The world's gone mad. Just heard on R5 that Parenting UK has demanded Woolworths remove a bed from their website/catalogue because it's called Lolita.

[2sugars]

It's not on the bed, or anywhere, that's just what you type in when you order it.

Mad, or am I being insensitive?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/1372/469241

Oh god - I hate when people say 'reclaim' in that context. I meant diassociate the name from Nabokovs usage.

I don't know peachy, i think the association to a name, it is a little bit too much of an overreaction.
What if Amis now goes and writes a novel about a boy called "Morgan" or "Finlay" who is the fantasy of a 40 yo pedo? It gets made into a block-buster and everybody talks about it... I can see people rushing to change their kids names. it is just silly.
The French have now lola in their top 20 names. and I am sure they've read nabokov and the are aware of the implictions of the name for some people. And so what?

wonder what some of the ikea names mean

Definitely agree it's a publicity stunt.

Inlovewithsweeneytodd - it's not about calling a child Lola or Lolita, sweet name, it's about naming a little girl's bed Lolita, knowing that has strong implications.

I don't see Lola as the smae though- I see Lola as fabulous consultant in Holby - too much TV!

probably it isn't the most rational thing to build these associatins, but I think its a very Human thing to do. Isn't it how we stor memories anyway-building traces between events and the ike- so if the only lolita you ever came across (and I don't know any personally) was the book character then its the physiological way we're built even? maybe.

Noticed on other thread twins anmed lolita and jezebel- also caused a reaction in me. can't say I know anyone named Judas, either. I think its just the way we're built.

Maybe I am naive, but I do think they chose that name for a bed because they run out of pronounceable foreign names

Did you know Jeremy Vine is about to talk about this on R2?

IKEA names are great, there was a grill pan called Grilla, I'm sure their beds are called something like Sleepinit

Nowt wrong with the name Damian!

I agree with those that say we should not have a name dictated to us, but the fact remains that this is a very famous book, and "Lolita-esque" is often used to indicated a sexually precocious child. There are millions of words that could be used to name a bed, why pick one that could cause offence? (I do appreciate that they haven't done it deliberately).

discussion on R2 Jeremy Vine at the mo...

Peachy - twins named Lolita and Jezebel - really? OMG.

ON NOW. Brendan O'neil is also on.

he's the dude who thinks that formula advertising should n't be banned and has an awful 'comment' piece in the guardian.

there is a slightly marey white house campaign out there.... says brendan

marey as in nightmarelike?

InLoveWithSweenyTodd - when I said "the history of the name Lolita" it was badly worded, sorry.

What I meant was the history of its usage ie. in particular its use in Nabokov's novel.

I heard on Radio 4 that Wolloies had removed the Lolita bedroom range and none of its staff had heard of the sexual connotations.

OOps sorry LL- was drawing on popular culture on purpose- knew that would happen !

FWIW I get a good many comments about how evil my ds3 and ds2's name choices are, albeit not literally evil like damian.......

LOL Peachy, it's OK, DH is used to it .

I actually went to school with the bloke who was Damien in the Omen 2 - he used to get pinned down by the rugby team looking for sixes on his scalp IIRC (and later suffered the ultimate humiliation of being in "Triangle"!)

I doubt the name Myra will make a comeback any time soon.

However, I predict that one day, someone will name a style of kids' shoes or something "Myra" and this thread will happen again.

or somemone will post a thread 'What do you think of the names Myra / Lolita / Jezebel for a girl?'

Bound to happen.

I do remember someone getting arsey when they asked about Eva and a few mentiojned Eva Braun once.