11 yr old boy in Shades of Grey outfit

Of course he hasn't read the book.

FGS right back at you harrigran. But a less polite version, if's that's all the contribution you can manage.

That's your opinion GT. I stand by mine.

Well as someone once said, there are opinions that are based on careful rational thought and then there are others

From what I have heard his mother thought it was 'tongue in cheek'! His mother is a primary school teacher. I know what I would be doing this morning if my child was in her class.

My opinion is based on rational thought GT, whatever you think. So sling your insults somewhere else.

"as someone once said"? please!! Shall we have some original thought here?

It obviously was tongue in cheek. Boy's got a future. So long as sobersided teachers don't get to knock the corners off.

Thanks for the link janeainsworth. I don't think it was a particularly good decision but, as the boy's mum said, it was his decision and it was meant to be a "tongue in cheek" joke. The boy hadn't read the book or seen the film but, as she said, there had been a lot of media coverage, including jokey remarks about nipping off to Homebase to get a supply of ties (restraints).

I have not seen the film or read the book. From what I have read, I have no wish to do either.

However, I do think there's an awful lot of hypocrisy about this. There was huge coverage of the book and the film (simply because it was making a lot of money) and it would be unlikely that any young person was not aware of this.

I agree with the mother that James Bond is in no way a suitable alternative. Recent analysis by psychologists suggests that his behaviour is indicative of psychopathy - and the way young women are treated in the books and the films is not very respectful.

I personally would have discussed this matter with my son, acknowledging that whilst he was approaching the subject in an amused, ironic sort of way, it may not be interpreted by others like that, and the book was seen by many people as demeaning of women.

World Book Day is a great idea, especially if it encourages children to read.
The character this lad chose is somewhat controversial and I'm with Eloethan on this.

I think the mother could have made it a bit funnier. I would have sent him with a feather duster (tickling stick) some pink fluffy handcuffs and perhaps even a Mars bar.

Or some chocolate body paint.

Instead of the mask and cable ties ?

I haven't read the book or seen the film - I couldn't face it having had some similar personal experience in the distant past - fought back.
Jings - just because almost the whole world has been giggling over it doesn't make it right. Many boys and girls are being sexualised by their parents far too early.

Am I alone in feeling there is (still) more than a bit of hypocrisy if not here but in general?
Look at this from another side; pre-pubescent girl turns up at school in "kinky" gear/ basque, stocking, suspenders , handcuffs, whips , the lot(there is bound to be a book somewhere to vindicate the choice. Right, and what is your reaction? Let's look at 50 Shades and what it represents from the point of view of women and not "lads will be lads".

Eleo - irony at 11? Far more likely that he was encouraged by his mother - and is she really a primary school teacher- to cock a snook at the school and World Book Day.

Also enough of this hypocrisy, many many of us have criticised this 'book' from day 1 and so are perfectly entitled to criticise this mother. And well said Tricia since when does everybody's talking about it, giggling about it etc make something ok. On another thread there is a discussion of the way 'our girls' are treated. Can someone please explain to me how encouraging your son to dress up as an abuser of women helps him to grow up to respect females and their rights not to be abused?

My hypocrisy comments were not aimed at your post Soutra

I really don't think this was sexualising the boy. As I said, I doubt if he knows much about the book really.

I hope we were both addressing the same hypocrisy?

Yes aggie. I didn't like the mask and cable ties. A nice idea and a good way to highlight the state of a lot of today's current "literature", but I would have done it better.

Why do people always have to bring their own personal experiences onto threads on GN? Can't we do without the navel gazing?

"Can someone please explain to me how encouraging your son to dress up as an abuser of women..."

Do you really think that was in the boy's mind? He wouldn't have had any idea of stuff like that being in the book. (see my previous posts. sigh) Or don't if you can't be arsed.

Well goodness me- bringing one's own personal experience onto a forum? What on earth is the world coming to? The next thing you know, 11 year old boys will be dressing up as abusers of women for a laugh!

Now that is starting to sound pathetic.

Behind all of this is the assumoption that an 11 year old boy would have the remotest idea what sado-masochism is. I sincerely hope that he doesn't.

It is unacceptable for him to depict this book for world book day, and I would have serious concerns about a child of mine being in that mother's primary school class if she is unable to understand what is and is not appropriate for a child of that age.

There is nothing tongue in cheek about the idea of a young boy knowing what the book is about. It is an adult joke and her son is being manipulated into making HER joke - it has nothing to do with what is best for the boy. It feels exploitative and decidedly unpleasant to me.

It has been suggested that he knows nothing about the book's content - that being the case what is the point of him dressing up as this character, when the idea was for children to depict a favourite book character and to encourage their love of reading?

There is a huge difference between what a parent says and does within in a home setting and what is 'out there' in the general society and media.

As we grow up our parents thoughts, attitudes and rational make a huge difference in how we learn to value and judge the world.
I am not saying that we grow up to accept what our parents say is correct or even vaguely valid but their values to affect us. We might eventually reject everything our parents have ever valued but that in itself is a reflection on how we were brought up.

I do feel that it is a parents job to make valued judgements on what is 'normalised' within the home. Thus its perfectly acceptable, in my view, to discuss elements of sexuality with children as they grow and develop. I was always guided by what they asked about, always answering, as directly as I could, the immediate question. I did not however, expand upon a subject if it was not part of the initial enquiry.
We discussed much at home but I would never have agreed to my child going to school dressed as a character from an 'adult' book. I do not see that as hypocrisy. The books were of little literary merit, they normalise a sexual preference that has little to do with stable family relationships or loving adolescent relationships. There is not even the 'tongue in cheek' humour of a Roger Moore type James Bond Character to redeem it. (Ian Fleming might not be to everyone's taste but he is a far better author and few teenage boys see James Bond as anything other than an action hero in a fast car and smart suit).

I'm with the school on this - they had a duty of care to the other children and their parents.