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 😩

peeree I wasn’t telling you or anyone specifically to fuck off, just the idea that we, - as one of many countries that systematically destroyed many other people and cultures - can now dictate what we can take from those cultures, and it’s ‘a-ok’ for whatever pathetic reason people tell themselves it’s ok for. Especially things that are gross stereotypes, such as the representation of Native Americans in Peter Pan.

Agree with others that a costume that is a specific character from history or literature (for example Tigerlilly or Pocahontas) is probably preferable to dressing up as a generic person from another culture. Their culture is not your costume As an adult I personally wouldn’t dress up as Pocohontas or Tigerlily but I wouldn’t prevent a child from doing so. However others have said the depiction of all the Native Americans in Peter Pan is unpleasant (I’ve not read it) and so probably best avoided!

How about Mrs Darling, if she doesn’t want to be a male character? There are plenty of Edwardian costumes around, or you could probably make it fairly easily

Well you could start with the whitewashing of st George. And tiger lily isn’t a Native American name anyway so it’s a bit of a mix up.

It's cultural appropriation.

Peeree. The oppression of Native American people is still ongoing. It is still very much an issue.

It's kids dressing up. There's really no need to over think.

Under thinking, on the other hand, is just fine.

“It's kids dressing up. There's really no need to over think.”

So. Little Black Sambo?

Wasn’t St George from Palestine? So presumably he was Middle Eastern in appearance rather than white?

I am genuinely curious to know how many people here would allow their child to go to school dressed as Little Black Sambo although considering the way the thread is going I wouldn't surprised if there's quite a few people.

I believe the character of the strapping English saint is an amalgamation of a few men - isn’t one from Armenia?

The whole point of dress up is just that - dress up!

Surely you should be more offendedthat more people wanted to dress up as you .

It goes for any perceived 'offensive behaviour', it's the intent behind the act not the act itself. Otherwise it's just behaviour.

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.

I thought we were talking about the offensiveness of stereotyping?

Which incidentally you have just done - the upper class isn't necessarily ruling anyone, and many of them have no money. I think if you look at a list of the UK's richest, you would find most of them are not upper class. Nor are most members of parliament.

Stereotypes and lazy assumptions. Prejudice.

*Surely you should be more offended that more people didn't want to dress up as you .

You know what I mean lol

Ok my other comment was abit snappy as the other poster annoyed me. DD is very girlie not sure how else to describe it that doesnt offend she likes pink, barbie, princesses, she wouldnt want to dress as a boy. Like I said I dont want to offend which is why I asked. Im not sure why the school put it as a suggestion in the newsletter then if its offensive?

@PickledLimes (or may I call you Amy?) i’ve been asking about Little Black Sambo since the beginning of the thread- no response.

Were there any lost girls? It’s been a long time since I read the book!

DotForShort I' m not attempting humour, I'm offering an alternative costume. I'm not getting dragged into the why and wherefores and rights and wrongs of children dressing up as certain characters for WBD.

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

No, it had nothing to do with the restructuring or job losses. It was totally separate. The guy may now lose his job because he was celebrating staff from another area winning a trip to Edinburgh and someone decided he was taking the piss of people in the Glasgow office.

I have gone as Pocahontas for world book day before, being honest I didnt think about it being inappropriate :/. Could she go as Wendy?

Sorry, Bertrand, Amy is fine,I was so busy seething that I hadn't noticed. Apologies. It seems that we aren't going to get an answer but then considering how this thread is going I wouldn't be at all surprised if some would allow it.

There’s no Lost Girls in Peter Pan, only Lost Boys.

The only female characters are Wendy, Tinker bell, Tiger Lily, Mrs Darling and Nana the dog.

The upper classes(as a class) still have great privilege in this country. I do not see how that can possibly be denied. They have first bite of the cherry in practically every field.

Of course the whole background to Peter Pan is about children who don’t get to grow up.... utterly heartbreaking when you actually think it through. So with that in mind it’s a strange book for a school to choose!

“was so busy seething that I hadn't noticed. Apologies”

No need for apologies- the more of us make the point the better!