May 28th, 2005 -- by Bacchus
Banned…”For The Children”
Have you ever noticed that each new assault on adult society and culture is justifed by saying that adult behavior must be curbed “for the children”? Here’s a story of the prudish Swiss, invoking the precious kinder to keep kinky teddy bears off the public streets:
Of course, it’s “because of the children”:
A giant dominatrix teddy bear wearing a leather mask and brandishing hand-cuffs has been banned from sober Zurich’s street display of man-sized model bears, the project’s artistic director said Tuesday.
…
“This bear is perverse, dominatrix and hardcore. We had to ban it because of the children,” Beat Seeberger-Quin, the project’s art director, told Reuters.
Thanks to Sarah for mailing the link.
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Shorter URL for sharing: http://www.erosblog.com/?p=1186
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I would have to agree… with the Swiss. If it’s a public art display, and the subject is Teddy Bears – I don’t think that is something that is needed to be seen. (And not just by children – by anyone who chooses not to view explicit items.) If it was all erotic art, then people would know not to bring children. But it’s a Teddy Bear exhibit, who’s going to think it would not be appropriate for kids? Anyway… my two cents. Yes, I guess I’m prudish.
Easy for forget that Switzerland was the home of the most puritanical religious figures when Protestantism began. Very deep roots in the religious conservatism that is becoming a plague in the US.
As children we always know what it out there. The idea of parents protecting is pointless.
Probably many children know more than their parents and are happier to for it.
Of course if you were a naive little boy like I was you know the words and tune without having any idea what the song means.
Bollocks. They probably realized they double booked and they could either share the bear with the public or have it for their wedding anniversary swinging party. Fucking horny swiss people.
Hell, I’d far rather my kids see that bear than our president.
They just don’t want to hear “Mommy has one of those”
Have any of you actually been to Switzerland? The Swiss are far more open about sexuality than Americans (not saying much, I know). In many ways, they’re like the Dutch: the culture is conservative, in the old-fashioned sense, but the society tolerates a wide degree of individual choices.
For example, in most places you can find listings for prostitutes in the regular newspaper classifieds, with their specialties detailed (anal, domination, fetishes, whatever). This is in normal newspapers in normal towns, not just the big cities.
Also, sex education starts at an early age, and it gets down to nuts and bolts, without scare tactics or puritan bullshit.
Don’t read too much into the culture from this single person’s quote.
Who’s kids would know what it meant? Mine would say, “Hey, Mommy – look at the bear in the funny swimming suit!”
Speaking of kids not knowing — has anybody seen “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” recently? How about that scene where the Baronness is in her [ahem] lingerie? When I saw that as a kid, I had no idea that that was underwear – it was just a funny costume, but my mom was like “Ooh la la!”
And how about all the religious, advertising, political and numerous other signs, posters, statues, symbols that I don’t want to see either? Why aren’t THEY removed? Why! it’s ok to push your religion down the other person’s throat, but their sexual preferences (puritan would say “deviations”) is forbidden? Hypocrisy. It’s true that Switzerland and Europe in general is more open about sexuality than the US is (though in the US, it’s all hypocri-political, because behind the curtain, they fuck as much as European do).
Ah well, one day, maybe…
In the ’50s a Saturday morning kids radio program had The Teddy Bears Picnic as its theme song. Only now do I understand what they meant in the line: “If you go down in the woods today, you better not go alone. Today’s the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic.”
That teddy’s not hardcore. If it was spanking a subbie bear then I’d call that hardcore.
I too can’t stand this ‘G rating’ of the world. There’s war, there’s death, there’s disease-things much worse than (to a kid’s eyes) a funny dressed bear.