"I mean, first Holly was asking for thongs for her 8th birthday, and now her very own Playboy-themed party at 12. Wow. Can you believe it? I'm just so...so... proud.[blowing nose] "I mean, every parent wants her little girl to grow up dreaming big dreams, padding her trainer bra, and looking to attract men as a means of personal validation, but to see it actually happening...[sniffle] I'm sorry, it's just a dream come true. Why, in another 6 years she could even be on The Girls Next Door - not that I want to get her hopes up too much, of course; there's no telling how much longer Heff's gonna be around, after all.
"I know, right? It IS unbelievable. You know, the Smiths over there made their Jenny wait until she was sixteen to have her playmate party. Isn't that awful?
"I mean, geez, how stifling can some parents get? Although, to be fair, I hear they had a great pole-dancing instructor come in for the girls. In fact, I need to get that number for Holly's party, if you'll excuse me..."
Now, Karen P. & Sarah G., remember to keep everything in perspective: these cakes still aren't as bad as this one.
UPDATE: Apparently the prosti-tot pole-dancing class includes an age-inappropriate audience. Check it out, and don't miss all the priceless expressions on the kids in the crowd!
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175 comments | Post a Comment
Holy Cow!! I'll just hope the first one was a mistake. Can't really hope that on the second one, I guess.
Ahh, art imitates life yet again. There's a girl down the street from us that's the same age as my daughter. We can't stand her and my daughter usually tries to avoid her (long story there).
She brought up a present for my DD's 12th birthday...DD thought it was really nice of her until she unwrapped it - it was a HUGE Playboy pillow. (it's actually the same colors as that second cake) DD kinda looked at me and said, "Oooookay" and promptly hid it in her closet. It hasn't seen the light of day since.
The same girl is now inviting the DD to go down and work out with her - she got Flirty Girl Fitness...you know the one that comes with the pole for $1?? Yeah. She's 13 and pole dancing her way to a flat belly. I can only guess how proud her father must be. *confused stare*
Here in Britain Playboy bunny-themed items (clothing, bed linens, etc.) are very popular and are marketed for young girls. Parents, inexplicably, seem happy to buy them. I'm glad you had the good sense to at least be offended by these cakes. (And we wonder why 13-year-olds are becoming parents...)
WOW...as a parent I find this completely disgusting...no wonder kids these days act the way they do..their parents teach no morals what so ever.
Ahhh. hahahaa.. this one's rich. And the comments are to die for.
"Pole dancing instructor..." - hilarious.
My first thought was maybe they meant bunny cakes but these girls are 12 and 16. Maybe Daddy ordered the cakes??
As a mom of two girls, I am deeply, deeply disturbed. And strongly considering putting my hat in the ring as a foster parent.
I would love to know what the parents were thinking when they ordered these obviously expensive cakes for their 12 and 16 year old daughters.
And when they find them on the street corner wearing a spandex mini skirt and neon green tube top, those parents are going to wonder where they went wrong....
Is it possible that those parents don't know what the playboy bunny is?? And just thought it was a cute bunny picture for a kid?
Yeah, whassup wit all dat up in thur? My daughter's friend Tori got a Playgirl tattoo on her nether region when she was 16. WTF?
Cakes are well done tho.
The second one, for the 16 year old, actually has the word "playmate" on the side, so I don't think even an innocent mistake has been made.
Wow. Just, wow.
Great commentary! "...looking to attract men as a means of personal validation..." Priceless. :)
What is this world coming to?
*wonders why my foreMothers fought so hard for equal rights*
The cakes are actually pretty well-made. I wouldn't call them wrecks...
Agreed, your commentary is amazing. How sad that this is actually happening. Oh, Hef. Is he still alive? Wow.
I should get my 3 year old to be a playboy birthday cake! Why didn't I think of that...
Don't forget to swing by my Daily Gif Blog, today is the Final day to get entered in my $50 giveaway!
DB
Aack! I almost can't believe it...
I think I'll be nice and just sigh here, then go shed a tear in private.
I agree: at least the cakes are well done. That's something, right? Right?
Word verification: illital, which is what cake decorators should do in cases like these instead of taking their orders so literally.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This makes me want to cry...and then smack the parents around, like hardcore.
In all fairness though...when I was 12, I was a C-cup, so well out of the training bra (I graduated to a "real" bra at 9). ;)
But, that didn't mean I got to wear Playboy clothing...my mom made me wear polka-dots. lol
Hilariously inappropriate! I love it. My daughter turns 3 next week...hmmm
HM
I'm not a parent and I'm totally offended! Yikes. These parents need their head examined!
You have to admit, those cakes are spot on. On the other hand, I hope those moms are ready to be grandmas soon.
And the oversexualization of pre-teen girls continues... Hideous, and I don't mean the cakes.
Good Lord!! That's just a whole new type of cake wreck... that's a train wreck!!
Oh YES, the parents knew exactly what kind of cake they were getting for their kids. My (then) 13 yr old niece had a huge P.B. bunny poster in her room. Her mom thought is was funny. Now at 16 she's drinking booze with her mom. :/
OMG... I am going to be the sucky mom that doesn't let her daughter do anything. My husband is always furious when there are 12yo in Victoria's Secret holding up thongs, he is always whispering "where are their fathers?"
Isn't Holly the name of one of the girls on "Girls Next Door"? Maybe Hef was interested in her long before we knew about it...
WV: reducl
Playboy cakes for kids under 18 are reducl-ous. (ridiculous).
Ick. Extremely inappropriate.
In fairness, the cakes themselves actually look quite nice. It's just the parents who are retarded.
Bunny ears and g-strings as favors! Woot!
Angie (from over at www.HalfAssedKitchen.com)
The spelling is perfect!
