Assisting Pedophiles & the Destruction of Childhood

[ArmorOfGod]

You know, here in the US, I thought the "Baby Bratz" dolls were bad enough. For those of you without kids, Baby Bratz are dolls sold at every Wal-Mart, Target, and mall, which are dolls of 10 month old babies dressed in leather minskirts, fishnets, lots of makeup, and chains and handcuffs hanging on their belt.

Still, this one takes the cake. The below link is a link to a story about a stripper pole sold in the United Kingdom by the UK's biggest toy company. It has a pole, music, and a dvd showing how to pole dance and how to let your 8 year old do a strip tease.

Read this actual quote from the toy maker's website:

"Unleash the sex kitten inside...simply extend the Peekaboo pole inside the tube, slip on the sexy tunes and away you go! Soon you'll be flaunting it to the world and earning a fortune in Peekaboo Dance Dollars."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=412195&in_page_id=17

Can you imagine the board room of execs sitting around a table and one says "Hey, I have a great idea--a stipper pole for 8 year olds where they earn pretend money by doing a strip tease. What do you think, guys?"

I am only 31 years old, but my kid sister played with Strawberry Shortcake, Smurf dolls, the occasional Barbie, and Polly Pocket. Now, she is 25, so look what people are attempting to do in just the last 15-20 years or so.

Does this blow everyone's mind also?

AoG

 

[SFC JeffJ]

Wow, that just doesn't seem right. A while ago on NPR there was a story about how many companies are using sex to sell to younger and younger consumers. Everything from music, to games, and now to toys. They wouldn't do it if more parents just said no to that crap.

Jeff

 

[Jade Tigress]

You know, here in the US, I thought the "Baby Bratz" dolls were bad enough. For those of you without kids, Baby Bratz are dolls sold at every Wal-Mart, Target, and mall, which are dolls of 10 month old babies dressed in leather minskirts, fishnets, lots of makeup, and chains and handcuffs hanging on their belt.

Still, this one takes the cake. The below link is a link to a story about a stripper pole sold in the United Kingdom by the UK's biggest toy company. It has a pole, music, and a dvd showing how to pole dance and how to let your 8 year old do a strip tease.

Read this actual quote from the toy maker's website:

"Unleash the sex kitten inside...simply extend the Peekaboo pole inside the tube, slip on the sexy tunes and away you go! Soon you'll be flaunting it to the world and earning a fortune in Peekaboo Dance Dollars."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=412195&in_page_id=17

Can you imagine the board room of execs sitting around a table and one says "Hey, I have a great idea--a stipper pole for 8 year olds where they earn pretend money by doing a strip tease. What do you think, guys?"

I am only 31 years old, but my kid sister played with Strawberry Shortcake, Smurf dolls, the occasional Barbie, and Polly Pocket. Now, she is 25, so look what people are attempting to do in just the last 15-20 years or so.

Does this blow everyone's mind also?

AoG

That's just plain gross! What are people thinking? Yes, it blows my mind. Sick, sick, sick. *shakes head*

 

[bydand]

Words fail me! below anything I have ever seen or heard of directed toward children, in the disquise of a toy or playtime item.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Pole dancing is an increasing exercise craze!!!!

THIS IS A JUSTIFICATION FOR SELLING IT TO 8 YEAR OLDS!?!?!?!?

Where are these people? I need to have a private conversation with them.

This really has potential to start me a rantin’ again

 

[Drac]

I always found the Bratz Dolls disturbing..But this pole dancing for little girls is beyond belief...Words actually fail to describe my outrage...

 

[Andrew Green]

http://www.peekaboo.co.uk/

The company's website. No kids anywhere, this game is aimed at adults, not 8-year olds.

It's also not the first adult game to have been displayed and sold openly. SHould it have a "Age: Adult" label? Yes, does it? They never specified that.

Should it be getting sold in a childrens section, no. But board games are generally sold all in one place, for all age groups.

Not saying this was an appropriate place to market this game, but the reaction doesn't seem to match the action...

 

[terryl965]

Pole dancing for 8 year old please let me in that board room for 15 minutes and see if I can change there minds

 

[Drac]

Pole dancing for 8 year old please let me in that board room for 15 minutes and see if I can change there minds

Can I help???? Please please please???

 

[Andrew Green]

Guess I'm cynical of "Media Moral Outrage" articles, but do some investigating. This product was not aimed at 8 year olds. Never was. Just a poor judgement call about where to sell it.

And is it really that different from other things? 8 year old goes to the video game section, and is exposed to seeing Grand Theft Auto, Manhunt, etc. for sale.

8 year old goes to the DVD section and is exposed to all sorts of inapropriate movies for his / her age.

Adult game, aimed at adults, placed poorly in the store. That's all, no big conspirousy to turn kids into strippers.

 

[Jade Tigress]

Mod Note

Thread moved to The Study.

Pamela Piszczek
MT Moderator

 

[shesulsa]

Guess I'm cynical of "Media Moral Outrage" articles, but do some investigating. This product was not aimed at 8 year olds. Never was. Just a poor judgement call about where to sell it.

