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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Baby's bottom censored by store | Baby's bottom censored by store |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A mother who wanted to give a birthday cake to her son featuring a photo of him as a baby was forced to have it censored because it showed his bottom. | A mother who wanted to give a birthday cake to her son featuring a photo of him as a baby was forced to have it censored because it showed his bottom. |
| Gail Jordan, 41, had gone to Asda in Liscard, Wirral, on 13 June with the photo of her 21-year-old son David taken when he was five months old. | Gail Jordan, 41, had gone to Asda in Liscard, Wirral, on 13 June with the photo of her 21-year-old son David taken when he was five months old. |
| Staff at the supermarket refused to scan the picture onto a cake as it featured nudity. | Staff at the supermarket refused to scan the picture onto a cake as it featured nudity. |
| They eventually printed the image onto the icing with a star over the bottom. | They eventually printed the image onto the icing with a star over the bottom. |
| Mrs Jordan, of Rock Ferry, said: "I took the photo of my son to the store in Liscard and they said we can't do that - it's nudity. | Mrs Jordan, of Rock Ferry, said: "I took the photo of my son to the store in Liscard and they said we can't do that - it's nudity. |
| "It was a photo of my son at five-months-old. I could not believe it. | "It was a photo of my son at five-months-old. I could not believe it. |
| A star was put on the picture to cover baby David's bottom | |
| "Eventually another member of staff cut a star out and put it on his bottom on the cake. | "Eventually another member of staff cut a star out and put it on his bottom on the cake. |
| "I just wanted a picture on his cake. Staff said it was deemed as pornographic. | "I just wanted a picture on his cake. Staff said it was deemed as pornographic. |
| "I don't normally shop there, but it would not stop me going back." | "I don't normally shop there, but it would not stop me going back." |
| She added that her son was embarassed by the debacle but liked his cake. | She added that her son was embarassed by the debacle but liked his cake. |
| A spokesman for Asda said: "We did not say it was pornographic. It is policy across the board that we don't do nudity of any sort at any age. It is nothing new. | A spokesman for Asda said: "We did not say it was pornographic. It is policy across the board that we don't do nudity of any sort at any age. It is nothing new. |
| "They (the staff) made a couple of suggestions - enlarge it so you take the bottom out of it, make the border different and another suggestion was putting a star on the offending area." | "They (the staff) made a couple of suggestions - enlarge it so you take the bottom out of it, make the border different and another suggestion was putting a star on the offending area." |
| Read a selection of your comments on this story: | Read a selection of your comments on this story: |
| I had the same experience with Asda in Chatham, my son's photo was when he was about 2 yrs but they refused to put it on the cake as he had NO pants on, I had to use another photograph with him with clothes on or they would refuse. Not due to pornography but due to unsavoury characters (paedophiles!) Christine Sandmann, Gillingham, Kent | I had the same experience with Asda in Chatham, my son's photo was when he was about 2 yrs but they refused to put it on the cake as he had NO pants on, I had to use another photograph with him with clothes on or they would refuse. Not due to pornography but due to unsavoury characters (paedophiles!) Christine Sandmann, Gillingham, Kent |
| I took a photo of my son when he was 10 months old - naked on a rug - to Asda in Boston and had no problem getting it printed onto a birthday cake, so it must depend on the area you live at.Mrs Lyon, Spalding, Lincs. | I took a photo of my son when he was 10 months old - naked on a rug - to Asda in Boston and had no problem getting it printed onto a birthday cake, so it must depend on the area you live at.Mrs Lyon, Spalding, Lincs. |
| I experienced exactly the same problem with an Asda in Norfolk. I was trying to arrange a cake for my Fathers 50th birthday and took along my "embarrassing" baby photo for the cake. When I presented the photo to the bakery they told me they would not put the picture on as it showed his bottom. I had to go home and actually choose a different picture for the cake as they completely refused to put the picture on! It wasn't a rude picture and was just one of him as a baby lying on his front. I was completely shocked when they refused to put the picture on and when it came to my mothers birthday I found another supermarket to do the cake instead. Lyndsey Newcombe, Buckhurst Hill, Essex | I experienced exactly the same problem with an Asda in Norfolk. I was trying to arrange a cake for my Fathers 50th birthday and took along my "embarrassing" baby photo for the cake. When I presented the photo to the bakery they told me they would not put the picture on as it showed his bottom. I had to go home and actually choose a different picture for the cake as they completely refused to put the picture on! It wasn't a rude picture and was just one of him as a baby lying on his front. I was completely shocked when they refused to put the picture on and when it came to my mothers birthday I found another supermarket to do the cake instead. Lyndsey Newcombe, Buckhurst Hill, Essex |