I have to admit, I'm terribly disturbed by this. However, I did own a Playboy shirt and a multitude of sparkly, Playboy stickers when I was in elementary school and had no idea what it meant. I just liked the bunny. D:
I could not have asked for a better CakeWrecks post on my birthday. Think it's too late to change the originally planned birthday cake?
For once, I didn't laugh. That a parent would allow that is appalling.
Hehe. Admittedly, the cakes are very cute, but... maybe more bachelorette party kinda cute?
To be fair, though, these aren't really cake wrecks so much as parenting wrecks. The cakes, themselves, are actually really nice.
unbelieveable. . . I'm stunned. . .
My daughter is going to turn 7 this year... I wonder if it's time to start shaping her to become a bunny...
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!
I usually just grab a look and the fabulousity of the wreck, read the hilarious commentary and move on to the next blog on Google Reader...
Now that I am in the comments sections, wanting, searching for something profound to write...nuttin'. My brain is exploding and I can't find the right words to describe what I feel about parents who would think this is a great idea.
As a decorator at a bakery (a while back) there were limits to what we would decorate. I think these cakes would have been considered as "accessories to the crime" and would have been denied. It's amazing what people will do in the name of making another buck.
I'm at a loss for words
There's no mistake. There isn't a man alive that doesn't know what that symbol is. I live in Utah,land of downright sexual stupidity. Even we know what that symbol means.
Also, The 2nd one just says it's her "16th Party" it doesn't say it's her 16th BIRTHDAY party. Maybe the 16th sex party has some kind of significance or something. I know, I know... maybe.... it means that she finally gets some antibiotics for that burning itch that she picked up at party #12.
It's amazing that there is more than one of these floating around...
I 100009876% agree that these cakes, as they portray something in our culture directly related to sexuality, for children and teenagers. However, I would like to point out that just because an adult chooses to pose in the nude for a respected male-centric magazine does not mean she is a stripper or streetwalker, or has the aspirations to become one.
This makes me sick to my stomach. And the really sad thing is there are girls as young as 10 giving birth hello out there!!! Why don't some parents get it! What happened to being innocent and wanting the coveted sleepover party?!
Seriously, what are people thinking?!
Good Grief! People are sexualizing kids so much these days.
Unless poor Jenny asked for a "bunny cake" and that's what she got.
~Amy B
ugh. all i can think/hope is that the cake orderer said, "bunny cake," and this is what he/she got stuck with...but somehow, knowing how many parents these days think that they are their kids' "friends"...i somehow doubt i got it right.
Klasseigh. I can't imagine getting my daughter a cake like that. Wait. I have sense. That's why.
I'm laughing too hard to even concoct a witty response. I wonder what those girls got for presents. Go-go boots and a pole?
I'm appalled by these cakes also (the underlying message, not the craftsmanship). However I now remember that somebody, I think the wholesome next door neighbor mom, gave me a "playboy bunny" tank top and shorts outfit for a birthday, probably 13th. A plain white tank top and moderately short navy shorts with the little playboy logo on the side somewhere. These garments weren't particularly outrageous, especially on my slouchy, doughy body. This was back in the 80's.
I think the Playboy brand has stretched the original meaning somewhat so it symbolizes a general sexiness, and not subservience to Hugh Hefner. Still I have to wonder what parents are thinking.
(Incidentally on the grand scale of things, Playboy is really not that bad. I mean I wouldn't put the brand on young girls, but really there's a lot of worse stuff out there now than busty Barbies posing in various positions.)
Sadly, I could imagine some of my friends getting cakes like that. At 12. And that was 10 years ago.
When parents set the bar low, it enables the kids to belly up. Or some apendages go up. Or something like that...
well, kids do like fluffy bunnies....
Jeez. And I couldn't even wear makeup until I was 15.
SO SO glad I have boys...
Aw, a Playboy cake for a 12 year old. How classy.
Gag! :(
Yet, you can do everything right, insist on decent, modest clothing, try to foster healthy relationships & *still* the girl has a taste for trash. :(
i blame the Bratz dolls.
Giggity, giggity, gi-ga-ty!
I was really hoping these were for Leap Year birthdays and the women were actually 48 and 72...Somehow I don't think I'm right.
Okaaaaaay? Wow that really is inapropriate. I admit I have a playboy purse but I'm in my 30's & I put it away in my closet since I now have a daughter who I'd like to grow up to have a job where she keeps her clothes on.
I guess the cakes were pretty well done though.
Someone should call Child Protective Services. Certainly inappropriate birthdays cakes are a good enough reason to remove these girls from these stupid parents, right?
Good heavens. I hope there is more to the story. please tell us that she asked for a bunny on her cake. Or than the party was for someone 21 not 12.
I love Cake Wrecks! And today's post was social commentary in disguise.
That. Is. Priceless.
Well that explains a lot.
yeah. that's just...not ok.
I must say this is the first post where I haven't seen the humor, and have been outright appalled by the comments.
It's a logo, and many girls think it is a 'cute' logo. I had a friend in school that loved the logo, and hated what it stood for, mostly because she had to explain to everyone that it was just a freaking design, and it didn't mean she was a whore.
There is a very, VERY large line between thinking a stylized design of a bunny is cute and being a street-walker.
You're all making out as if the only reason for liking that design would be if you wished to become a whore.
Go look around stores, the logo is on many things, and many of the people who buy them buy just for the logo, and detest the company itself.
Good lord! Nothing like a playmate party at 16...whoopee! Now we must ask, did they have strippers too??
"Uh, Child Protective Services? I have to make a report..."
Let me get this straight....kids can't watch Bugs Bunny cartoons because they're deemed too violent, but we can wear a symbol of a concept that does nothing but objectify, demean and define women by their physical atributes. I guess violence is a pretty flexible term....
