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?

I'm shocked that anyone would even dream of calling a child's bed "Lolita". Shocked at the inappropriateness and shocked at the lack of literacy behind it.

A Lolita MEANS a sexually precocious child. Because of the book but it has also passed into general use.

If you don't know this, you shouldn't be in charge of marketing at Woolworths.

It's not the same as calling something Myra. Myra does not mean "serial killer" in common parlance. I doubt you would find it in the dictionary. Lolita does mean sexually precocious and it's in the dictionary as well as in the minds of vaguely thinking people.

Peachy, you've given me an idea

Nah, actually, can't be arsed.

The web forum that discussed this did not ask Woolworths to remove it, they just told them their concerns, the Times also contacted Woolworths about it - from what I gather listening to Jeremys discussion.

so i take some of you can't read "Dick Turpin" without giggling incontrolably

Hunker, save it for a slow night

I will say though- much as I think removing the product was the right thing to do- I am at a total loss as to why the Times would consider it deserved to be 2 pages BEFORE a story on how Afghani babies were dying rfom hypothermia as a result of govenmental aid policy- that poor family who has lost 3 in the last year or so and their last baby was very ill . given our supposed role in Afghansitant surely that warrants a more newsworthy placement?

I will never understand the press in this country

I take it that the people who think it's okay to call a child's bed Lolita also think it's okay when little girls have Playboy Bunnies all over their pencil cases etc?

Some things are just inappropriate and the idiots who produce stuff should be aware of that.

Crossed posts Peachy - yes of course you are right.

I find it hard to believe that it wasn't a publicity stunt of some kind. And if it wasn't, then I'm surprised at how uncultured the Woolies marketing and press staff are. If they didn't mean to have a fuss on their hands, it's just plain ill educated and unaware of them to call the bed Lolita.

I agree with NFK - sounds like it must have been a publicity stunt , unless of course everyone working for woolworth is a total moron.

It is revolting. And they are obviously morons.

They claim nobody in HQ had any idea and they had to Wiki it to find out

Do they really hire people that uneducated?

I think it's possible that they do. They might have a very young and not particularly cultured staff.

mad

I mean mad to be bothered /contact Wollies about it.

that would be woolies

Cant find rent boy in the baby book of names! Should it be there with Slut and Slapper as some one else suggested. It is only a nmae - someone reading this might actually be called it !!!! Does that make them a secually precocious child or them Mother and Father thick for not having read a book! AND NO my name is not

And you are right - kids dying by the millions are much more news worthy than a bed - lets face it its a bed and a name! IMHO as I had also never heard of book so would easily get a job at Woolworths me being so uneducated and all

Must say I laughed at the lady on Jeremy Vile - Welsh, called Lolita, said no-one in her entire life had made any connection between her name and a book - (well she said peephole bras actually).

How deep in the valleys was she???

Well I always knew they were illiterate in Woolworths.

fubsy I suspect she inhabited a former priesthole somewhere up a mountain which was only connected to the telephone line today for the purpose of the show.

I hope so, anyway

Also made me laugh when Welsh Lolita was on, then Jezza read a comment from a listener who had just put Lolita in google and it came up with all sorts of paedophile websites... She just sort of went: "Yes, well that's true I suppose..."

It does make me think about names though.

Other countries use the name "Jesus" (Im embarassed to say how recently I worked out that its pronounced Heysooss) but we dont.

There was a girl at DD's nursery called Leyla, one of the other mothers used to break into a Claptonesque guitar break whenever she saw her.

Im sure for all of us there are certain names we wouldnt use becsause of connotations with something in our lives.

And I think a Lolita bed was a perfectly shrewd marketing ploy which may have backfired if none of the beds sell!