- A Genuine AIBU?

[Mintyy]

I have thought and thought about this, canvassed one or two rl opinions and tried to step back from my instincts and look at the issue objectively - but still I can't honestly say if ibu or not. So, Mumsnetters, I ask:

AIBU to write a letter to my dc primary school outlining my strong objections to male members of staff dressing up in drag complete with enormous false bosoms (balloons) at for eg., the Christmas parties and last nights talent contest?

The character last night was meant to be "Jordan" and there was this man dressed in pink, baseball cap on, long dark wig, and two fucking balloons stuffed up his shirt.

AIBU to think this is sexist/cheap/ nasty/tacky and just thoroughly yuk at a primary school event?

Or am I an old fogey?

YANBU. I reckon drag in itself is fine- like panto, and that's considered Family Entertainment, and probably a hoot for little kids if they see a teacher doing it.

This sounds like some weird sexist glamour drag tho, and a bit...rugby club?

I'd write a snotty letter, I would.

But then I quite like w.s.ls these days-must be me age.

He thought he was being oh so wacky and achieved tacky instead.

No, I personally wouldn't write a letter of complaint but just spend time trying to repress the image. Yuk.

Could you ask a female teacher to dress as a bloke, shove three pairs of socks down her trousers and thrust them about for all to see?

That would be a hoot.

Fine at a carnival/fete,
Tacky at a primary school.

i wonder if it would have caused the same feelings if female teacher had dressed up as a busty female judge?

i really do think its just been a bit of daft harmless fun - just look at cheryl cole and danni minogue next time a talent show is on, its 'art' imitating life, and he will have thought it was funny im sure - did the kids laugh? did he do it for laughs? or does he just wear false knockers on a normal school day? (at least his wig wasnt blonde - lol)it wouldnt have got the same reaction if he had dressed as simon cowell would it!

i guess i just really do think there are so many other things wrong with our education system that this pales into insignificance in the great scheme of things. it was just done for laughs and its a little bit of an over reaction though very politically correct i'm sure.

how old are DC? look back in 10 years and ask if you still think this is something worth complaining about.
(and i'm sure your not an old fogey but i do think YAB a little U but i can see opinion is divided!)

how do the other parents feel? how would they feel if you stopped this type of daftness for all the other kids who might find it funny for plays/xmas concerts etc. i really cant see the harm it did. if you really don't like it you could always say your children are not participating/watching anything where men dress up as women.

but i bet the kids like that teacher.

Yes I found it bizarre too, along with sexist/tacky etc.

I want to point out to someone at the school that I found it distasteful. Obviously I can't speak for the other parents, except for one other person I was hanging out with at the concert, who agreed with me - and he is male, and a Governor at the school - but it seems I shouldn't do that incase I come across as a loon.

I was genuinely lolling. It sound sbizarre. I would feel uncomfortable, I think. I wouldn't complain, though. I'd laugh a lot and talk about it a lot and say how strange it was.

Wondered if it was maybe some private school/spotted dick/seargent major type habit that was foreign to me. Obviously not.

Why do you ask pointy? Are you genuinely lolling or ironically lolling.

Large south London state primary.

The teacher concerned is a middle aged black man.

lolol - what sort of school is this?

I do think it's a bit odd, especially without a reason for it (don't know if that makes sense...but say if they were all dressing up, not that it's more excusable but different)

I don't know. Not sure I would write about it. Only because I tend to feel that letters written to the school shouldn't be about stuff like that (more about education or treatment of the children) but actually don't know why I feel that way and I think if you feel strongly enough about it, of course you should write.

I think you need to think what it would achieve. Are they very young blokes doing this? Is it perhaps just a bit of immaturity?

its ok minty - i resisted.

(with great difficulty)

Yanbu its distasteful and inappropriate

Hmm thats interesting pickyvic. Didn't even occur to me to look at it like that. The teacher was parodying Jordan and others of her type, and that in itself is better than having her held up as any kind of role model.

I'm terribly sorry that your primary school have done something so bad you'd want to firebomb it .

so do i risk this or not....

cos i think in all honesty there must be far far worse things to get steamed up about - i actually wanted to firebomb my sons primary school but i can assure you it wasnt because a male teacher donned a wig and fake boobs cos he thought it was funny....

he was obviously trying to parody the judges on shows like X factor - all tits and teeth. so is it ok in real life but not allowed to be parodied? id rather my kids see someone take the piss out of Jordan than hold her up as some kind of role model yummy mummy.

just my opinion. please dont jump on my head.

I wouldn't mind the teacher in drag at all (as described in OP).
I was, however, quite disturbed by the "Teacher in stocks with children throwing water filled sponges at him" that we had at the School Fete today. I wouldn't write a letter about that, though.

YABU. I love to see teachers dressed up as women. Teaching is well known as a very camp/drag profession. Especially in private schools. That's why I prefer home schooling, although I occasionally dress up as Gary Linekar to entertain my children at home talent shows...

YANBU and Merrylegs has explained why, so I won't do so again

YANBU

Being 'Jordan' is a bit distasteful in a primary school.

YANBU it feels all wrong for lots of reasons.

But I think it would be hard to put together a letter explaining why it's all wrong without sounding like a bit of a loon. There are so many reasons but each by itself sound a little trivial if you're not of that way of thinking, but all things taken together it is definitely nasty. For me the idea that it's basically taking the piss out of the (albeit ridiculously enhanced) female form is nasty.

Dames I would have no issue with, but can't really see the point in the random Jordan.

Not worth writing about though.

old fogey

I think you are over-analysing this!

Bump for evening crowd.

So far (I think):

Old fogey = 5

Notbu = 9

But letter writing v definitely frowned on.
So am I supposed to seethe quietly?

I wish to express my feelings everybody. Do I really have to zip up and put up?

YANBU

Its not nice. I wouldnt like it. I am not sure a letter would be in order though. I think plenty of parents wouldnt mind and the kids wouldnt make the sexist/porn type connections.

That other one (the rival of Ms Price, her name escapes me) visited the ward where DD was once. The ward was for little ones up to 12 and I thought it was vile that she visited and I certainly didnt want her near my kid

Its not that I thought she was evil, I didnt think that a porn star visiting a children's ward was that appropriate s'all.

So YANBU for thinking it is rubbish. But I wouldnt bother with a letter because you will get looked at all

I agree with you that this is not appropriate behaviour for all sorts of reasons.

However, I think if you complain you will probably just get branded as a member of the 'pc gorn maaaad brigade' or something.

It depends how strongly you feel about it really. I suppose if they were dressing up as some other kind of 'comedy' stereotype (a racial one for instance) we would all be telling you to complain.

Sorry, not being much help.