Two of the seven signs of the Apocalypse ...
Tuldas, yes it is just a "stylized design of a bunny" but it was created for and completely associated with a magazine known for it's nude photographs if women. And while I agree that simply liking the design does not make you a whore, I also think that a parent or even the bakery should step in and not allow a child’s cake to have such a well know ADULT logo on it. I have nothing against Playboy it’s self,… for adults. Clearly 12 is not adult. Even 16 isn’t adult enough.
Sometimes, you have to make the sacrifice of not having the cute design because of the loaded message behind it.
Still so sad about not feeling like I can have my "flaming cross on a lawn" tattoo because of what people would think I meant--it's just so kewl, but then some people had to make it all racist and stuff...
Tuldas I feel the need to respond to you. I think this is one case where you simply can't divorce the logo from the brand. And if you have middle-school and high school aged children, as I do, (and as the ages on these cakes would suggest are for children in these demographics) I can GUARANTEE you that they don't think this is a "cute logo" and they know full well that it's a marketing symbol for an adult magazine. For fun one time my husband asked a girl on my older daughter's dance team, "Hey, what's up with the rabbit on your jacket" at which she rolled her eyes and said, "Duh it's Playboy. It's sexy." (she's 14 incidentally)
I'm not trying to demonize Playboy here, and I have to say I get a real kick out of the old ones my husband still has. I'm also not saying that appearing in it or reading it is in any way directly proportional to your level of "street-walkerishness".
What I am saying is this logo is universal enough that even young children will recognize what it is and when you hit the age where the hormones turn on (think 6th grade or younger) they aren't regarding it as a "cute bunny". Trust me.
I'm also saying I would, personally, prefer my daughters find other outlets for their self worth other than the need to be "sexy". If they want to do it when they're 18 then that's certainly their prerogative but until that time I don't think branding themselves with a Playboy logo sends an appropriate message.
Tuldas -- its not just a cute bunny -- it is a symbol of a sexually oriented business. The bunny is inextricably linked to Playboy Enterprises. That is fine if an adult wants to participate or patronize the business but we are talking kids here. I suggest your friends find another bunny to wear if they don't want people to make the sexual connection. If you detest the company -- why buy items that the company profits from? Plenty of other bunnies out there that really are nothing more than cute little rabbits.
For those of you that are offended by those of us that are offended by a 12yo getting a Playboy Bunny cake.. It is not that people think Playboy = whore. Women in playboy pose naked. NUDE. For Money. Nothing wrong with nudity. If you are an adult. I do not care how cute the logo is, it stands for Naked women that got paid for getting naked.
It isn't appropriate for a 12 or 16 year old girl. EVER.
Those are just beyond ridiculous! What parent in their right mind would get those cakes?
And for Tuldas,it may just be a design, but it does have overtly sexual conotations, and is recognized around the world as a "sex" symbol. Hooters is just a restaurant, but if 10yo son asked to go there, I know it wouldn't be just for the burger and fries.
Admittedly, my first reaction was "Oh, what a cute Miffy cake." My second reaction was "WTF? It's Sunday?" (since that is the Day o' Good Cakes. Then, I remembered that Miss Miffy does NOT wear a bow-tie. Heh.
What next? A Pussycat Doll Cake for a little girl's 1st birthday?
What is with the.... after "Happy Birthday" in the first cake? Is Holly and afterthought?
HO-LEE CRAP!
Some people shouldn't be procreating.
These are hardly primm (my verification word). Seriously, just...ugh.
Kamity's comment reminded me of the first year of middle school in the early eighties and a 6th grade classmate named Holly (one of the rich daddy girls)came dressed in a playboy bunny outfit for the Halloween costume event that took place in the gymnasium in front of all three grades.
She wasn't sent home or anything, but the next year, the costume thing was pretty much limited to temporary spray-on hair color, face glitter, and odd, but dress code abiding clothing.
Never in a million years. I have no other words.
Unlike most cake wrecks, these are well executed. I also subscribe via RSS to Failblog and for a second that's what I thought this was since it is more of a parenting fail than a cake designer fail.
I have daughters and I work with junior high and high school aged youth. Inappropriate clothing on people under 18 is my biggest pet peeve in life. Now it just gets extended to cakes.
Diana
This is what happens when parents try to be "friends" with their kids...
I once read about a man who saw a girl wearing a t-shirt with the words "porn star" emblazoned on it. The girl and her mother were shopping for the girl's birthday party.
Her 9th birthday party.
The man was horrified. So am I.
And so am I by these cakes.
Wow - guess I shouldn't worry about the little mermaid theme being too sexual. what with the naked midsection and seashell boobies and all!
UHMMM...well, they ARE nice cakes.
The commentary rocks, tho! *Snorts coffee through nose*
WV: I almost had topope I was laughing so hard.
i hope it was carrot cake.
Holly was Hef's #1 ex-girlfriend, so that makes sense. Kind of.
I agree with jmcleod76 - these aren't really cake wrecks so much as parenting wrecks. I watch The Girls Next Door, but I'm 40. The shocking thing is when the girls and Hef are out in public, and little bitty girls run up to them because they recognize them and are "huge fans". What kind of parent lets their daughters under 16 watch that show???
Since I was ten everyone's been into Playboy D:. It's a label thing - Playboy stuff is ridiculously expensive and they like looking as though they have MEGA amounts of money. Ah, kids nowadays . . .
it's sad but i know when i was in elementry school loads of my classmates would have loved to have these kind of cakes, the sad thing is that was only back in 1998. i'm in college now and it's very sad how many of the people alive today really shouldn't be procreating at all. and yes the playboy bunny is very closely associated with sex. i personally don't wish to associate it that way but it is and that isn't going to change anytime soon. i find no reason to buy their overpriced crap. although some of their stuff is cute looking but i don't like the associations and must get something else done.
