Lost childhoods

We live in a society rapidly receding to the mid-19th century in its attitudes to children, with the added ingredient of child sexuality excused by improved infant mortality figures in 21st-century Britain and the psychological 'emancipation' of the pill.

A belated outcry against retailers endorsement of items like high-heels for 8-year-olds, t-shirts with inappropriate slogans such as Future Wag, and padded bras for primary-school aged girls has succeeded in getting the products withdrawn. But what were we collectively thinking to let this happen in the first place? And why is Playboy Bunny merchandise still seen as being benign?

What it the boot was on the other foot? Padded jockstraps for 8-year-old, t-shirts with slogans like Future Pimp, and home gyms for toddlers to hone their six-packs? I think not.

And thank goodness the stereotypes haven't veered into race relations.

There will always be a market for tacky, insensitive merchandise. Sometimes the public needs to be protected against itself.


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