Lovehoney calling open crotch knickers "schoolgirl"?

[Mxflamingnoravera]

Was I BU to submit a review to Lovehoney for the name of this product on their site. (Schoolgirl open back knickers) .
I've called them out on this in their review section.
Just appalling that a site like that which is for adults would use such a term. It's the last time I buy anything from them.

Loads and loads of men do fancy secondary age girls though.

Interesting that that fact is kind of being swerved.

It's disgusting. Schoolgirl fetishwear encourages paedophilia. How can anyone think it's acceptable? I can only think that the reason women on here are supporting it are because they were the lucky ones who didn't spend their teens getting constantly hit on and worse by teachers and middle aged men. Thanks to this kind of dross, an early developer in uniform is basically seen as a walking sex toy by a significant proportion of men. I can tell you those teenage years were hell, and have scarred me well into middle age. You are pandering to abusers and making paedophilia acceptable.

@Boeufsurletoit

It's disgusting. Schoolgirl fetishwear encourages paedophilia. How can anyone think it's acceptable? I can only think that the reason women on here are supporting it are because they were the lucky ones who didn't spend their teens getting constantly hit on and worse by teachers and middle aged men. Thanks to this kind of dross, an early developer in uniform is basically seen as a walking sex toy by a significant proportion of men. I can tell you those teenage years were hell, and have scarred me well into middle age. You are pandering to abusers and making paedophilia acceptable.

Well said.

@Rosebel why do you think they find that particular uniform a turn on though?

I won’t answer the comparison to a costume of a rabbit that doesn’t exist because I refuse to believe there are people in the world that are that stupid.

No, they're indulging in a shared child sex abuse fetish.

That assumes the women tells her partner that the knickers are 'school girl'. There is nothing on them to suggest that is what they are.

Is this part of a bigger plot for women to indulge in these fantasies without their partner knowing?

That assumes the women tells her partner that the knickers are 'school girl'. There is nothing on them to suggest that is what they are.

In which case there's absolutely no need for lovehoney to describe them as such, is there? If they're just weird tartan knickers then don't give them a name which sexualises kids.

Although thinking about it a school girl could be 18, nearly 19 so not really a child. I don't know, a lot of people have fantasies don't they?
I don't see it as wanting sex with a child. Putting on a school uniform or schoolgirl underwear doesn't suddenly turn you in to a child.

YANBU as this just feeds the idea that’s it’s ok to like “school girls” under the guise of them being (borderline) legal.

I don't see it as wanting sex with a child. Putting on a school uniform or schoolgirl underwear doesn't suddenly turn you in to a child

Wearing school uniform is associated with childhood though..... no one wears school uniform in their day to day life. It’s only for dressing up.

It’s an unconscious message. School children are innocent - why do people get off on having sex with someone associated with innocence.....

So what is the fantasy exactly then @Rosebel if it isn’t to have sex with a schoolgirl? If you didn’t want to have sec with a schoolgirl, you wouldn’t any someone to dress up like one surely? Putting on the uniform doesn’t turn you into a child no but it gives the illusion you are one. So again, why would you want your partner to dress up to look like a schoolgirl? I’m not sure how it can be put much more plainly for you.

Anyway, it’s by-the-by what distasteful fantasies people have, Love Honey directly attributed this product to children under the age of consent by naming them what they did.

Lovehoney today

"Thank you again for your comments, we really do value your feedback about this.

This is has been passed on and is being looked into at the highest level as a priority.

Changes such as this do take time however I will be back in contact once a decision has been made.

Thanks once again for bringing your concerns to our attention."

I'll keep you posted.

Well done OP. Again I am a bit flummoxed there are people disagreeing with you here.

well done op!

This'll be one of the many things that people will look back at like

Sounds vaguely positive OP

OP, that's a really good communication you have from them. As to whether they make a change will probably come down to sales as I know sites like this will often try the same product with different names and see which one sells best. But at least they are going to consider things and get back to you with a decision. Much better then just being given a standard letter response.

rosebel

It's two consenting adults who I doubt are taking it seriously.

You're right. I'm sure people think it's a laugh to dress up as schoolgirls to have sex. But that's exactly what the problem is. It's seen as normal, light hearted fun to act out child abuse. That is precisely how awful things are perpetuated in society by people telling each other and believing it's just banter, it's just a laugh, it's people choosing something in private so what's the harm, it's for sale in high street shops so it's fine etc etc.