I can only hope that the first one was a misunderstood request for a bunny cake, and on the second the 16 stood for something other that age (it did just say "16th party", after all). But that might just be wishful thinking. I am only 13, around the age of these cakes' recipients, and I still think this is in bad taste (not to mention awkward to present to your friends!)
You reap what you sow...these parents are in for a real bumpy ride with those girls !!!
Those are actually really lovely cakes. I particularly like the pink one. It's the fact that they're for pre-teen birthday parties that is so alarming. Ugh.
♥ xtine
http://stuffbyxtine.blogspot.com
That actually sickens me. I think it should fall under some category of Corrupting Minors.
Ummm, your own comment about getting the phone # to the 12-yr-olds party is creepy. And waaaaay inappropriate. Maybe you meant something else, but it sure sounds like you're excited to get over there and watch young girls dance. Care to clarify?
-Kendra
www.sugarplumboutique.blogspot.com
Okay, so maybe the Bunny IS just a logo, and maybe people who buy the products morally oppose the man behind the logo, but HELLO- buying the products is a passive way of condoning everything the logo stands for. I don't care how much you hate the magazine/Heffner/nude modeling/etc... Buying the product is still throwing support their way via money.
I can only hope the kids are ignorant of the meaning behind the symbol, but the parents should be aware enough of the world in which their children live to know better and should act accordingly...
I will concede that liking the logo doesn't mean they want to be street-walkers or strippers, but supporting a magazine that encourages men to lust after women other than their girlfriends/wives is one of many reasons that families end up so dysfunctional these days.
The fact that so many of you are equally appalled and disgusted is a ray of hope in such a discouraging situation.
Nicely executed cakes for the Little Miss Sunshines. So what was the party song? Super Freak?
As for the 'Logo' defender -- oh, I agree. It's all harmless, pretty pictures -- like the pentagram, the swastika, Enron, the star of david, the crucifix, Mr.Yuk, a blue or red cross, the middle finger ... Each a thousand words of something. :(
Give you two-bits or the going rate to guess Playboy's
and they say rock music is evil....
playboy bunny aged 12... wrong!!!! so bloody wrong!
Guess my husband and I just aren't the cool parents. He blocked most of the video-music channels because he didn't like the way they objectified women to our teenage sons.
Yes, our SONS. It's not just about teaching our daughters.
(and no, the cake wasn't mine and I'm not a rich girl and I never dressed up as a Playboy Bunny!)
The first one, 12 is a bit young. 16? I had Playboy bunny stuff... it was funny BECAUSE it's inappropriate, and plus that logo is just too cute!
So whatever, I don't see these as wrecks. At 16 you can do whatever.
When I was 13 one of my friends got one of those cakes with the plastic stripper male on the buttercream bearskin rug for her birthday party. Her family and everyone at the party thought it was hilarious when she wanted to lick the icing off of his backside (Ok, yes, including me. Hey, I was 13! Besides, it ended up being the closest I would get to seeing a naked guy for the next 10 years) The next year she had to drop out of middle school cause she was pregnant.
At the time I didn't think anything of it, but it really should have been a sign of things to come. I feel bad for the girls who got these cakes. It's not funny or cute.
When I was an innocent little kid, I thought that a pair of playboy bunny earrings for my sis would be pretty cute (until my mom told me what they actually stood for!! WAY TO GO, MOM!!!)
Logos are just logos and they don't stand for anything.
Wrong.
If I see the logo for Hooters or Playboy it stands for something the same way a Neo-Nazi walking around with a swastika and the words white power isn't just a nice young blond man in a cute t-shirt.
It's like those little t-shirts that say Porn Star or Jail Bait or Slutty. Oh, but it's just words on a t-shirt. It doesn't mean the girl wearing them *really* is a Porn Star or a Slut. But why would *anyone* want to be identified as a Porn Star or a Slut?
Why is it OK for a 10 year-old to have her Playboy cake and her t-shirt that says Hot Stuff?
By that same token, maybe we should dress boys in Man-Whore t-shirts and Future Gigolo outfits. Hey, they're not really male prostitutes. It's cute!
Girls are sexualized at an earlier and earlier age. But boys ... oh boys are just boys but an 11 year old is a mini-adult in sexy minaturized clothing.
If you walk around a Jr. High, there are play boy shirts everywhere! Do the kids just buy them and NEVER wash it I in hopes their parents won't see? I mean seriously girls! No wonder hundreds of teens are getting to be parents at a a young age!
UGH!!
At first, I thought the first cake was supposed to be a 21st birthday cake and the numbers got transfixed. The second cake, however, saw my hopes fade away.
My second thought on seeing these: I can't wait to see playboy bunny cupcake cakes!
This brought tears to my eyes, too...
My heart breaks for those kids and the thousands like them!
Going to read Dr. Seuss to my children...
-Susie
I remember when I was 20 I saw a 'cute' bunny t-shirt. I didn't buy it at the time and when I went back to buy it it had gone. I described the t-shirt to my husband who then explained to me the meaning of 'the bunny' and I almost died! Thank heavens I didn't buy it (it's just wrong), and to think I was going to wear it to a church function!
I love your blog! Have you ever seen Food Network: Challenge. They have amazing cake challenges sometimes that have featured at least 3 of the people you have cited for your sunday sweets!
You're hilarious, never stop, i will die. (A little over-dramatic? Nah.)
I love the social commentary and food for thought that supplement today's bit o' humor. People insert their own connotations into meanings, which is why the Playboy bunny is so risque when it's technically just a bunny and a bowtie.
