Friends have put a pole up in the middle of their living room.....

[FieldsOf]

Two friends of mine, who are married and in their mid 30's. Let's call them Tom and Ann. One DS.

Ann's been getting into pole dancing recently. So last month Tom put a fixed pole up right in the middle of the living room. She 'practises' on it and they've had a few 'Pole parties' where other female friends come over and all have a go. Tom and all the other husband's love it and will just sit there while their 'amazing' wives are 'exercising' while they sit their toasting each other with their beer

To be clear, it's a proper, fixed, permanent pole, that runs from the floor and attached to the ceiling. House is a small two bed semi. Living room normal size for that kind of house, ie - not extended and now there's just enough room for the corner sofa and TV.

Anyway this morning I get a text from Ann saying their DS, who's walking and bolting around now, ran into the pole and was in A&E all night! She sent me a photo and he has a massive golf ball size lump on his forehead, with lots of bruising already.
She told the doctor he hit it on the doorframe.

They are 'okay' parents but generally seem to want to change very little in their lives since DS came along.
Tbh this friendship has been on its way out for a long time on my behalf anyway, this is the cherry on the cake.

AIBU to say this is:

• Incredibly selfish
• Dangerous
• Dishonest
• Bit weird
• Generally just pretty grim?

• letching

@Breathlessness It was declared an official sport in 2006.
So yeah... Sport.

As someone who teaches pole dancing and has a pole in their living room, and two kids who know very full well what I do... you’re not only being unreasonable but such a judgemental nosey fucker!!!

Pole dancing does amazing things for my students physical and mental health. It is empowering. Pole dance itself takes on many forms , it can be artistic, exotic, athletic...

As for the child walking into the pole that’s just a sheer accident ffs

Beach volleyball is also a sport.

It is however perpetually associated with stripping and the sex industry.

Only in your head and a few others, not for the rest of us, as said, I know a pole fitness instructor, and that's what it is, fitness, and she's 100 percent the fittest woman I know, her muscle definition is astonishing. Hanging by your thighs and doing upside down sit ups I can assure you is no mean feat.

was the pole dirty?

No, just the men sitting around with their beers with semis, filing images in the wank bank while the wives presumably competed to be best fake stripper.

Imagine if the poor kid woke up.and came downstairs in the middle of this for comfort from mummy or daddy. Holy fk they'll be on here in a few yrs on the stately homes thread or the "patents' inappropriate sexualised behaviour" thread the other day.

@Breathlessness I feel like I'm missing your point? Yes... it is, an Olympic sport? That attracts spectators. You've lost me sorry.

Only in your head and a few others

Are you usually delusional?

No, just the men sitting around with their beers with semis, filing images in the wank bank while the wives presumably competed to be best fake stripper

Jesus.

I was coming back to say that @MySonIsAlsoNamedBort

It is just another form of calisthenics. I know a few freerunners who are regulars in local pole classes.

@DarlingBuds19 think the only dirty thing is your mind and the hilarious images it's conjuring up? Let me guess... all the lighting is red? Thanks for the laugh.

I like to run but I don’t have a treadmill attached to my ceiling.

No-one does.

Yes... it is, an Olympic sport?

It’s going that way.

Ironically I’m not a supporter of that. I’m not here to compete, I’m here to teach people to dance and/or hang on a pole for fitness.

I know someone whose husband built her a maypole. The folk loric implications of that are extremely frisky I understand.

Mind you, it was hinged at the bas so she could collapse it and she kept it behind the bookcase in her classroom rather than in her sitting room.

@AutoAnswer I was referring to the random mention of beach volleyball being a sport.

I think it would be a shame if pole dancing became a sport because I think a great part of it is the freedom to be inventive and inject your personality into it, putting rigid rules on it and making it an Olympic sport wouldn't be good IMO :)

All these comments, how many of you have a bloody pole to practice dancing in your livingroom?

Meh.

Ballet is fantastic exercise. I don't have a ballet barre in my living room. Some people do, I don't, because I don't do ballet.
Swimming is fantastic exercise. ?I don't have a swimming pool at my house. Some people do, but I go to the public baths.
Shot put is also good exercise - I don't have a shotput net either, despite this, because they are too bloody big. I doubt many people do.

Pole dancing- - also good exercise. I don't have a pole as I don't happen to do it, but if people do do it regularly I don't see why they shouldn't have one.

The blokes all sitting around watching them practise is a little unusual, I grant you. But since you have never been there, I am unsure how you are certain they are all sat there with their beers watching...

Bookmarking
Bringing everyone out in force today 😂

Do they have a fashionable dog?

I have a fashionable dog, but I only wish I could pole dance.

Tom and all the other husband's love it and will just sit there while their 'amazing' wives are 'exercising' while they sit their toasting each other with their beer

I’d put money on it Tom and his pals don’t give a shit what their wives are attempting.

Became an *olympic sport

You're being a snob. She doesn't need friends like you.

I use to go to pole dancing lessons for exercise was great fun. I don't think I'd have a pole in the living room but in a spare room why not!

Bloody odd to have one up in the front room, but I'm only here for the comments.

Look. There is a very obvious differene between what pole work is and the less salubrious take on it!

It's all very well MNers doing the "Ooh, there's nothing wrong with it and if you say there is it is cos you are a Neanderthal"

Truth is, beyond these hallowed and uber-liberal femme walls pole work IS still considered wank fodder by many and it IS odd to have a pole party that men sit round and watch.

The men watching with beers are MERELY APPRECIATING their wives’ DEDICATION TO FITNESS, you prudish mean witches.

Why, just the other day I bolted one of those new fancy Peloton exercise bikes to the floor in my living room so that my Nigel and his mates could gather round to watch me and the girls pedal.