11 yr old boy in Shades of Grey outfit

jingl, why don't you- go on, enjoy (and post the pictures here please)

I cannot for the life of me even beging to think how any mother would have thought this suitable- and how anyone here can support her decision.

Rape is still a huge issue in our society- with many young men still not accepting that 'no' means 'no'- what message does dressing up as Grey convey? It beggars beliefs. What next, the Marquis de Sade perhaps.

Young men still turn up in court saying it was not rape- she was just saying 'NO' but I knew she meant yes.

I agree the interviewer made it much worse!

The Boy in the dress is one of DGC's favourite books. Would be very brave of any young boy to adopt the character for WBD though.

I've always wanted to buy one of them a pretty pink fairy frock.

Harrigran I've only just noticed your comment (sorry) regarding going as The Boy In A Dress! I did suggest that once to gs but - no way! Not brave enough. I think it's a good idea though. DW's books are so good.

Well, my thirteen year old grandson has been watching all the James Bond films with his dad, and loving them! I think they are being taken by gs in the spirit of entertainment only. Although, of course, many, perhaps most, teenage boys would like to be just like JB! #intheirdreams

(You must remember he only kills the very bad people)

I cannot stand James Bond either Eloethan for exactly the same reasons you mention. I really can't see much of a difference between the two characters to be honest. Both seem to treat women appallingly. I can't imagine sitting around on a Sunday afternoon with the DGC to watch a James Bond film.

I have come late to this thread. I agree with the "ban" as do most of us.

This is meant as a childrens day to promote books and reading. 50 shades is about S & M with lots of things about sexual violence and control.

There are increasing concerns about young people accessing porn and getting an idea of it being normal or acceptable.

His idea is inventive but it is in very bad taste. His mother should have known better. That is not right in any school.

The problem with Fifty Shades is that it has been ridiculed and lampooned so much that nobody takes the sex seriously. It has almost become a national treasure.

As a child I read the Beano and Dandy comics. Full of violence.

I think it was Dennis the Menace who got a battering every week from his father.

I think James Bond films are vile - murder, mayhem and misogyny dressed up to look glamorous and sophisticated.

The fact that young children can see a James Bond film on the TV at any time indicates our acceptance of "sanitized" violence as suitable entertainment for children, which I think is not particularly wholesome either.

My grandson aged five went as the Stick Man. He looked forward to it all week, but come the day he was not a happy boy. Somehow he thought dressing in brown and having a painted brown face made him look silly.
He has read the book (many times). It is his favourite. I approved of his choice.

Might have caused less of an uproar if he had gone as The Boy in the Dress from David Walliam's book

The difference is, gillybob, that anyone, of any age, can see James Bond films on TV any Saturday afternoon. I sincerely hope that children of 11 haven't had the opportunity to watch 50 Shades.

I don't think the school acted correctly at all Mishap . Why dismiss a character like Christian Grey in order to suggest a character such as James Bond? I wouldn't think either suitable for an 11 year old to read.

Dare I say that there is a strong possibility that most of the children may not have actually read the books featuring the characters they are dressing up as.

I am not saying that dressing up as Christian Grey was right btw.

I am not clear as to how the media got their claws into this - there has been some suggestion that mother initiated this. I think the school acted correctly but it would have been better if it had been kept out of the media.

petallus, yes indeed.

Just want to say that GS1 is thoroughly p****d off because his school didn't dress up this year Apparently they will wear red for Comic Relief instead. All very disappointed.

IMO it was entirely inappropriate for the boy to dress as Christian Grey. I am amazed the mother didn't dissuade him from doing so.

However, did we have to have the predictable expressions of outraged indignation from the moral majority? I am relieved someone hasn't suggested getting up a petition to get the mother fired from her job and the boy taken into care.

It seems to defeat the object of the exercise – presumably to stimulate interest in reading – to dress up as a character from a book you haven't read. How can it be your favourite character?

However, what puzzled me was that I was sure my grandchildren dressed up for World Book Day last year but I have heard nothing about it this year. That is because WBD in March is actually only in Britain and Ireland. Everywhere else in the world it is in April.

Juliette. I've just ordered the first two books in that series (Young Bond) for my grandson. I didn't know they existed. Sounds just up his street.

FlicketyB there's a series of books by Charlie Higson called 'Young James Bond' DGS read them when he was in year six. I have no idea of the content, they were written for older children probably 12+ Can't believe that DD would have encouraged him to read something that was unsuitable.

Exactly Flickety

I do not disagree with you JBF but his mother should have known better. As I said, it his mother's job to appreciate his choice but explain to him why it is inappropriate and help him choose something more appropriate.

Adult sexuality is on the media, whether as books, newspapers or online so of course children will come up against things that we would all think they should ideally not know of. But our role as adults is to guide, protect and contextualise the things children see and read and that includes explaining why Christian Grey is not a suitable character to dress up as for World Book day at school.