I wouldn't let my hypothetical teenage daughter have a Playboy bunny cake, but Playboy logo doesn't necessarily equal future stripper either. When I was in high school, we put on a class play that required "party people." One of my friends got a conservative (non-revealing) Playboy bunny shirt for the play from another friend, which turned out to actually be owned by another girl in our class who ended up attending a pretty snazzy East coast school for college.
OMG! I'm going to totally ignore the playmate cakes because I only just now realized the stripper cake was doubly wrecky since it was for a 14 yr old. I didn't catch it the first time around (being so horrified by the male stripper).
It's stuff like this that makes me start to contemplate parochial school or homeschooling.
I think I'll go cry now...
Kendra,
I'm happy to clarify. The character who is speaking (it's a fictional dialogue, so that's not meant to be me personally) is saying she needs to get the # of the pole-dancing instructor, presumably so she can book the instructor for her own daughter's party. I think if you'll re-read the post you'll see there's nothing creepy going on. Well, nothing creepier than a parent booking a pole-dancing instructor for her daughter's birthday party, that is.
okay seriously those parents need to be taught some parenting lessons!
Oh my goodness, I thought the cakes were bad until you posted the parenting fail! Holy cow!!! Got to love all the young boys with gigantic grins on their faces though.
I can see this being intentional... I was horrified when my evil step-cousin showed up to a family Christmas party with the Playboy bunny professionally manicured onto each of her fingernails. She was 12 at the time - I was 17 or 18. The worst part is that her mother a) knew about it and b) thought it was perfectly OKAY.
This girl knew perfectly well what the bunny symbol meant and prominently displayed it from a very young age... what a message to be sending. I'm not foolish enough to think it will turn her into a prostitute, but I'm damn well sure that this sort of validation of objectification of women, this sexualization of pre-pubescent girls, simply because it's now a "pop culture symbol" is going to come back to haunt her later in life.
Oh yeah, and did I mention that this girl's older brother is 15 years older because her mom had a teenage "oopsie" herself?
Oh. My. Gosh. That is DISGUSTING.
Seems like exactly the sort of thing my sister-in-law would do for her nine-year-old daughter's birthday. These girls are going to turn out really well, aren't they... Ugh. It's days like this when I'm all for parenting licenses.
I recall on one of my perusals of the Sears catalogue seeing Playboy bunny merchandise aimed at younger girls. I think it was bed sheets, comforters, pink cute furry pillows, etc. Totally inappropriate in my opinion! Kids aren't allowed to be kids anymore...seems like they are adults shortly after leaving the womb!
Obviously no fathers in those homes. Dads know that goal number one in raising a daughter is "Keep her off the pole." Way to go mom. Way to go. The cake decorators obviously have no scruples either. I'm sorry, you CAN refuse to make a playboy bunny cake for a 12 year old. Yes, you can.
-Nikoli
*sigh*
I find these cakes disturbing on some levels (especially as the parent of a pre-teen daughter) - but I'm likewise disturbed by some of the (over-)reactions in here.
There are A LOT of assumptions going on without knowing any back-story. The "bunny" in question - that many of us identify with Playboy - was chosen by Hugh Heffner for very specific reasons - and not all lewd. I wonder that people who make assumptions have worse dirty minds than the makers of the magazine being assumed as the source of these wrecks.
Bunnies also symbolize many other things in addition to the Heffner/Playboy identification here. Granted, this particular symbol is not something I would allow on my daughter's cake - nor on my son's for that matter - but neither am I going to just jump to some ill-gotten conclusion that the parents are bad or irresponsible in ANY way. What if that 12 was supposed to be 21? What if the 16 yr old in question is already emancipated (and yeah, newsflash, it DOES happen)? These parents could very well be guilty of all the things assumed by so many here...but they also might not be.
As a parent, I would never want ill-gotten assumptions made about me...since EVERY parent has made mistakes. There's no such thing as a perfect parent.
To the guy with the neighbor with the pole-dancing daughter...THAT is profoundly disturbing, and the bunny pillow in THAT context is frightening. I can certainly understand and identify with that concern there. *nod*
My, my, what a controversy you started, Jen!
Thought I might put in my two cents...
So I'm of the Gen Y as well... and I have seen all these girls of my youth flaunting their sexuality at a very young age...
and to people who say it's harmless.... Yes, bunnies are cute and harmless; Playboy Bunnies aren't bunnies at all: They are WOMEN who market their sexuality.
I just don't think it's right to encourage young girls to be more sexual. They grow up too fast as it is. Why can't they be innocent and naive for just a few more years?
Bottom line is: Parents, shame on you for making your daughter think that being sexy is the same as having confidence and high-self esteem.
Alright, soap box is over. lol.
I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Insane!
Those cakes are disturbing.
What's even more disturbing is that I'm aquainted with the type of people who would think those cakes are "cute" and "funny" and would absolutely order such things for their own little girls (and by little I mean even 6 or 8 years old)
It is no wonder kids think they are adults by age 13 these days... media is ridiculous. My husband and I were flicking through channels on tv the other day and came across a music video on MuchMusic that looked more like a porno than anything. When I was young watching MTV and MuchMusic was for watching music videos, not porn. Not that we were innocent as teens, but it is so much worse these days. I would not at all be surprised if both of those cakes were definitely on purpose... why do parents think stuff like that is "cute" or "funny" for their kids? 13 year olds should not be thinking about sex. But yeah, for an adult party, those cakes are well done :p
While the cakes are extremely well-done, like 99% of what's been already said, those are fine for adults. NOT 12 and 16 year-old girls. And trust me, even kids younger than 12 know what the Playboy symbol is.
