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An online campaign by a group of mothers has forced Woolworths to withdraw a line of bedroom furniture for girls called 'Lolita'.

The Lolita Midsleeper Combi, a wooden bed with pull-out desk and cupboard designed for girls aged around six, was put on sale on the Woolworths website for £349.99.

Staff, it appears, had no idea of the sexual connotations of the name. But a mother who was browsing the site did, and put a message on the Raisingkids.co.uk website to complain.

She wrote: "Am I being particularly sensitive, or does anyone else out there think it's bad taste for Woolies to have a kiddy bed range named 'Lolita'?."

A torrent of messages followed echoing her thoughts, some saying they would boycott the store.

Woolworths initially appeared baffled and refused to withdraw the product, saying in addition to the family market it also had to "respond to customer demands and follow current trends".

After a quick investigation they changed their minds.

Staff, it appears, had no idea of the sexual connotations of the name. But a mother who was browsing the site did, and put a message on the Raisingkids.co.uk website to complain.


Come on, are there really people unfamiliar with the term?  It was even the name of a movie recently if their lack of knowledge of literature is that bad.

Come on, are there really people unfamiliar with the term?  It was even the name of a movie recently if their lack of knowledge of literature is that bad.
A classic novel by Vladimir Nabokov in 1995.
A Stanley Kubrick film (with James Mason, Shelley Winters, Peter Sellers and, as Lolita, Sue Lyon) in 1962.
...and mentioned above, a remake in 1997, which was delayed for over a year because of its controversial subject matter, and was not released in Australia until 1999, with Jeremy Irons, Dominique Swain, and Melanie Griffith.

Even the name Lolita is a slang term for a sexually attractive or precocious young girl.

And still they still failed to noticed?

Obviously SOMEONE knew the Lolita connection because the line contains some really provocative things for children such as a pole for pole dancing and a THONG. I wasn't so weirded out about the furniture itself until I ran across those two latter items.

Dang, I'd be bitching too. Little girls and preteens are already being sexualized at such a young age. That crap does NOT help.

Obviously SOMEONE knew the Lolita connection because the line contains some really provocative things for children such as a pole for pole dancing and a THONG. I wasn't so weirded out about the furniture itself until I ran across those two latter items.

Dang, I'd be bitching too. Little girls and preteens are already being sexualized at such a young age. That crap does NOT help.


OMg...that is so gross. 8-P

WTF were they thinking? Only pedophiles would buy that furniture.