| In Key West Florida I took a photo of a painting of a mermaid that I saw in an art gallery window. The painting was of a topless mirmaid. When I took the memory stick to WalMart they refused to print the mermaid image because it showed nudity. The image was of a painting, not a real person. I agree that pornographic images can not be tolerated in commercial retail enviournments, but not all nudity is pornographic and situational dicretion should be allowed to be used, rather than a blanket ban caused by fear of litigation.Lisa Lessware, London | In Key West Florida I took a photo of a painting of a mermaid that I saw in an art gallery window. The painting was of a topless mirmaid. When I took the memory stick to WalMart they refused to print the mermaid image because it showed nudity. The image was of a painting, not a real person. I agree that pornographic images can not be tolerated in commercial retail enviournments, but not all nudity is pornographic and situational dicretion should be allowed to be used, rather than a blanket ban caused by fear of litigation.Lisa Lessware, London |
| I was working for a company and it was coming up to its birthday celebrations. So we went to Sainsbury's in our uniforms with our name tags and were promptly told we couldnt have the stores name and logo on the cake as it was copywritten. DaftJames | I was working for a company and it was coming up to its birthday celebrations. So we went to Sainsbury's in our uniforms with our name tags and were promptly told we couldnt have the stores name and logo on the cake as it was copywritten. DaftJames |
| It was a friends 40th birthday at work last year and we wanted to have a cake done also. i made a picture of her so it looked like George Clooney was hugging her and they wouldn't do it either because they didnt have his permission! Can you believe it - after I made a fuss in the store they finally agreed.Nick, Oldbury, West Midlands | It was a friends 40th birthday at work last year and we wanted to have a cake done also. i made a picture of her so it looked like George Clooney was hugging her and they wouldn't do it either because they didnt have his permission! Can you believe it - after I made a fuss in the store they finally agreed.Nick, Oldbury, West Midlands |
| About 7 months ago, soon after our baby was born, we went along to an art exhibition in London. The exhibition was about the portrayal of sex in art over the years. We went mid afternoon, the baby was about 1 month old and fast asleep. We were told we couldn't go in with the baby because due to the nudity depicted in the exhibition! Gobsmacked we were. The baby couldn't even focus, let alone be corrupted and subsequently scarred for life by grubby images. Get a grip people!James Spratt, Bow, London | About 7 months ago, soon after our baby was born, we went along to an art exhibition in London. The exhibition was about the portrayal of sex in art over the years. We went mid afternoon, the baby was about 1 month old and fast asleep. We were told we couldn't go in with the baby because due to the nudity depicted in the exhibition! Gobsmacked we were. The baby couldn't even focus, let alone be corrupted and subsequently scarred for life by grubby images. Get a grip people!James Spratt, Bow, London |
| My mother once took some photos to a chemist (the days before digital!) and they said they would make the photographs up because there was 2 pictures of my brother and sister in the bath (at around 1 and 2, respectively). The rest were all of our holiday snaps - the whole family just relaxing on the beach or in a restaurant. It clearly wasn't sinister. Can't for the life of me remember which chemists it was?...Owen Moone, Milton Keynes, UK | My mother once took some photos to a chemist (the days before digital!) and they said they would make the photographs up because there was 2 pictures of my brother and sister in the bath (at around 1 and 2, respectively). The rest were all of our holiday snaps - the whole family just relaxing on the beach or in a restaurant. It clearly wasn't sinister. Can't for the life of me remember which chemists it was?...Owen Moone, Milton Keynes, UK |
| "Another suggestion was putting a star on the offending area." Are they mad? Has common sense been totally lost? One can only sigh...Chantel, Wales | "Another suggestion was putting a star on the offending area." Are they mad? Has common sense been totally lost? One can only sigh...Chantel, Wales |
| This ties well with your article - Adults 'scared to go near kids' - no wonder with an attitude like thisChristophe, Edinburgh | This ties well with your article - Adults 'scared to go near kids' - no wonder with an attitude like thisChristophe, Edinburgh |
| Personally, I think it's a good thing the staff had considered the implications of using such a photo. It IS nudity after all (although of a baby), nude is nude. The fact that they had discussed it with the customer and had confirmed it is okay to use is a good thing, the store doesn't want any law-breaking or offensive acts, it is just being careful since it is a family-friendly store.Chilli, Cardiff, Wales | Personally, I think it's a good thing the staff had considered the implications of using such a photo. It IS nudity after all (although of a baby), nude is nude. The fact that they had discussed it with the customer and had confirmed it is okay to use is a good thing, the store doesn't want any law-breaking or offensive acts, it is just being careful since it is a family-friendly store.Chilli, Cardiff, Wales |
| This country is a joke. We have no problem letting our kids wander the streets unmonitored until all hours, take drugs at 12 or 13 & allow girls to have sex & get pregnant before they are even old enough to leave school, but if a photo of a 5 month old baby's bottom is put on a birthday cake we get all self-righteous & prudish about it. It's pathetic.Matt Marshall, Nelson country, England | This country is a joke. We have no problem letting our kids wander the streets unmonitored until all hours, take drugs at 12 or 13 & allow girls to have sex & get pregnant before they are even old enough to leave school, but if a photo of a 5 month old baby's bottom is put on a birthday cake we get all self-righteous & prudish about it. It's pathetic.Matt Marshall, Nelson country, England |