinGrinGrin

TacoLover · 02/03/2019 17:31

The portrayal of Native Americans in that film is horrifically racist, why would you want your child to replicate that?

This. Tiger Lily's character is literally just a stereotype. Her whole persona is based around racist stereotypes, which is why it's different to another character that just happens to be Native American.

c75kp0r · 02/03/2019 17:31

Limensoda. surely the Vodafone guy should have made the connection though? Any larking about by senior leaders during a restructure is very ill advised - and seeming to mock the nationality of the staff affected is truly gobsmacking.

peeree · 02/03/2019 17:31

and I don't think the idea of going as a dog is good. Dog owners are sure to get offended, as well as the dogs.

DotForShort · 02/03/2019 17:32

Really? After all that has been said on this thread about Tiger Lily being an offensive stereotype, you want your child to wear a costume based on this character? Wow.

SparkiePolastri · 02/03/2019 17:32

@Alsohuman - you say you agree with Bertrand, but Bertrand is saying the opposite of what you think she is saying.

Perhaps a quick re-read of her post might be in order.

PickledLimes · 02/03/2019 17:33

I don't care for any stereotypes but there's a huge gulf between the harm caused by Native American stereotypes and stereotypes of people from African nations and the stereotypes of the English middle and upper classes.

AllPizzasGreatAndSmall · 02/03/2019 17:34

I mean, you could go on all night. Either you join the circus of nonsense, or you ignore the stupidity.
Or you could educate yourself. As others have said, would people dress their children as a golliwog?

TroysMammy · 02/03/2019 17:36

Could she wear a frilly hat, a dog nose and a tail? What about a crocodile?

PickledLimes · 02/03/2019 17:37

This thread just keeps getting more and more offensive. Dogs are equivalent to Native American people now.