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The £19.50 pole dancer M&S was forced to axe
Last updated at 22:52pm on 09.12.06
Scrapped: the 8-inch tall dancer and her pole
A toy pole dancer has been scrapped by Marks & Spencer just a week after it went on sale, following scores of protests from angry shoppers.
Store bosses had hoped the 8in-tall blonde, sporting a red bikini and matching red lipstick, would be a big Christmas hit. But they were forced into a hasty about-turn and cleared the £19.50 toy off their shelves after they were inundated with complaints that it was offensive.
The "USB pole dancer" is designed to be plugged into any personal computer and comes complete with her own silver pole to dance around, as well as multi-coloured lights and disco music to "recreate an authentic nightclub atmosphere".
Once she is switched on she goes through a gyrating routine with the help of a pre-installed backing track.
Instructions on the packaging, which has "Girls, Girls, Girls" printed in large lettering, say: "This fun pole dancer is powered directly from the USB port on your PC and will entertain you at any time of the day or night."
They continue: "As the music plays, the dancer spins around the pole, moving up and down."
But Tory MP Ann Widdecombe attacked it as "cheap and tawdry". She added: "I would think this type of product would be entirely counter-productive to the image of M&S. It won't suit most of the customers who go to M&S anyway, so why do it? It's not respectful towards women."
An M&S spokeswoman said last night: "The crux of the complaints was really that some people were offended by the product. It was marketed at adults and was clearly marked 'Not suitable for children'. It was originally intended as a fun Christmas gift and it was never our intention to cause offence but obviously we take every complaint seriously."
The embarrassing about-turn comes a month after the High Street giant's chief executive, Stuart Rose, reported a 32 per cent leap in first-half profits to £405 million.
It means he is close to smashing the £1 billion profit barrier for the full year - a figure M&S last achieved in 1997.
Reader views (6)
What next - ban Barbie dolls!
- Andrea, High Wycombe UK, 11/12/2006 09:03
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I could see a young boy liking it, maybe.
Marketing it to adult men? Get real.
- Sosilly, UK, 11/12/2006 06:01
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Where can I buy a dozen?
- Joey Baddabing, CA, 11/12/2006 01:25
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Stupid product. Stupid Idea. Stupid Marketing Managers. Vastly Overpriced (even in Euros). Funny Story, though.
- Alexander Franklin Mutter, Ii, B.A., D.S.,B., Portsmouth, Virginia, Untied (sic) States of Amerika, 11/12/2006 00:34
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I cannot believe this - This is just an update of the little hula dancer.
Where can I find one what was the brand name or another outlet?
- John Trotter, Houston USA, 10/12/2006 18:59
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Just harmless fun, it's a shame that Political Correctness has to ruin another otherwise benign diversion.
- Jim D., Jupiter, FL, USA, 10/12/2006 18:55
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