The mom of a younger boy who stars in a ‘woke’ John Lewis advert carrying a costume and make up has hit again at trolls for sending her abuse on-line.
Sam Parker, 35, from Oxford, stated she was livid with the feedback about her nine-year-old son Reggie’s efficiency within the house insurance coverage advert ‘Let Life Occur’.
She stated she was instructed boys shouldn’t put on her garments and others claimed she should have ‘compelled’ him to do it to money in on the business.
John Lewis has stoked widespread fury with the video, with it being branded too woke whereas some claimed it isn’t woke sufficient.
The retailer was hit with allegations of sexism, agenda pushing, appropriating trans tradition and sexualising kids, receiving practically 400 complaints.
Others additionally accused it of encouraging male entitlement and patriarchy attributable to a younger woman and older lady doing little to cease the chaos proven within the clip.

Sam Parker (pictured, together with her son), 35, from Oxford, stated she was livid with the feedback about her nine-year-old son Reggie’s efficiency within the house insurance coverage advert ‘Let Life Occur’

She stated she was instructed boys shouldn’t put on her garments and others claimed she should have ‘compelled’ him to do it to money in on the business. Pictured: Reggie
However Mrs Parker final night time hit again at these criticising the advert and stated she it was simply ‘enjoyable and harmless’.
The household stated they had been thrilled when Reggie was confirmed for his first TV function and his dad and mom stated they thought there can be some minor response to it.
She stated: ‘I’m shocked it has triggered a lot controversy. It is laughable, how can anybody be so upset and offended over one thing enjoyable and harmless?.’
The mother-of-two, who works as a nanny, stated she loves the advert for displaying ‘a younger boy feeling a sassy vibe’.
She stated her and husband Lee, 38, had shaken off many of the criticism however some insults had gone too far.
She stated: ‘I’ve learn feedback from folks with quaint thoughts units who do not need to see a boy in a costume.
‘I’ve seen ridiculous feedback saying his ‘behaviour’ is damaging and spoilt – he’s appearing in an advert for house insurance coverage.
‘However what disgusts me are complaints saying the advert is sexualising Reggie, with lipstick and ‘provocative’ dance strikes.’
She added: ‘In the event you see one thing sexual in a advert with a younger boy – you might have an issue.’

The boy smudges paint on his face from a palette he dropped onto the ground whereas dancing round the home


John Lewis has stoked widespread fury with the video, with it being branded too woke whereas some claimed it has not gone far sufficient. Pictured: Reggie enjoying soccer and in a costume

The retailer was hit with allegations of sexism, agenda pushing, appropriating trans tradition and sexualising kids. Pictured: Reggie along with his father Lee
The advert, named ‘Let Life Occur’, premiered in the course of the Nice British Bake Off on Monday.
It reveals Reggie in a messy bed room crammed with garments and jewelry that has been dumped on the ground.
The boy, who’s carrying a costume over and huge necklace over a t-shirt, then flings a pair of heeled footwear at a lamp and low-hanging mild earlier than operating downstairs.
The advert additionally reveals him selecting up an umbrella and hurling it at an decoration as Stevie Nicks’ Fringe of Seventeen performs within the background.
Dancing and posing all through, the spectacled boy throws paint on the ground and – along with his fingertips lined – then rubs it over his cheeks.
Mrs Parker revealed she had additionally been focused with abusive feedback claiming she has compelled her son to do it for the cash.
She stated: ‘I have not and by no means will generate income from my kids – or any alternatives they select to do.’
She continued: ‘Reggie knew what the advert concerned and was actually excited to play the half.
‘The cash will likely be put into his personal account. He will likely be allowed to spend a small quantity as a result of he labored very onerous however the remaining he’ll save for when he’s older.’
She added: ‘I’ve additionally learn feedback that ‘ a boy must be enjoying soccer’ – effectively he does.
‘He’s a objective keeper, he will get muddy and he’s all the time within the backyard or enjoying Fifa – he additionally loves dressing up and has been road dancing since he was 4 and that is okay.’