---Bree
I love your site and am a hobby cake decorator, and have had some "wrecks" myself!
Now to the "wreck" at hand:
Yes, we reap what we sow. Yes Mr. President, that cigar thing wasn't sex.Connection - Now you see elementary school girls doing these things and it "isn't" considered "sex", the Pres said it wasn't.
If you like the logo but hate the meaning behind it why promote it? I wouldn't purchase or promote anything that I knew was inappropriate, morally wrong, hated the message, etc. How would the avereage person who did not know you, know that you hated the message behind it? By seing it on your clothing? I'm not trying to be sexy by wearing this, just trying to fit in with those who are. That is acceptance of it.
People continue to buy clothing that is "sexy" for their very young children and wonder why they are considered sexual objects. And think it is ok. Why do we have more pedophiles? We are marketing our children to them by helping them dress, act, speak and think the part. We help little boys desire it and grow into young men who take adavantage of it.
It's not just the younger ones either. All you hear is "sexy" now a days. Is that all a young girl or woman is? Something for a boy or man to use? I am appalled that these girls and women want that kind of attention.
Young girs (16) who think it is ok to have sex, many times. Octo mom in the making, Paris Hilton in the making. Small steps of saying it is ok, leads to more steps that lead to a lifestyle. It is easy to say something is harmless and then it leads you to say, oh, this isn't so bad either, and so on and so on. desensitisation. It is not harmless.
Society tells us that morality is is being "narrowminded", "religious right", "republican", "antiquated thinking", "backwards", "not for today", "is uneducated", etc. etc. Most of these posts don't seem to think so, but, I am sorry to say a lot of this world does.
Yes, I feel very strongly about what this has done to women in general and what it says about our worth, same story just years (centuries) later.
Ok, getting down off my soapbox.
i hate hate hate playboy
im 19 and i have never worn, and will never worn anything with playboy on it...
not just because its slutty, but because its cheap,and tacky- sorry but i have a bit more class than that!
on contrary to that, my boyfriends little sister had a stripper at her 17th birthday party... oh and she was arrested for drinking underage with fake id 2 weeks later...
i think theres a moral in there somewhere!
I can't think of a thing to say.
Not a thing.
*cringing mightily*
These ARE cake wrecks. Remember the definition proudly displayed on the home page:
"A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. "
These certainly qualify as "inappropriate" and possibly "creepy" as well.
nice cakes. Fred Smilek is the acting president of the Society to Save Endangered Species. It was founded two years ago by Fred Smilek along with his two best friends Charles and Jonathan. http://www.fredjsmilek.com
Oh my... *facepalm*
I'm not surprised though, as I once had to make a pimp-themed cake for a 10 year old. Boy, I wish I had a photo of that for you...
Wow, at 12 I was still playing with Barbies and Holly Hobbie...
guess I was really missing out!
Michelle
In response to Marie who said :"I would like to point out that just because an adult chooses to pose in the nude for a respected male-centric magazine does not mean she is a stripper or streetwalker, or has the aspirations to become one."
You're right Marie, However it DOES mean that she is willing to allow her body to be used for exploitation and sexually derived pleasure another at a level that demeans her credibility as an intelligent socially acceptable functioning woman.
Tuldas wrote: "You're all making out as if the only reason for liking that design would be if you wished to become a whore.
Go look around stores, the logo is on many things, and many of the people who buy them buy just for the logo, and detest the company itself."
Tuldas you're talking out of both sides of your face which is why you are leaving others confused.
You cannot use someone elses recognizable trademark symbol to represent your own agenda. It will be seen for what it is intended to represent and will conjure up the feelings it was intended to . That is called marketing and business's pay millions to have that occur effectively.
Kristin said:
"I'm not surprised though, as I once had to make a pimp-themed cake for a 10 year old. Boy, I wish I had a photo of that for you..."
Kristin what do you mean you HAD TO????
I have been a cake decorator for over 30 years and have refused many cakes that had been inappropriate. And, Please don't try to tell me you had a boss that insisted, because what you put your hands to is YOUR responsibility. Put your integrity first girl!
My man is a HUGE fan of Hugh Hefner and the OLD Playboy (he collects vintage copies). His "groom cake" at our wedding will be a Playboy logo. I buy him vintage Playboy memorabilia as gifts. I have no issue with Playboy or the ADULT WOMEN who choose to pose in it while making money doing so.
What I DO have a problem with is adults allowing 7 years olds, 12 year olds, etc. WEAR PLAYBOY MERCHANDISE. Hustler is now putting out purses, shirts, etc., and I'm seeing young girls (7-16) wearing that stuff too.
I also have an issue with the marketing towards teens by Playboy (but that end is run by Hef's daughter....things that make you go "hmmmm"). In fact, I got my man a cell phone for Christmas, and wanted to get him a Playboy cell holder, but they are all PINK and GLITTERY! I have to get one CUSTOM MADE by a leather worker, because Playboy only makes them for "women" (ahem...."girls").
I figure you can have Playboy items as soon as you are old enough to go into the store and purchase the magazine. Period.
I find Playboy to be empowering for women. Whether you like those careers or not, Playboy bunnies are extremely successful career women. They're making more money than any of you will probably ever see. They have a lot of power, a lot of fun, and hey, they're gorgeous. More power to them.
I had a Bunny necklace and a couple shirts at 16. I'm 20, engaged to a lovely man, I've never been pregnant or even been afraid I was, and am attending one of the best colleges in the nation.
Seriously, untwist the panties, people.
Alright, let's put it this way: I AM a stripper, and HAVE posed nude for magazines, and even I wouldn't get these cakes for myself, LET ALONE my pre-teen to teenage daughter.
