Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

The Bolds kids books - non binary characters with pronouns

26 replies

RacoonRocket · 14/09/2021 21:33

Apparently being male or female is a "feeling"...

Page photos are from "The Bolds Go Green" by Julian Clary.

I actually really like the Bolds books, so this has left me a little down hearted.

The Bolds kids books - non binary characters with pronouns
The Bolds kids books - non binary characters with pronouns
OP posts:
Original poster
RacoonRocket · 14/09/2021 21:34

Read pages in reverse order

OP posts:
Lettera · 14/09/2021 21:39

Beyond parody.

CiaoForNiao · 14/09/2021 21:41

It reads like a piss take! Is it real?

TedImgoingmad · 14/09/2021 21:42

Just. Fuck.Off.

MrsWooster · 14/09/2021 21:50

Fuck’s sake.
One of the ks1 ta’s at DC school has declared as nb and asked to be referred to by her first name rather than Miss Bloggs. I’ve explained to dc, who was struggling with “n-something?” that Miss Bloggs is still, and always will be, a woman but just doesn’t want to be stuck in a girl box or a boy box… dc wondered is it so she (sic) can have short hair etc? Which gave us a nice opportunity to say that anyone and everyone can have short hair and so nb is just a fancy word for what all sensible people are. Load of speshul bollocks.

MrsWooster · 14/09/2021 21:51

Hard to believe Julian Clary is under any illusions about the reality of sexed bodies.

Pudmyboy · 14/09/2021 21:51

The Julian Clary? I hope it's a parody: I don't know The Bolds...

LobsterNapkin · 14/09/2021 21:57

It does sound like parody. But a lot of children's books now really are that preachy. If it's real, someone needs to tell the author that you shouldn't have the narrator pontificate in an effort to be didactic, it always makes for a shit book.

IvyTwines2 · 14/09/2021 22:37

It sounds like he's taking the piss.

WipeYourFeet · 14/09/2021 22:42

Jesus. The sound like tedious arse holes Confused
Maybe Julian is taking the piss. Or I'm just reading it in a Julian sarcastic voice in my head.

JellySlice · 14/09/2021 22:50

He doesn't say that they weren't a male and a female, and he doesn't say that they did not indentify as/consider themselves to be a man and a woman. He says they didn't wish to be identified as male or female. He has pointed out very clearly their narcissistic desire to control others.

Clary is an intelligent man. I'm sure he understands exactly what is going on.

BraveBananaBadge · 14/09/2021 22:55

I don't know The Bolds either but that seemed pretty funny... the stresses on the words with different texts, hearing it in Julian Clary's voice.. it read as if he was describing a tedious pair of wankers. However, that's pretty likely to go over the heads of younger readers?

FuriousAndFrustrated · 14/09/2021 22:58

"We must respectfully refer to them" ??

Yeah, not gonna happen.

Fitt · 14/09/2021 23:03

Oh dear. Don't go to Twig and Swigs house, there will be flies all over the place.

Voice0fReason · 14/09/2021 23:05

It really is tedious. And such utter twaddle.

Lifeinthelastlane · 14/09/2021 23:06

Sounds like it could have been written about that owl and pussycat couple.
I have a lot of time for Julian Clary, but who knows these days?

FemaleAndLearning · 14/09/2021 23:14

Are Twig and Swig ever talked about on their own? If they are always together then using they makes perfect sense. But yeah a load of bollocks.

Forgotthebins · 15/09/2021 07:15

He’s taking the piss out of the characters.

Rugsofhonour · 15/09/2021 07:22

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at the user's request

DisappearingGirl · 15/09/2021 07:59

He seems to be describing daft characters in a Roald Dahl or David Walliams style. I think he's implying they are well-meaning but a bit wankery - vegan, non-binary, eco etc.

However, as people said, it would go over the heads of most kids.

TedImgoingmad · 15/09/2021 08:01

I'll be delighted if JC is taking the piss, because I really like him. However, young children are literal. They don't have the contextual knowledge to know what is a piss take. Especially when they are fed gender bullshit in PSHE from reception year. And frankly, since most adults are being fed the "use pronouns and other compelled speech, or face the sack/arrest" stuff in real life, they too may not get it at all.

Julian mate, on the off chance you are reading this, if you want to make a point that this stuff is bollocks, just do it out and proud and loud like the very brave James Dreyfuss has. GC women and men absolutely need people like you - frankly, famous men who would be difficult to cancel - to be speaking out now, before it's too late. Because this shit is going too far, and what you might find vaguely amusing and exasperating in your circles - down here in the hoi polloi, it's terrifying.

Violetparis · 15/09/2021 08:56

I can't work out if it's a piss take or not. Has JC said anything on this issue ?

Tomselleckhaskindeyes · 15/09/2021 09:11

He's lived as a very camp gay man who wears makeup for years and seems proud of this. I think he's taking the piss. He is very acerbic.

IvyTwines2 · 15/09/2021 09:47

I just think he's satirising a 'type' here. Today's version of Swampy is going to be all pronouns in bio or calling themselves 'queer' while being in what sounds like a heterosexual couple like certain columnists or actors we can think of (he's described one as bearded, the other with a high voice).

I'm more concerned about the upcoming Pixar movie which recently put out a casting call for a child actor who can "authentically portray" (i.e. 'is') a 14 year old "transgender girl". So basically if you can say you have cemented-in an opposite sex identity at that very young age, there's a role in a big Hollywood movie for you, a movie that is presumably then going to be pushing the idea to millions and millions of kids the world over that a boy who behaves in an 'effeminate' way and is friends with girls (the film is believed to be 'Turning Red') is in fact a girl too.

TedImgoingmad · 15/09/2021 09:54

I'm more concerned about the upcoming Pixar movie

Oh for fucks sake. Please just fucking kill me now. Where's the sodding meteor?