The advert begins by displaying a messy bed room lined in dumped garments and jewellery, earlier than the boy seems in a costume over a t-shirt

The boy smashes photograph frames as he makes his approach downstairs to proceed the carnage proven all through the advert

John Lewis has been hit with allegations of sexism, gender ideology and patriarchy following the discharge of the advert on Monday

A glass of liquid is spilled onto a kitchen floor and laptop computer because the boy makes his approach by to a eating room, the place the advert concludes with him throwing glitter
The business is Reggie’s first appearing function, having solely joined the USI company seven months in the past.
Mrs Parker stated: ‘We love seeing him pop up on our television, it is superb. His faculty associates completely adore it, his lecturers performed it at school.
‘I defined prematurely to Reggie that some folks may need questions, I did not need to be naïve in considering there would not be some kids who may ask why he was carrying a costume.
‘However all of them thought he was sensible, loved the enjoyable and chaos and even requested for autographs. It simply goes to indicate that it is solely adults over considering it.’
Mrs Parker determined to talk to Reggie concerning the feedback on-line, saying he’s sufficiently old to bear in mind and she or he is so happy with his response.
Reggie, who needs to be a mind surgeon shrugged them off, saying: ‘I am not transgender, however even when I used to be what would it not matter?
‘It is only a boy dressing up and having enjoyable. It is excessive because it’s presupposed to be humorous.
‘Even when I used to be transgender or homosexual it would not make me who I’m or change my efficiency.
‘I just like the LGBTQ world, however truly it should not be a factor and everybody ought to stay in a single world. An individual is an individual.’






Angel Tola from USI Company stated: ‘We’re extraordinarily happy with Reggie and knew he was going to be a famous person.
‘The John Lewis advert has confirmed what an incredible, proficient {and professional} actor Reggie is.
‘To get everybody speaking about you on this trade is tough to realize, to do that on the age of 9 is nothing wanting unbelievable.
‘We can’t wait to proceed working with Reggie, he’s undoubtedly one to be careful for.’
Reggie’s older sister Imogen, 13, was additionally noticed within the advert in household photographs displayed within the kitchen.
John Lewis defended the advert, saying it was only a ‘fictional story’ of a boy ‘dancing to his favorite track’.
A spokesman stated: ‘Our advert is a dramatic, fictional story displaying our major character getting carried away and dancing to his favorite track – unaware of the unintentional penalties of his actions and doesn’t present wilful injury.
‘If clients have Unintended Injury Cowl with our Residence Insurance coverage, this could cowl a variety of main and minor house disasters – which incorporates unintentional breakages attributable to kids within the household.
‘We carried out buyer analysis on the advert previous to its launch and this was effectively obtained.
‘We featured a younger woman in our Tiny Dancer house insurance coverage advert in 2015, so selected a younger male actor for this advert.’
Woke? No, the John Lewis advert is simply sexist, says ISABEL OAKESHOTT: It includes a boy in lipstick and a costume trashing his home. However the gender agenda is not the true controversy
Oh John Lewis — what have you ever achieved? The division retailer that’s famously ‘by no means knowingly undersold’ is meant to be like these beautiful feather and down duvets it sells at such an inexpensive worth: a consolation blanket of conventionality. Now it has waded into gender politics — and acquired all of it improper.
As a buyer, my coronary heart sank on the firm’s new house insurance coverage advert that includes a boy carrying vivid blue eyeshadow and lipstick, prancing about in a maxi costume. Like Sainsbury’s selling Black Historical past Month within the grocery store aisles when all buyers need is a pint of milk, it appears a completely pointless foray into the tradition wars.
As a mom, I’m much more dismayed. For with this stupidly provocative and divisive advert, John Lewis is just not actually difficult gender stereotypes, because it’s oh-so-woke advertising and marketing folks clearly imagine. Within the roles it has assigned the 2 feminine characters — each passive onlookers — it’s reinforcing all of the outdated cliches about how women and girls behave.