But acting out child abuse is NOT fine. At all. Ever. Even if your friends are doing it for a laugh and they both consent, even if you saw the costume in the shop window.

rosebel

I don't know, a lot of people have fantasies don't they?

Yes of course a lot of people have sexual fantasies. Probably everybody in the world. And it's likely that a lot of people (men and women) have fantasies about schoolgirl sex too. It's likely they do because the idea is out there in the world. It's in films and books and TV and videos and it's sold in shops and everybody is exposed to it.

The thing is though, nobody HAS to act out their fantasies. They really don't. Just like an urge to drink a whole bottle of gin. It passes through your head and if you are an adult who is in charge of yourself you tell yourself that would be a really bad idea and you don't do it.

Where does the idea come from that acting out every fantasy is a good idea? Even if it's two consenting adults doing it in private it's still harmful. As a woman it's messing with your head even if you don't realise it because YOU were once a school girl and being seduced by an adult man would have been damaging to you. It's also really harmful more generally because it just perpetuates the idea that really it's all a big laugh. Just men satisfying their natural urges.

You really need to connect what you do with what you actually feel and believe.

Loads of men are attracted to post pubescent but still young girls - I mean that's not exactly a surprise to anyone is it.

That's where it comes from. And why it is dodgy.

There are I'm sure people who do it for other reasons but bottom line (pardon the pun considering these pants) is that the sexy schoolgirl trope exists because a large number of men are attracted to girls that age (as well as older girls and women).

The consenting adults/harm thing is an interesting conversation but aside from the thread

Which is about a mainstream retailer of sex stuff calling a pair of tartan knickers with no back 'schoolgirl'.

Well said, EvaHoffmann.
At best it's trivialising child sex abuse. No one halfway decent does that.

The point that actual schoolgirls would quite possibly Google this, or schoolgirl xyz other clothes, and get confronted with all this is another point.

The answer to that is that all children must be magically protected by their parents and even though we know lots aren't and etc, well whatever just doesn't wash.

This goes beyond this garment of course. But in general. I think it would be useful if the main search engines bunged in some algorithms to say, only bring up the X rated stuff if the person is actually putting relevant terms in.

That could be done. If course it would be seen as out of line because.... Reasons.

I got a new phone and tried to search hamster for DD on a crowded tube. Mis-spelt it. So it gave me what popularity thought I wanted. Erm that was embarrassing to say the least

My point is. That mis-spelling hamster should not bring up porn unless the word porn or sex or fucking or whatever is there as well.

This retailer should not call a backless pair of pants schoolgirl knickers. Because a. It's grim and b. Girls starting secondary school might end up confronted with that in an innocent search.

Yes the internet is mostly used for porn.

But it's ubiquitous. And there are ways of making it just a little bit less grim.

Sorry. Long.

Yanbu so irresponsible.

This retailer should not call a backless pair of pants schoolgirl knickers. Because a. It's grim and b. Girls starting secondary school might end up confronted with that in an innocent search.

Yes and some of these school girls will think that society expects them to wear those knickers.

It gets worse, sorry for drip feeding, I do not know why I did not do this before but today I ran a search for "schoolgirl" in lovehoney's search bar. 28 products came up ranging from mini skirts to knee socks, wet look "schoolgirl" bustiers and open crotch knickers. I ran a similar search for "schoolboy" guess how many products were returned?

ZERO a big fat nothing. What a surprise. No open backed boy pants, no super short shorts, no choir boy outfits. Why is this do you suppose? Do women not fantasize and role play sex with schoolboys? (I doubt many do...) Perhaps these things appear on gay sex toy sites... but I also know that gay men have faught hard (and quite rightly) to address the misconception that their sexuality involves sex with young boys. Why then do we find it ok to sexualise young girls?

I have written to them again today to ask them to think about their corporate social responsibility and their position as one of the leading retailer of sex toys. They could use this as an opportunity to show they really are the leaders in promoting healthy sexuality rather than peddling products which reinforce damaging stereotypes of young girls as being fair game and sexual obects.

I am cross that I left it until today to do this simple search.

I'm going to email them too.
I'm glad that there aren't any gross "sexy choirboy" outfits...but why is it okay to sexualize underage girls