What I choose to do, at a legal consenting age, is one thing. I know the risks of my job(s), along with the knowledge and acceptance of the taboo of it. I am well aware of general society's opinion of me based simply on my job.
However, a 16 year old girl (don't even get me started on 12), much as it is biologically natural to want to emulate sexiness, simply does not have the life experience to understand what these professions and/or labels mean BESIDES "sexy". Nor do they have the mental capacity to deal with the attention, wanted or not.
I just hope nothing bad happens to these young girls who clearly are not ready to handle that kind of sexual attention. And I sincerely hope the parents realize the difference between a playboy bunny or a stripper (with experience and being a legal age) and their TEENAGE DAUGHTERS.
Unfortunately, I'm not surprised.
I see twelve-year-olds running around with the Playboy logo on their clothes and such all the time.
Holy crap, seriously this was for a 12 year old? No wonder the little tramps are kissing my son in first grade!
For those interested in participating in a great little competition, visit http://www.annakarli.com It’s an all out blog war between spouses and I love it!
Hehe, I actually love the cakes. When I was 16, I collected Playboy items, although not the actual Playboy magazines. They sold Playboy stationary supplies in one store geared towards teens and that's where I used to buy my notebooks, pens, etc during my junior and senior year. I also owned a Playboy Bunny necklace and two shirts, one of which I found in the kid section. But alas, that's Japan. I'm 21, in college, well-adjusted (I think), oh, and childless :) The Playboy Bunny symbol IS cute. You really can't deny that.
omg!!!
Is it possible that it wasn't ordered by a parent? Maybe (at least the 16-year one) was ordered by a friend, not the parents?
Such high hopes for such young girls. How will they ever live up to their parents expectations? I suspect the breast implant surgery is already booked for their 18th birthdays too!
Hannah said: "I find Playboy to be empowering for women. Whether you like those careers or not, Playboy bunnies are extremely successful career women. They're making more money than any of you will probably ever see. They have a lot of power, a lot of fun, and hey, they're gorgeous. More power to them."
My response to you Hannah is simply this: Define Success.
Mine does not include taking off my clothes for money regardless of the amount.
Isn't it possible these cakes were not ordered by the parents. Friends,perhaps? Just a thought. Still this is ridiculous.
Tuldas... Hmmm a logo is just a logo?? Sorry i wouldn't let my daughters have this cake (because its cute) any more then I would let my sons get a Marlboro Man cake (because he's cool!)
Not surprised, actually. You'd be shocked at how obsessed young girls are with Playboy (I have a coworker whose goal in life is to be a bunny. That's it.)
Come on maybe these people just love the show the girls next door which is pretty tame if you ask me... some people are so uptight about nudity these days and out of all the magazines out there playboy is by far the classiest
Oh boy...
When I was a young girl there was a supermarket that had a sticker vending machine. One of the stickers was the Playboy symbol. I didn't know what it meant, I thought it was just a cute bunny. I bought some with my own quarters. My mom was pretty upset, but she let me keep them and stick them on the doors of the house. :P
When I was 7, I actually looked at my brother's Playboy magazines out of curiousity.
Guess what? I didn't start wearing revealing clothes at age 12. I didn't start putting out at 14. Hell, I'm 21 and I'm still a virgin (not entirely by choice, mind you... *grumble*).
I guess the point of this story is that the bunny symbol... hell, the magazine itself, will probably not warp their minds. It didn't warp mine. I will say I was probably naturally smarter than most girls, but anyway... As for sexualization of children... What can I say? Girls that age do want to look pretty for boys, you probably did too at that age. Companies are trying to cater to that, but they are going WAY too far. ("Porn star" shirts are tacky at any age.)
"Go look around stores, the logo is on many things, and many of the people who buy them buy just for the logo, and detest the company itself."
Sorry, no. Even though others have made the same point better than I, I still have to comment.
If you buy something "just for the logo", you're supporting that company and its agenda as surely as any of its committed fans.
Money is money, and it doesn't care how it comes into someone's hands.
Telling a young woman, overtly or covertly, that her sexuality is all that makes her valuable is so prevalent, and so sad.
(Yes, I was one of those horrible party poopers who thought that baby dolls in thongs and sexy clothes were...gasp!...inappropriate! How conservative, and judgmental, and all that.)
Word verification: scersin. Huh.
Maybe, maybe, maybe the parents wanted cakes with Happy Bunny & got this instead because the bakery was clueless? Happy Bunny seems to appeal a LOT to girls that age.
Maybe it was supposed to be 21st and they messed up....I hope.
~Hillary
Yowza.
There is a boy in Britain that was 12 years old when he impregnated his 15 year old girlfriend. Now they have a baby to raise.
Gosh, wonder how that happened????
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2233878.ece
AAGGH! First off--scary! Second, WHY did Playboy have to go and make such a DARN CUTE LOGO stand for something so... uh... you know. Anyway, if it didn't mean that I would be PLASTERED with that cute lil' bunny.
word verification: rebolure; Jenny was a real rebolure, as she rebelled against her parents (they wanted to hold the Playboy party off a LITTLE longer.) AND managed to lure some young boys @ the party to the pole-dancing lesson.
Hello, My name is Kat.
This is the first time a cake wrecks has made me cry.
I am 20 years old, and when I was sixteen, I went around to my boyfriends house and he was naked, on the couch, with a hooker in playboy underwear. (I knew she was a hooker, guys, cause she told him it would cost more if I joined in) then, after he noticed me, standing in the doorway with my school uniform, he told me that if I had put out, and was beautiful like the women in the playboy magazines, he wouldn't have to do this sort of thing. I spent five years trying to make myself beautiful, treating myself like crap, and finally spent six months in a mental institute in NZ where they force you to eat and regulate your water.
