Tesco condemned for selling pole dancing toy

[RamboLiberal]

Mother of two Karen Gallimore was searching for Christmas gifts for her two daughters, Laura 10, and Sarah, 11, when she came across the 'toy'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=412195&in_page_id=1770

Tesco has been forced to remove a pole-dancing kit from the toys and games section of its website after it was accused of "destroying children's innocence".

The Tesco Direct site advertises the kit with the words, "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".

The £49.97 kit comprises a chrome pole extendible to 8ft 6ins, a 'sexy dance garter' and a DVD demonstrating suggestive dance moves.

This is the UK but I could imagine it sold in the U.S., and while I am not a prude it does concern me that girls in our society are being sexualized at a younger and younger age and taught that their value is in their bodies and their abilities to attract boys. It seems like we're in some extreme where girls and women are sexualized or told by religious extremists that they are subservient to men and need to cover their bodies.

[habitual]

1. i can't imagine what the design team that came up with that were thinking???

n/t

[ixion]

3. uh, I think I know exactly what they were thinking:

"IT'S FRIDAY, TIME TO GO TO THE SHAKER BAR!!" :sarcasm:

[MrModerate]

2. Yep, that's pretty repulsive for girls *or* women . . .

Not to mention unsafe, unless it were properly secured more firmly than the picture suggests is possible.

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. It says it's spring loaded

So I think it's meant to wedge itself against the ceiling - which has to be 8 foot 6 or less. I still can't imagine it can take much sideways force, though. As noted below, it also says it's for adult use.

[MrModerate]

23. Like one of those three-headed pole lamps so popular . . .

in our parents' homes. Yeah, that'll work like a charm.

[Richardo]

4. What the f*ck are people thinking?

Product development involves hundreds of man-hours, committee meetings, executive signoffs...not to mention retail chain buyers that have to want the product for their stores.

Then there's the Ramseys of the world that think it's a great idea for their little precious to have a sexy garter and 'peekaboo dance dollars'.

For Christ's sake. :grr:

[ThomCat]

10. It boggles the mind how this every got past the first

committee meeting. x(

[Divernan]

13. Imagine using this in the talent portion of Little Miss Promiscuous contests

These poor little girls are tarted up via hair, makeup & outfits to look like mini-hookers; this sex toy would fit right in.

[catabryna]

5. I'm usually of the mind that...

if ya don't like it, don't buy it... but, I must admit that this is pretty over-the-top and I'd probably have a coronary if someone bought this for a daughter of mine!

[Deep13]

6. Seems like a parody ad.

Complete with play-money stripper-bills.

I suppose conceptually, it is no worse that giving little boys war toys. Still, on a gut-reaction level: ick.

[Divernan]

15. Only a man would compare this to giving little boys war toys.

nt

[maxsolomon]

22. in what way is he inaccurate?

if i were you, i would respond: only a woman wouldn't see the accuracy of the comparison.

thankfully, i'm not you. i don't make such sweeping generalizations based solely on gender, which i increasingly see on DU. they all seem to be coming from women, saying all men are ignorant & have no right to comment from a male viewpoint on any issue concerning women.

war toys reinforce male gender roles. this is not a controversial stance. of course a girls' pole-dancing kit is not equivalent to a little toy gun, its more like a "jr. patriot waterboarding kit".

[Divernan]

29. "Earn a fortune in Peek a Boo dance dollars!"

In other words, this "toy" is about encouraging women to sell sex for $$$. Is that the role model you hold for your daughters, if you have any? Is that what you look for in your girl friends (if you're not married); or, if you are married, would you get this toy for your wife so she can earn a second income?

"War toys" on the other hand are about stength, power, patriotism (at least, pre Vietnam/Iraq), defending oneself and others, etc.

When I was a little girl, my brothers got their little cowboy capgun sets, and I got a toy kitchen. I did not get a little sex kitten outfit. On the other hand, I played with their toy guns too, & learned to target shoot from a Marine gunnery Sgt. My brothers were not encouraged to learn to dance seductively for money. When it came to getting toys for my son and daughters, I avoided both weapons and empty-headed Barbie dolls.

[Deep13]

39. My point was...

...strippers and soldiers each sell their bodies. One is for entertainment, the other is for catching bullets or delivering them. One of them makes more money than she could at Dennys, the other is maimed, killed or a killer himself. Really, which one is being exploited. Strenghth, power and patriotism is a glorified view of war. Likewise, the fact that stipping is sexually entertaining only makes it degrading if you think sexuality is evil, which I do not.

I was pretty clear in my previous post that I thought a stripper pole as a child's toy was a bad idea. Anyway, did I really have to explain that? Aren't we all on the same page with that anyway?

[lukasahero]

32. Oh the irony

"i don't make such sweeping generalizations based solely on gender, which i increasingly see on DU. they all seem to be coming from women, saying all men are ignorant"

Just sayin'.

[Divernan]

37. And did you catch the "thankfully I am not you"

I ( a man) am not you (a woman)

What is that culture/religion where the men start every day with the morning prayer thanking god they were not born a woman?

[hpot]

7. OMFG

This has to be a joke. Is it April Fools? Teaching young girls to dance like strippers is a bit extreme.

[originalpckelly]

8. OMG! What the fuck is wrong with these people?

This world is really going to shit when people think it is okay for little girls to practice being strippers. At least the pole will be useful to beat the crap out of whoever created this.

This is like condoning pedophilia isn't it?

[aquart]

9. Did it sell?

[originalpckelly]

11. They have it on Froogle!

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=Peekaboo+dance+dollars&hl=en&btnG=Search

OMG!