Isabel Oakeshott explains why the John Lewis house insurance coverage advert that includes a boy carrying a costume and make-up (pictured) made her coronary heart sink
The advert stars a boy of about ten, considerably previous the usual age for attempting on mummy’s clothes. In fact, he may simply be a little bit lad in fancy costume, however that’s not the impression conveyed. Along with his chest thrust out and pouting seductively for the digicam, he seems extra like a mini contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race than a baby at play.
We then watch whereas our anti-hero goes on the rampage by the household house, trashing all the things in his path, whereas his sister and mom, bizarrely untroubled by the unfolding drama, do nothing. Championing equality and variety? Hardly.
Strutting to the strains of Stevie Nicks’ hit Edge Of Seventeen, we first meet the lad in his mom’s bed room, the place wardrobes have been flung open, garments are strewn throughout the mattress, footwear and underwear are scattered throughout the carpet, and the dressing desk is affected by jewelry, nail varnish, and different cosmetics.
Wearing kitten-heeled boots, his mom’s costume pulled over a Breton t-shirt and cinched on the waist with a gold belt, the boy flounces onto the scene. Flinging fistfuls of pillow feathers into the air, he sashays onto the touchdown, the place he kicks off his footwear, intentionally aiming the boots at a pendant lampshade and smearing make-up alongside the white bannisters. Making his approach downstairs, he swipes at a row of images on the wall and hurls an umbrella at a shelf of ornaments, sending all the things flying.
It’s at this level that we meet his sister, who’s sitting at a espresso desk quietly portray an image.
Because the soundtrack reaches its climax, the boy picks up her tray of paints and ideas it everywhere in the carpet, earlier than twirling and pouting his approach into the kitchen the place he wreaks but extra havoc.

Isabel stated viewers are seemingly anticipated to smile indulgently on the naught boy’s (pictured) antics, nonetheless all hell would’ve damaged unfastened if her son did this to his sisters
So right here we’re once more: a naughty boy having enjoyable at his sister’s expense, wrecking her downtime and being allowed to take action with impunity. It appears viewers are anticipated to smile indulgently at his antics.
In my family, all hell would have damaged unfastened had my son achieved this to his sisters. The women would not have given a rattling concerning the carpet, however they might have been enraged at being rudely interrupted from their creative endeavours. But the woman within the advert would not even react.
What on earth is improper together with her? Has she been taught to imagine ‘boys will likely be boys’? If that’s the case, I blame her mom, who’s equally uncomplaining. Because the boy continues his wanton path of destruction, she briefly seems up from the recipe e book she is studying within the kitchen however would not do or say something as he destroys the home.
We hear nothing extra of her as he pirouettes on the eating room desk whereas throwing fistfuls of glitter on the wall.
Is she too busy finding out find out how to bake the right cupcake to do something, or does she assume it is fantastic to let children cost round the home breaking stuff? The ‘Let Life Occur’ slogan on the finish of the advert definitely reinforces that impression.

Isabel stated the sexist stereotyping all through the advert (pictured) is ironic, given the message John Lewis is attempting to ship out with the gender-fluid star
In the meantime, the place’s dad? Is he out at work, whereas mum sits fairly at house? Maybe there is not a father, which might be totally trendy, if solely the females within the advert had been moving into some conventional male roles. However no, they’re little greater than ornamental after-thoughts.
That is sexist stereotyping writ giant — fairly ironic, given the message John Lewis is attempting to ship out with the gender-fluid star. It’s all so ham-fisted, when the corporate may merely have proven a contented woman sliding down the bannisters and by chance smashing a vase or trampling over the carpet in muddy boots after soccer.
And as for the entire level of the advert, are we to imagine that the claims division at John Lewis would simply pay out for all of the damaged and ruined stuff the boy leaves in his wake?
A spokesman says: ‘If clients have unintentional injury cowl, this could cowl a variety of main and minor house disasters, together with unintentional breakages attributable to kids within the household.’

Isabel stated the advert (pictured) was clearly designed to wind up center England, whereas admitting she’s dreading the John Lewis Christmas advert
However it’s not unintentional injury we see on this advert — it is the wilful making of a large mess that may take ages to scrub up. And who should pull on the Marigolds on the finish of the little darling’s rampage? Mum and stoic daughter, little doubt. What an insult.
Through the use of this clunky try and have fun gender ambiguity, maybe the powers-that-be at John Lewis are enjoying a protracted sport, calculating that the brand new advert will attraction to their subsequent technology of consumers.
Probably the advertising and marketing staff is thrilled by the fuss. The advert was clearly designed to wind up center England, and it has achieved simply that. The query is whether or not it has achieved anything.
In a couple of weeks, John Lewis will unveil its keenly anticipated Christmas advert. I dread to assume what horror awaits. Maybe they will flip the Three Sensible Males into Three Sensible Girls. If that’s the case, I would simply stick with Argos this 12 months.