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I'm boycotting WH Smith............

55 replies

Itsthawooluff · 21/04/2006 11:54

following the piece on Woman's Hour on Radio 4, until they get rid of the Playboy range of children's / teenagers stationery.

I'm not anti porn per se, but I am tired of every female between the ages of 5 and 55 being expected to look like,dress like and act like a 16 year old nymphette who is permanently "up for it". Angry

And I reckon Heffner has made enough money from the world's w~~k~~s without having to put his sleazy brand to pencil cases ffs.

OP posts:
Uwila · 21/04/2006 12:29

Yes, marketing playboy to children is deffo not on in my house. I didn't know it was in the news, but when I see it in WH Smith I do wonder who allows their kids to promote porn.

But, DH would laugh at me if I tried to ban him from WH Smith, and I hardly shop there anyway.

Socci · 21/04/2006 12:29

I agree with kama - we use a lot of stationary in our house including folders.

Tortington · 21/04/2006 12:33

my 13 year old wanted it all her friends have it

i said you do know its the logo for a porno mag?

well it looks nice - she said

i said " well i'll be fcked if im buying it" and bought a very nice multicoloured one - very monsoonesq

starlover · 21/04/2006 12:38

but just because adults buy it doesn't mean that it isn't marketed at kids!

ffs, I used to buy clothes from hennes kids section... does that mean that isn't marketed at children either?

if your child was at school and you were going out to buy stationery where would you go? chances are a LOT of parents would go to SMiths.... so the argument that it isn't a "child's" shop doesn't stick.

pebblemum · 21/04/2006 12:48

I know exactly how playboy started out but today it is seen as a fashionable brand and nothing to do with the porn side of things.

Girls under 10 like the brand becasue it is pink glittery and girly and over 10's like it because it is fashionable. It is as simple as that. Some may know what playboy is but i am sure that the fact they are wearing the t-shirts or using the staionery doesnt mean they aspire to be porn stars when older.

When i was about 8 the thing every girl wanted was the black and white posters of half naked men holding babies. I dont remember people kicking up a stink about that and yet that image was portrayed on pencil cases, folders etc.

Surely the type of clothes aimed at kids nowadays is more of a problem than what they have on their stationery. To me seeing very short skirts and other grown up items aimed at young children is more disturbing than a glittery bunny on a pencil case.

Uwila · 21/04/2006 12:51

Marketing the stationary to kids is of course only the begining, a few years later they can buy the skimpy clothes, and then they can accept their boyfriends reading the magazines... it's terrible.

It's just like McDonalds making happy meals to appeal to kids so that their tast for McDonalds crap develops over the years, and they remain fans of McDonalds as adults.

fairyjay · 21/04/2006 12:53

I won't let my dd (12) have Playboy stuff, nor for that matter is she allowed any fcuk things.

Just me being an old fashioned mum!

starlover · 21/04/2006 12:53

pebblemum... playboy are getting money out of it. so it has a LOT to do with the porn industry

Tortington · 21/04/2006 12:53

i dont think one is better than the other or worse ( clothes or stationary) i think its disgusting sexualising of children.

i think trachsuits with witing on the arse is the same
i think parents who buy 12 year olds thongs to hang out of their jeans disgusting

i think parents who dont know that their 10 year old girl who is going out with a crodon facelift chandleier earrings and blue eyeshadow with black eyeliner and thick mascara should be whipped with a cat o nine tails.

why would you buy your children a mini skirt,
if they bought it why would you keep it take it back bin it

i am not overly up my arse about most things but i detest with a passion the sexual exploitation of teenagers and young people.

Kathy1972 · 21/04/2006 12:54

Pebblemum I agree with you that clothes are more of an issue than stationery. I am also sure you are right that the vast majority of little girls who want these things have no idea about the origins of the brand.
However I think that the fact that adults do know about the brand means that there is still a problem, as using the branded item means that other people seeing the child with it will be making subliminal associations between little girls and pornography, which is not something we want.

Socci · 21/04/2006 12:57

I agree with pebblemum. While I may not be inclined to buy Play Boy stuff for my children, the fact that WH Smith sells it will not stop me going in there.