[Double T]

12. Pole dancing has become an 'acceptable' form of exercise.........

and promoted by women that offer courses for the the same. It appears to me that THIS TOY was most likely offered as an ADULT TOY (JOKE) and NOT for the kiddies. Come on ladies, spice up you life, what 'WE' need are more domestic pole dancers!!!!!

http://www.handbag.com/healthfit/keepingfit/poledancing/

[catabryna]

27. That's all good and well...

but, be honest now. If Tesco was purely interested in selling us on the virtues of pole-dancing and its fitness benefits, they wouldn't include those Peekaboo Dance Dollars.

[Double T]

30. LOL!! There can NEVER be enough Peekaboo Dance Dollars....

to slip under the supplied 'sexy dance garter'.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

36. Just look at it and you see it's being marketed towards kids.

Adult women do not want a "Little Mermaid" style cartoon while they're doing erotic dancing.

[mainegreen]

14. clearly marked for "adult use".

Then don't buy it for your kids! Parents who don't read labels and then raise hell need to take a chill pill.

[lukasahero]

18. It was in the "Toys and Games" store

Currently featuring on its home page:

All Leapfrog Pre-school Learning Toys for boys and girls from 6 months+

The title of the page is: "Children's Toys and Games"

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


Maybe the seller should be the one to read the label.

[mongo]

25. Ding --ding-ding! We have a winner!

The store screwed up big time -- this is not being marketed to kids.

[mainegreen]

26. Wow, that is a screw up!

Bet someone got fired over that.

[Ian David]

16. From the headline, I thought maybe it was for The Maypole Ceremony

But is this thing actually marketed to children?

This sounds like something good for adults, if it were sold through adult bookstores.

[maxsolomon]

17. i find this absolutely hilarious

obviously another division was supposed to sell this, but it gives quite an insight into their corporate buisiness model, eh?

its not the bush admin, so heads will roll.

[mongo]

19. The company that makes this is NOT marketing it as a toy

It's being sold at Spencer's Gifts and they have been marketing the adult stores like crazy. They've called my store at least three times.

The store screwed up when they put it in the toys section of the website.

[verdalaven]

21. Okay, they said it was clearly marked for adult use

However, it was offered in the toy section of their website. The product placement might have been a mistake. If not, then shame on Tesco.

[Double T]

24. Who shops for toys on their website??? 'MOM'.

...or 'DAD'.

[tenshi816]

43. I just buy my groceries from Tesco online.

I had no idea what I was missing out on.

[Dora]

28. The pole in question has been recategorized to "Fitness Accessories"

http://direct.tesco.com/q/N.1999328.aspx

[tenshi816]

31. Tesco sells stuff like this every Christmas season,

and while it's tasteless, it's not sold in the toy section and it's not meant for children. It's sold with all the other Christmas novelties they sell for adults. They sell these things in my own local Tesco, on a top shelf out of the reach of children and nowhere near any children's toys.

I do wonder why a supermarket keeps a section that sells this sort of crap, but I also have to wonder what that mother was doing shopping for her daughters in the adult novelty gift section.

[lukasahero]

33. "I also have to wonder what that mother was doing shopping" -- She wasn't

It was in their "Children's Toys and Games" web site.

Currently featuring on its home page:

All Leapfrog Pre-school Learning Toys for boys and girls from 6 months+

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

Before we blame the mother, before we call her a crazy, censor-loving, anti-free speech fundy, can we at least read the freakin' article? "Tesco has been forced to remove a pole-dancing kit from the toys and games section of its website"

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

40. It says "toys and games."

It does not say "childrens toys and games."

Looks like a toy to me.

"Before we blame the mother, before we call her a crazy, censor-loving, anti-free speech fundy, can we at least read the freakin' article?"

OK. Read the article. And she's a crazy, censor-loving, anti-free speech fundy. I'm going to have to go ahead and call her a prude too.

She wants Parliament to intervene in what in the worst case is a simple mistake.

[lukasahero]

44. The title on their web page is "Children's Toys and Games" eom

[tenshi816]

45. Dontcha love how the article quotes

a UK fundy type (yes, we have them too, but not nearly as many as in the States) who says: "This will be sold to four, five and six-year olds."

Because there are so many little girls in Britain shopping on supermarket websites with their credit cards.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

46. Yeah, I noticed that.

I say, if your five or six year old is surfing the internet with your credit card, them buying stripper poles is the least of your problems.

[tenshi816]

42. I did read the article

Yeah, it was stupid of Tesco to mistakenly put a pole-dancing kit in the toys and games section on their website, but just how many children do you think browse for toys on a supermarket website? Not many, is my guess.

The article is about as hysterical as you'd expect from the Daily Mail, which panders to its easily upset, very conservative readership.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

34. While I'm fine with an adult woman wanting a dance pole...

it takes a sick, twisted fuck to market something like this to kids. That is grotesque beyond belief. Kids should be kids.

[Ron Green]

38. Hey, it's just the Free Market at work.

The Market says, "Take your own responsibility for yourself and your family, and don't hold us accountable for anything. Here, you want a smoke?"

"How about a purple thong, Little Girl?"

:9

:smoke:

[mongo]

48. Blame the store then

Because the company that makes these has been marketing them to the adult market.

As far as the packaging goes, one of the trends now is to get away from the explicit packaging, and the cartoonish pictures has been one popular angle. It's supposed to be more "women friendly".

[SmokingJacket]

35. That what happens when pedophiles take over.

No words for this.

[Matariki]

41. Hey, I know woman who worked their way through college & grad school this way

So I suppose this could be a valuable 'educational toy' (do i need to use the sarcasm tag?). Courtesy of Reagan & and his shitty economics that slashed federal grant programs and college funding. I wonder what guys have to do? Sell crack, I suppose.

[Deep13]

47. Also available...

Dolly Crack Baby

Knocked-Up, the board game

Malibu Barbi's Whore House

Tequila Crunch breakfast cereal