03 Apr Hey boys F#*K a dub and smoke an ounce and girls stay on your knees…
Hey boys F#*K a dub and smoke an ounce and girls stay on your knees… Not something you expect to hear in front of your kids right?
On the weekend I took my three kids to Bounce—an indoor, kid’s paradise, wall to wall trampolines. I was excited to spend a fun day out with my little ones, what I didn’t expect was to walk away feeling anger and frustration.
Unlike the previous weekend where I bounced for 3 hours straight, this week I decided to give my pelvic floor muscles a break and sit on the sidelines and instead, enjoy the view.
Unfortunately for me, the view was a huge TV screen playing music videos. Not just any music videos, I couldn’t believe my eyes, in an environment filled with young children and birthday parties; I was confronted with imagery that made my blood boil.
One video that particularly caught my eye was “Batter Up” by Nelly & St. Lunatic. Sitting there I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My innocent, 7 year old daughter joyfully bouncing on the trampoline while behind her men in music videos were thrusting themselves at women.
Women gyrating in their bikinis whilst kids are bouncing and celebrating birthdays with school friends…doesn’t sound right does it? Nor does this..
Men pretending to ‘tap it’
Women dancing on the sports field in high heels…
…whilst commentators gesture with their bodies and tongues that they want to fuck or lick her.
Yep, we’ve all seen it before, this is nothing new but it’s certainly taking it to a new level when this imagery is shown in a space dedicated to children at play. As the kids bounced around with their friends, they were jumping to far-from-subtle lyrics:
“Second lesson, smoke that herb and clear yo’ mind”
“What the fuck wrong, with this world today, with these girls today, diamonds and pearls the way, you wasn’t fucking with me, leave, for the wrap that’s in my seed, now you stays on yo knees cause we’s be in the big league”
“If I think with my dick then put your mouth on my brain”
Bounce was loud, so I’m hoping they didn’t hear the lyrics, but regardless, this film clip does not belong here.
It’s not easy raising healthy, happy, and resilient kids in a world that seems to have lost its moral fibre—and as a mother of 3 young children (aged 10, 8 and 7) these outings we share together are like gold. They are moments to escape screen time, school, life pressures, these moments are for us to bond, laugh, be free, and reconnect with our inner child.
Bounce, you made it very hard for me to do that on the weekend, in fact, there was a moment that I was watching one of the film clips and notice a group of young teen boys staring up at the big screen too. I couldn’t help but wonder what were they thinking and more importantly, I question how being surrounded by such toxic imagery would shape their future decisions and value systems.
In my line of work, I’ve read some of the most heartbreaking and confronting stories you could ever imagine. From girls as young as five on diets, boys turning to steroids to conform to ‘manly’ stereotypes, and girls as young as thirteen getting their pubic hair removed to ‘fit in’. The pressure our young girls and boys are facing in a society that sexualises young girls, objectifies women, and normalises unethical behaviour is almost inescapable. If a child can’t even spend the day at Bounce without being exposed to damaging imagery, is it any wonder that so many feel like they’re drowning in a sea of unrealistic expectations.
As parents and as consumers, we must use our voice to demand more. Stop using imagery that objectifies women, and stop portraying men as sex-hungry womanizers. There is no place for this kind of content in a child’s play environment. For crying out loud, Bounce is a place for kids, it’s not a pub or a bar. Let kids be kids.
And believe me, these are really serious issues. Research shows that the rates of suicide, eating disorders, depression and anxiety related to body dissatisfaction are on the increase as is the rates of violence against women. Is it any wonder that our boys are confused to find their place in the world and isn’t it sad that so many young girls are desperately trying to be anything other than what they are?
To the Bounce management, I love bringing my kids to your establishment and I’d like to continue to do so, but I feel like you owe me and my kids an apology for what you exposed them to. You have a duty of care to your customers so please do what’s in everybody’s interest and stop showcasing music videos where women are objectified and drug use is glorified.
About the Author: Taryn Brumfitt is the Founder of the Body Image Movement and Director of Embrace the Documentary.
For change to happen, people need to come together and to do that, we’ve got to stay connected. Please join the Movement CLICK HERE.
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