One of my daughters tells that there are moves afoot to stop the tradition of kids sitting on Santa's knee to tell Santa what they want and also for a photo. It's not to do with religion or fairytales but just because "they don't want their kids to sit on some dirty old mans' lap" I commented to Joy about this and she agreed!
The Greens are backing a campaign to boycott gender-based toys such as Barbie dolls and action figurines, warning there could be a link to domestic violence later in life.
bill12 said
04:42 PM Dec 8, 2014
You want to grow dope? Plant a greenie...........
Nelly said
04:47 PM Dec 8, 2014
My personal opinion is that it is up to the parents whether the child/children sit on Santa's knee or not and also it is up to the parents what toys their child/children are given to play with. This is NOT up to a group of so called dogooders to decide this for them - I think it is time we tell them to mind their own business. Where will this all end!!
03_Troopy said
06:29 PM Dec 8, 2014
AND, if they have any doubts about taking kids to sit on Santa's knee, why would they even take their kids to get a photo with an alleged "Dirty Old Man"
03_Troopy said
06:31 PM Dec 8, 2014
I still remember how the santa i saw when i was a kid smelled of plonk... lol.
Like Barbie, Ken is named after one of Ruth Handler's children, Ken Handler, who died in 1994 of a brain tumor. In January 2009, the media reported on the publication of a book entitled Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel by Jerry Oppenheimer. In the book, Oppenheimer claims that Ken Handler "grew up embarrassed and humiliated by having an anatomically incorrect boy doll named after him with no hint of genitalia."
In October 2009, Mattel announced a new Palm Beach line which included a Sugar Daddy Ken doll aimed for adult collectors.
Cloak said
07:04 PM Dec 8, 2014
Meantime the serious issues are ignored.
When I'm King things will change...
hako said
08:39 PM Dec 8, 2014
I've been advised by my daughters (note, not sons) to be very careful when taking pics of the grandkids at sports events, swimming pool and even kids birthday parties and if you must take a picture make sure there is no one else in the picture.
My sons are the same as I am and are totally dismayed - what has changed and where will it end. Is it over-awareness driven by the media or do we have a higher proportion of deviants on the scene. Males...all males are now a threat.
From what my wife tells me, it's not going to change overnight either.
So it's all a bit sad and I think the kids are the real losers as it's things like this that abrade that magic bond and trust of a family.
dorian said
08:56 PM Dec 8, 2014
One thing that has obviously changed is that sexual abuse victims are now being listened to. This wasn't true in the past. A lot of the perpetrators did their dirty deeds decades ago and are only now being unmasked and prosecuted. So do we really have more deviants today, or are we just more aware of their existence?
GaryKelly said
09:19 AM Dec 9, 2014
More aware of their existence is my answer. I remember complaining to my mother about corporal punishment at school and her immediate response was, "you must have deserved it". There ya go. Children should be seen and not heard.
-- Edited by GaryKelly on Tuesday 9th of December 2014 09:24:47 AM
johnq said
12:44 PM Dec 9, 2014
hako wrote:
I've been advised by my daughters (note, not sons) to be very careful when taking pics of the grandkids at sports events, swimming pool and even kids birthday parties and if you must take a picture make sure there is no one else in the picture. My sons are the same as I am and are totally dismayed - what has changed and where will it end. Is it over-awareness driven by the media or do we have a higher proportion of deviants on the scene. Males...all males are now a threat. From what my wife tells me, it's not going to change overnight either. So it's all a bit sad and I think the kids are the real losers as it's things like this that abrade that magic bond and trust of a family.
Very sensitive and necessary post, thank you.
Yesterday at the hardware store I lunged to halt the blade of a circular saw being played with by an infant while her mother was in conversation with another woman. The sharpness and weight of the blade will easily remove small fingers. She was moving the blade by the teeth. I must have called out "No" as I did it.
The mother and her friend spun around, gave me 'those' looks of disgust, wrenched the child away and the mum said loudly to the child and for the whole shop to hear, "Stay away from HIM".
Sadly the tot will inherit her mum's attitudes and baggage.
Had I hesitated though...
hako said
01:02 PM Dec 9, 2014
GaryKelly wrote:
More aware of their existence is my answer. I remember complaining to my mother about corporal punishment at school and her immediate response was, "you must have deserved it". There ya go. Children should be seen and not heard.
One of my daughters tells that there are moves afoot to stop the tradition of kids sitting on Santa's knee to tell Santa what they want and also for a photo. It's not to do with religion or fairytales but just because "they don't want their kids to sit on some dirty old mans' lap" I commented to Joy about this and she agreed!
Is this what out society has come to?
www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-02/barbie-boycott-campaign-begins-ahead-of-christmas-toy-frenzy/5933308
Maybe the Greens are on to something:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_(doll)
When I'm King things will change...
My sons are the same as I am and are totally dismayed - what has changed and where will it end. Is it over-awareness driven by the media or do we have a higher proportion of deviants on the scene. Males...all males are now a threat.
From what my wife tells me, it's not going to change overnight either.
So it's all a bit sad and I think the kids are the real losers as it's things like this that abrade that magic bond and trust of a family.
More aware of their existence is my answer. I remember complaining to my mother about corporal punishment at school and her immediate response was, "you must have deserved it". There ya go. Children should be seen and not heard.
Meanwhile, here's a pic of me taken sitting on Santa's knee back in '71.
-- Edited by GaryKelly on Tuesday 9th of December 2014 09:24:47 AM
Very sensitive and necessary post, thank you.
Yesterday at the hardware store I lunged to halt the blade of a circular saw being played with by an infant while her mother was in conversation with another woman. The sharpness and weight of the blade will easily remove small fingers. She was moving the blade by the teeth. I must have called out "No" as I did it.
The mother and her friend spun around, gave me 'those' looks of disgust, wrenched the child away and the mum said loudly to the child and for the whole shop to hear, "Stay away from HIM".
Sadly the tot will inherit her mum's attitudes and baggage.
Had I hesitated though...
Great pic Gary, I see you had a beard even then.