Andrew, did you see this part of the article?

Tesco today agreed to remove the product from the Toy section of the site, but said it will remain on sale as a Fitness Accessory, despite the fact that the product description invites users to "unleash the sex kitten inside".Tesco today agreed to remove the product from the Toy section of the site, but said it will remain on sale as a Fitness Accessory, despite the fact that the product description invites users to "unleash the sex kitten inside".

So this item was listed in a section of items targeted at children specifically. Sorry, but I think this is unacceptable.

And is it really that different from other things? 8 year old goes to the video game section, and is exposed to seeing Grand Theft Auto, Manhunt, etc. for sale.

8 year old goes to the DVD section and is exposed to all sorts of inapropriate movies for his / her age.

While you have a good point, that all kids can see all sections of the website, the point here, specifically, is that this item was listed in the toys section specifically as were other sexually-oriented games (according to the article)

Adult game, aimed at adults, placed poorly in the store. That's all, no big conspirousy to turn kids into strippers.

Unless it were placed there intentionally, which is really the question, is it not? You write code, I've done webpages ... it's not an easy accident to put something like this in the wrong section of a website.

 

[DavidCC]

Guess I'm cynical of "Media Moral Outrage" articles, but do some investigating. This product was not aimed at 8 year olds. Never was. Just a poor judgement call about where to sell it.

And is it really that different from other things? 8 year old goes to the video game section, and is exposed to seeing Grand Theft Auto, Manhunt, etc. for sale.

8 year old goes to the DVD section and is exposed to all sorts of inapropriate movies for his / her age.

Adult game, aimed at adults, placed poorly in the store. That's all, no big conspirousy to turn kids into strippers.

Party pooper! indignance is so fun!

 

[Andrew Green]

So this item was listed in a section of items targeted at children specifically. Sorry, but I think this is unacceptable.

Was it? Or was it listed with all the other board games? Which technically it is. Are there other games which target adults in that section? Lots of stores that sell board games put them all in the same section, not different sections for different age groups.

Unless it were placed there intentionally, which is really the question, is it not? You write code, I've done webpages ... it's not an easy accident to put something like this in the wrong section of a website.

It's as easy as posting a thread in the wrong section of a forum, which gets done quite regullarly here.

 

[Andrew Green]

Party pooper! indignance is so fun!

Media has it's things it knows are hotspots and will cause outrage if pushed. And outraged people buy papers and read stories. Get a good mob behind you is a good way to make money. ALl made easier by the fact that very few people will bother to actually take the time to do a little poking of there own, just assume the well spun story the paper tells them is true.

Someone goofed up a little, a game meant for adults was seen by kids. Oh well, problem caught and fixed. Some minimum wage making data entry clerk probably saw it catagorized as a "game", which is is, and stuck it under "Games" on the website, seems a rather easy mistake to make.

 

[shesulsa]

Was it? Or was it listed with all the other board games? Which technically it is. Are there other games which target adults in that section? Lots of stores that sell board games put them all in the same section, not different sections for different age groups.

See for yourself:

http://direct.tesco.com/homepage/toysgames.aspx

Yes, you can click around there and find board games geared towards adults ... however the section is titled "Children's Toys and Games" which I think is mislabled if the intention is to put ALL games and toys there - including "sex" games.

It's as easy as posting a thread in the wrong section of a forum, which gets done quite regullarly here.

Hm. Well, you are more geeky than I, admittedly, so perhaps web authoring software has evolved to the point where Joe Schmoe, the sales advertising clerk, can click on a button that says, "Post New Product," fill in a couple of fields, check a couple boxes and "submit new ad," and the product goes onto the wrong page. Then, of course, QC would have to pass it, but everyone knows there's no QC in on-line webpage submissions.

So it's an error? I wonder why Tesco didn't say so ....

 

[Andrew Green]

See for yourself:

http://direct.tesco.com/homepage/toysgames.aspx

Is that where it was?

Or was it here:
http://direct.tesco.com/q/N.1999226/Nr.99.aspx

With other adult aimed games, the article in not really all that clear on that.

The article does state: " Tesco last night denied the pole dancing kit was sexually oriented and said it was clearly marked for "adult use"."

So if I had to guess, and that is all anyone here is doing right now, I'd say it wasn't in with the fluffy stuffed animals, but more likely with other games aimed at an adult audience. Which includes poker sets (gambling), a desperate houswives game (which I am sure I've seen in stores with the board games for other ages), Sex and the City, beer, wine, other gambling, etc.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Well it is definately geared towards adults based on the companies website. Clearly if it was in the children's board game section then that was a huge oversight.

 

[Andrew Green]

yup, it would have been. But the article is rather vague on that. And my guess is that is intentional... I mean "Kids stumble on pole dancing game in adult games section of website" just doesn't get the readership that "Big Box corporate greed wants to turn 8 year olds into strippers" does it?

 

[Ping898]

*sigh*...I remember growing up when if you had a pole it mean you were pretending to be a firefighter...not a stripper.....