I am still recovering, with my current boyfriend. We look at the old vintage playboy mags, the ones with the georgeous, less exposed curvy women, back when they thought that when the models wore underwear it was more sexually mysterious. I gotta tell you, those women were hot, not like the top-heavy stick figures you get today.
Anyway, when I went to the pool the other day, with my class, I noticed two pregnant girls in their last year of primary school. I couldn't help staring. They noticed, and yelled at me, saying that I was going to waste my life, not having direction, and they were going to be moms, and make a difference.
I got owned by twelve year olds. :(
Later, in my five year old class, we had news (Where a child brings an item from home) and one little boy had bought in a car magazine, with a two page centrefold playboy ad. We had to speak to the parents, but boy, what a kick in the metaphorical balls!
I do not agree with the people who say the symbol does not change children, of course it does. Something with such a strong message it impossible to ignore.
I have no problem with adults getting naked with their partners, but taking money to let hundreds objectify you and all women? That is not success. I am happy a a teacher, and I have to try and undo the damage teenage parents inflict on their children. For a long time I could not earn money, and I still did not give up my principles to dance or pose naked.
But maybe that's just me. Maybe I should give up and let the wave of obsessive over sexuality take our children.
At least the cakes are well made. Mmm, Cake.
happy 12th birthday!.. surely a typo :S
In all fairness, I'm HOPING that Holly said. "Mom, for my birthday cake, can it have a picture of a bunny on it?" and her mom went and google bunny on google, and found the image without bothering to look for what it stood for , gave it to the baker. Believe it or not, a lot of people don't know what it means. For example: I couldn't remember the name of a Gameboy. So I searched playboy (I got the 'game' and 'play' confused), and only then did I find out what it was. So there is a good chance that the first one was a bunny cake gone wrong.
or maybe the mom said to the baker, "....a bunny cake" and the baker, 9who was extreme;y perverted or himself did the innocent googling) chose whatever bunny that he thought looked cute.
But the second one is just appalling. I can only hope that it was the girls FRIENDS playing a joke. Or maybe it's just her friends who are sexually explicit, and decided she would like it. Either way...APPALLING!
look good enough to eat to me! do seem a little wrong though
I find it incredibly ironic that the add on the right of my screen when I read this today was for a Holly Madison Movie (She was one of the original Girls Next Door)I think that made me laugh more than the original hilarious post.
this is exactly why i ride horses
horses have kept me out of so much trouble, mostly because i have better things to do than this, like feeding my 1,000 pound animal and obsessing over every single aspect of her daily care
The sad thing is, when I was in second grade I went to an 8-year old's birthday party where her mother gave her a thong that was "just like her older sisters."
The cake was well made??? Gimme a break. Any company that would agree to make a sexualized symbol w/inscription meant for a young girl is far from proffesional. That's the wreckage. The only funny thing is that they are stupid enough to take ownership in some way for this garbage.
I have a comment to Tuldas regarding that it is "just a logo." I just ran across this website today. (Love it by the way!)
As far as Playboy only being a logo and that it is only a symbol and nothing more, that is not true.
You said that you had a girlfriend that loved the logo but hated what it stood for (she thought the logo was cute) but she hated that she had to explain that she didn't want to be a whore...
Obviously, then, the logo DOES SYMBOLIZE something to a lot of people, otherwise your friend wouldn't have to explain herself.
Marketers are paid a lot of money to come up with logos and logos are copyrighted and protected for a reason. They have equity built into them.
Logos SYMBOLIZE and ignite a feeling, thought, reaction, or even action in some cases. They are not just lines or graphics or cartoons.
Nike, McDonalds, Apple Computers, Mercedes, Pepsi, they all have symbols that we would recognize without the company name next to them.
But like Playboy's symbol, some symbols create strong feelings other than just marketing:
The Cross: To most it automatically means Christianity and salvation. And yet, a few (the KKK) could turn it around and burn it as a warning filled with hate.
The Swastika: This combination of lines put in a certain pattern usually means hate, murder, oppression and the holocaust. But to a few, it means new order and would wear this symbol proudly.
So Tuldas, it would be naive to think that logos are merely "cute symbols." They are designed with a PURPOSE. Individuals may choose to view them as they wish, but as a general population, the logo's purpose is intentional, otherwise it serves no purpose. An individual may choose to personalize a logo but it does not lessen its intention.
And the Playboy Playmate's logo intention is it symbolizes that women are sexual playmates for men who identify themselves as a BOYS who still play and have not grown up to become men yet. It's that simple.
Elizabeth
Its only a cake people, catch a grip. xx
I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, the baker who decorated Holly's cake was dyslexic and meant "Happy 21st Birthday".
Not that it really makes it that much better.
(Blech.)
I'm 11 and I was thinking that i might get a cake with a rabbit on it for my next birthday...I really hope I don't get that.
Good Lord... that was disturbing.. I may never get that vision out of my head.. oh well it can replace the vision of my uncle pete on the toilet.. YAY
Wow. Freakishly inappropriate! Wish I had time to read all these comments, because some of them are cracking me up! I wouldn't buy one of these cakes for my 25 year old, let alone a kid!
Playboy is EMPOWERING to women? Not in the slightest. You must be a man. I find it very VERY degrading to women everywhere. As far as my personal experiences, I had a boyfriend buy me a Playboy purse for Christmas when I was 16. I was embarrassed to even own the thing and then he asked me why I didn't carry it around. I used it a couple times to make him happy, but it was not a symbol I wanted to affiliate myself with at all. That was 3 years ago. No, I'm not married & I'm not a virgin, but I don't think sex & your nude body is something that should be flaunted everywhere. It really sickens me that men eat that up.