Obscene costumed volunteers handing out summer reading at Redbridge library

[WombOfOnesOwn]

A library had a man in a rainbow monkey costume, with a dildo penis and a fake exposed butt, handing out summer reading books.

Look at this obscene sex clown mocking and terrorising local Muslim women:

twitter.com/HasAhmed_/status/1413931013340807172/photo/2

The library is, of course, apologizing about it now:

twitter.com/RedbridgeLibs/status/1413975910433366020

But during the event, they thought it was pretty funny:

twitter.com/turtillachip/status/1414255270038016009

What is happening? Why should parents going to the library's summer reading program worry that THIS is what they'll see? The website for this troupe of "performers" clearly shows this monkey performer with his fake penises inch from children's faces. There has been no vetting. No safeguarding.

And there'll just be an apology, another "isolated incident." Of course, the local Muslim women and girls know exactly what this library thinks of them now, and what may happen to them if they choose to even walk nearby. Do we think they're going to want to go in?

Running late now but I would like to point out the puppetry issue, also the avant-garde art issue. These seem to have been overlooked but they often appear in threads about boundary pushing, alarming "educational" and "empowerment" initiatives that secure public funding.

I believe several posters commented on this on one of the cult themed threads, not time to find it now, also may be a coincidence, just noting in case others are unfamiliar with these themes.

Has the Arts Council commented? According to the website they provide funding.

Arts Council are subject to FOI.

Would be interesting to know what funding was received.

Cannibalism could be considered acceptable when viewed through the correct "culturally sensitive lens". Doesn't mean we should all tuck in.

Indeed, as is child marriage.

Is it me or is this image reminiscent of a charcter from the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?

image sourced here

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210711114016/www.mandingaarts.co.uk/uploads/9/3/7/0/93705394/mandinga-monkey-business-deck-v2.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20210711114016/www.mandingaarts.co.uk/uploads/9/3/7/0/93705394/mandinga-monkey-business-deck-v2.pdf

ah, yes, here it is

I absolutely despair of all the people on social media who think this is side-splittingly hilarious or ‘just a giggle’ and that ‘it’s not a big deal’ and that anyone with a modicum of decency and common sense is ‘an uptight, pearl clutcher’. What’s even more disturbing is that the comments, I have witnessed, have been from women

The child catcher yes

@merrymouse

Arts Council are subject to FOI.

Would be interesting to know what funding was received.

I made an FOI a few weeks ago regarding whether they are still attached to Stonewall and got my reply today which I think goes some way as to why this incident was allowed to take place:

"Our Response:

Arts Council England is a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme. This incurs an annual fee, currently set at £2,500.00 + VAT (Total £3,000.00). We have been a member of this programme since 2018, and are continuing to do so for the 2021/2022 financial year. Any renewal of this membership – should Arts Council England decide to continue – will take place in the following financial year (2022/21).

While we are members of this programme, Arts Council England has not consulted with Stonewall in regard to interpretation of the Equality Act and related matters of employment policy in our workplace, nor do we intend to at this time.

Arts Council England does not have any connections to Mermaids or Gendered Intelligence at this time."

@Megasausagehead

The child catcher yes

Chilling.

How many other covert signs/messages/connections are in plain sight?

Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey now has their own twitter account

mobile.twitter.com/dildobuttmonkey

And Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey has just been on The Last Leg!

Whaaaat?!

Yes! Well, someone dressed in similar costume. Last Leggers were not impressed at him being at a children's library reading session!

@TheSockMonster

I’m genuinely confused why my post was deleted. Do MNHQ give you any feedback?

The point I was trying to make, obviously not very well, is that this is a larger safeguarding issue than just one person making a poor choice. A lot of people, most of whom would have had safeguarding training, either did not recognise this as inappropriate or did not feel able to speak out.

I can easily believe this. I work in a similar place, and for Pride month they've been giving out flag buttons, about 12 different kinds, with a book explaining the meanings. It's put staff in the position of having to discuss these with random kids who come in, and of course you know little about these kids, what their parents believe, etc. Some of the kids want to talk about other flags that weren't included.

The fact that parents might have issues with this, and for that matter staff might, doesn't seem to enter their heads. But at the same time, what's the likely outcome of speaking up? They still run drag queen storytime even though there have been complaints from the public.

There is an absolute blindspot in terms of the fact that there are groups who no longer feel like they want to take their kids into the library because it is all so in your face.

@SpringCrocus

Yes! Well, someone dressed in similar costume. Last Leggers were not impressed at him being at a children's library reading session!

I’d recorded it and just finished watching.

I did wonder earlier in the week whether it would be one of the “is it ok” questions on there. And obviously it was an age-appropriate audience!

Just to clarify for anyone who didn’t see it - they didn’t hire the costume from the company. Their props dept mocked up the costume, and the person wearing it was a member of staff who had worked with them for ages and was leaving.

They obviously didn’t go deep into safeguarding issues, but it was a good platform for reaching a wider audience who may not have seen what happened last weekend.

I loved Josh’s “well, there was the Tiger Who Came to Tea and then you’ve got The Monkey That flopped it out in a Library” 🤣

It was fab, and yet more sunlight

I dunno, I'm not sure it was sunlight, it was all a bit of a laugh.

I'm disappointed overall with The Last Leg. They should know how important categories are in sport; they should realise that inclusion has to b categorised, they should take safeguarding more seriously.

The have avoided the trans debate for two years now. They are going to have to pick a side eventually.

I’m going to give them a pass here. They have a “side” and that is disability. I’m sure that when the show first started, they didn’t think it would continue on after.

They’ve often, over the years, flagged up or highlighted items that give people a “wtf” moment. Leaving you to look into something further (or not, as may often be the case).

But I don’t think this is a “side” they need to, or should, pick. It’s not their focus. I’m just glad that it was a snippet they included which will hopefully be a “wtf” moment for a few viewers.

@ScreamingMeMe

Yep, accusations of homophobia were flying around when people were raising concerns about NSPCC Rubber Toilet Wank Man - including from Owen Jones and the NSPCC twitter account.

What the fresh fuck is ‘rubber toilet wank man’? I refuse to Google!

Apologies, found out later in the thread. Unfortunately.

@Smokeahontas. I hear ya, there are probably plenty more snippets out there that will make you go “wtaf”

The “unfortunately” feeling starts to become a bit more common.

What has been read cannot be unread. By all means, indulge yourself in those activities in privacy of your own home. However, if anyone thinks that’s appropriate for work, they need help.