Radio 2 in the Park 2024

[Jono]

<b>Scott's Record of the Week this week - Lola's No Strings - has had a lot of attention from embarrassed children listening to the show. This article comes from icWales...</b>

Kids today - they may be streetwise and into gangsta rap, but they're still embarrassed when a song mentions sex in front of their parents, says Catherine Jones

IT WAS sooooo embarrassing. Imagine being sat in the car with your dad when Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills plays his Record of the Week, No Strings by Lola.

Yes, Scott had to give a warning about the lyrics going on about sex and people wanting to "do it right here" and have "real good sex" but that was too late for a child trapped in the car with their father, radio blaring.

Dad, there in his pink Lyle & Scott sports casual top and a pair of chinos with pleats in the waistline, indicating to turn left, and Lola is singing, "Come on baby, let's do it right here Strip for me baby I need what I need when I need it "

Dad looks straight ahead, knuckles on the steering wheel paling ever so slightly, blurting out some rubbish about forgetting the list for the supermarket. His son/ daughter? Well, it's excruciating. You can imagine the text messages to friends. (And it's Dad's fault because he normally listens to Radio 2 but after a small fight, he let the kids have Radio 1 on).

And so it seems that the youngsters of today, reared on raunchy gangsta rap lyrics, T-shirts saying "Hot chick", and nude antics in the likes of Big Brother, are no different from previous generations.

After playing No Strings, the radio station was inundated with calls - no doubt made on state-of-the-art mobiles - from children who had heard the song in the car with their parents and were still struggling to come to terms with the embarrassment.

Some things never change.

Mention sex to a child in the same airspace as their parent and the little blighter will become a pale imitation of their usual cocky self.

Like a scene from the 1950s when sweet-faced children, reared on sherbet fountains and spinning tops, would be mortified at the mention of a kiss, today's children - brought up on PlayStations and The X Factor - are just as shy about the mention of sex in the company of a parent.

Mums and dads everywhere must be thrilled. Smacking may have been banned but a new way of manipulating recalcitrant offspring has been found.

At the first hint of insubordination, there is a replacement for the flatted palm that used to warn of a "damn good hiding". Just play Lola's No Strings, and sing along for good measure. And wear those trousers with the pleats and the ironed crease down the front of the legs.

At the very least the little devils - so used to ruling the roost when it comes to operating the computer and setting the timer on the DVD player - will leave the room and get out of your hair.

<b>icWales - August 9th 2006 - Gareth Morgan</b>