In my opinion there are much more important things to get annoyed about when it comes to a child's emotional development. Like explicit violence on television before the watershed. A well adjusted child will not be influenced by Play Boy merchandise imo.

cataloguequeen · 21/04/2006 13:16

Playboy is a porn magazine... the Playboy Bunny is a symbol of Playboy its as simple as that.. you can live in denial and say oh it's just a symbol or a pink glittery rabbit but that's like saying a swasticka has nothing to do with Naziism!!! being pink or glittery doesn't change what it is or what it represents!!??Angry

fullmoonfiend · 21/04/2006 13:17

I will not boycott WHSmiths over it, but I do have to agree, wnet in there to buy a pencil case and pens for a 6-yr-old girl and was horrified that in my local store, the only pink cases, pens etc they had were the playboy ones.

Nightynight · 21/04/2006 13:18

Playboy stationary for children is sick. People associate that brand with porn, so associating it with children is very nasty indeed.

cupcakes · 21/04/2006 13:22

I remember buying a new duvet cover when I was 10. I had chosen a suitably girlie one with rainbows and hearts on and just as my mum was paying I saw this fantastic bunny one. Asked if I could have that one instead and my mum and the salesgirl gave each other a look and then both said 'NO'. When I asked why not they said it was a special bunny, just for grown ups. Grin

Socci · 21/04/2006 13:22

I don't think Playboy is comparable with Naziism.

fullmoonfiend · 21/04/2006 13:24

And, meant to add, I wholeheartedly agree with Itsathawooluf that ''I'm not anti porn per se, but I am tired of every female between the ages of 5 and 55 being expected to look like, dress like and act like a 16 year old nymphette who is permanently "up for it".
When did this acceptance of the pornification of women and girls start?
There was an article in the Guardian weekend last week about this sort of thing, and the fact that 14 year-old girls are shaving/waxing their pubes off because 'men don't like it all messy and hairy' WTF?

flutterbee · 21/04/2006 13:29

Well I think it is disgusting that a porno symbol is being placed on items for children. How the hell can anyone justify it, and I totally agree with what custy said in her post.

cataloguequeen · 21/04/2006 13:30

I'm not comparing them!!...I'm saying a symbol is what it is... if you saw someone walking in a T-shirt with a swastica on it what would you think ancient greek cross or naziism?? when you see the Playboy Bunny do you think aaahhh a cute bunny or Porn/Playboy mag.?

niceglasses · 21/04/2006 13:34

Just dont understand why, really in all honesty anyone would want their children to buy that stuff - its the connotations (sp). There is so much other stuff to buy and some much time when they are older to understand it better. Its not like we are short of stuff to buy is it??? Weird.

Kathy1972 · 21/04/2006 13:36

Because, Niceglasses, you must buy your child everything their friends have or they will get teased at school. Wink

homemama · 21/04/2006 13:38

I'm still shocked at Tammy Girl selling g-string knickers in age 7-8!!! Shock

Who the hell is going to snipe that a 7yr old has a VIP FGS! Angry

Whatever happened to matching vest and knickers with days of the week on?

(Sorry, slightly off topic, I know. But same mentality IMO)

niceglasses · 21/04/2006 13:38

Ahhhhhhhhhh forgot about that one. Mine only in reception.....

joelalie · 21/04/2006 13:38

OK, on the surface its just a fluffy pink bunny. But it's also a brand that promotes pornography. Buy a child a Coca Cola pencil case for eg and that brand via it's logo has more meaning for them. Buy a child a PB pencil case and surely you're doing the same thing. I have no problem with pornography (apart from the possible exploitative of some of the industry) in society but I really resent the sexualisation of society - porn is one thing if it's marketed as such, fluffy pink pencil cases representing a porn empire is quite another. It's not just kids anyway - buying a pink pencil case with the PB logo on it seems to say something odd about a grown woman doesn't it? In the way you want to be seen by others? Pink, fluffy and up-for-it....???

And why should anyone pay to advertise a company anyway - they should be paid for being a living advertising hoarding. But I dislike overt labels anyway. Pornographic or not.

lact8 · 21/04/2006 13:46

I agree that its wrong for Playboy brnads to be aimed at young girls. Loads of the high school age girls have Playboy school bags and I wonder to myself do they really know what they are associating themselves with. I personally believe they see it as a fashion statement but don't think they are aware that the blokes on the bus conjure up very different images in their heads when they see the Playboy logo.

I totally agree with Cust regarding the clothing and make up on little girls. I try to keep my children as children for as long as I can. When I see little girls in tarty clothes I want to shake their mothers. CAn somebody explain to me why as a parent you would want your daughter to look that way?