Is it offensive or am I being silly?

[CocaColaaa]

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 😩

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

What does that mean? Is it not ok now for girls to be stereotypically girlie?

When (inevitably white people from privileged groups / countries) come on to threads like this and saying 'the professionally offended are out in force' / 'it's PC gone mad', I simply assume they're sheltered, uneducated, uninformed, haven't travelled beyond Benidorm, and probably don't read actual books.

OP - let your DD go as Tigerlily, after all, you will be blissfully ignorant as to the thoughts going through other people's heads, so it doesn't really matter.

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.

Sorry - you don't get to decide how much harm stereotypes of English upper classes causes. You just - don't.

you don't get to decide how much harm stereotypes of English upper classes causes

😂

Vodafone guy was a twat. I do find the See You Jimmy stereotypes somewhat offensive as I find the romanticised idea of Scotland that some people have somewhat offensive but even though I find it offensive it's still not going to cause nearly the same harm to me that the constant drip feed of Native American stereotypes has caused to Native American peoples.

@DonLikeaKipper
and in the not too distant past the Germans tried to wipe out most of Europe. However, we are grown up and don't regurgitate that ad nauseum do we. We get on with our lives, wear lederhosen if we like, they can dress up in whatever they like too...because we are grown up (so you too, please grow up and don't tell people to F off just because you think that's going to make any difference)

Yes, the English upper class are really struggling under the weight of their oppression aren't they?

Dear god - so my mixed race DS can’t dress as st George then? If he has to stick to his actual background he’d be completely stuffed on dress up day.

Little Black Sambo. Yes or no?

Yes, the English upper class are really struggling under the weight of their oppression aren't they?

That isn't for you to say though, is it? You don't know. All you can do is judge from your perspective. So don't make assumptions.

I don’t really know what that is. Baba Nowrooz?

@bertrandrussell - I am old enough to remember the tigers round and round the tree turning into butter.

I wonder if time = less resonance - Not Little black sambo - I think that one is way beyond that - but I don't even remember Tiger Lilly - well am aware Bob Geldof adopted his wife's daughter , but the time since I have read Peter Pan - Tiger Lilly has passed me by. Must read again. I was always more enchanted by the dog. ( Nana? ) - not a good outfit for school. No opposable thumbs .

I don't have to assume anything. The evidence is obvious.

That isn't for you to say though, is it? You don't know.

What are you on about. Of course we know.

I though tiger lily was the dog in Rupert the bear.

Dressing as Wendy might seem a bit boring, but there’s no chance you’re going to cause any offence dressing her as Wendy.

Ah she was the Chinese girl. No idea who the dog was the.

Isn't there a crocodile in Peter Pan?

It would be a great costume, and I don't think crocodiles would be offended.

What are you on about. Of course we know.

If you said that about a person of a different ethnicity they would laugh at you - you 'woke' you.

You don't know until you have walked a mile in their shoes. You are assuming.

Surely no one in their right minds could think for a second that the English upper classes are actually oppressed????

No one is saying your son has to stick to his background Lord, but some people are suggesting it is offensive to dress up as racist stereotypes.

Again how the hell is dresssing as St George(who wasn't English) at all equivalent to dressing as a crude and offensive stereotype of an entire ethnic group of people who cover numerous tribes and cultures? Just because Tiger Lily was a named character in a book doesn't mean that she's any less a Stereotype?

Yes, of course dressing as a stereotypical upper-class white Englishman is exactly equivalent to wearing a costume based on an offensive caricature of a Native American. Everything is exactly equivalent to everything else.

As for the apparent attempts at humour on this thread, comparing a Tiger Lilly costume to dressing as a dog or a fairy or a crocodile? Can people really not see that such posts are making light of a serious issue?

Look up the Dakota access pipeline protests. Native Americans are still being treated horribly by the government, so it's best not to encourage stereotypes that are only in place to dehumanize a marginalized group of people.

@Haffiana - the English upper class is the ruling class. The landed gentry. The land-owners, the Lords, the Earls. The Members of Parliament, the rule-makers, the power-brokers.

They are categorically not oppressed. It's not a matter of opinion.