Personally I think it's funny. And i'm a ginger. I didn't find it offensive and I didn't particularly agree with her argument about 'if it were an overweight child' because people don't normally demand that cards with blonde jokes are removed. I worked in a card shop and there were loads! I also think that even thought it references a ginger kid the card was aimed at kids to be sending it or receiving.
But yeah as a ginger I didn't find it offensive - i've been teased all my life for being ginger and it doesnt bother me!
But what do you think?
1- do you think she's being over-sensitive?
2- do you think she was right to complain?
3- do you think Tesco's should have removed it?
I think that she was being a bit over-sensitive but she was right to complain if she was offended however I dont think it should have been removed. Your thoughts?
Political correctness is going to destroy the world. We are being ruined by middle aged mothers who are trying to overprotect their kids haha
We are regressing back to a time when it was considered offensive to show your ankles below your dress, and I think it is extremely silly.
And that ad was hilarious.
Benji's Weekly Insight:
I have a Tonberry teddy called Grudge.
I agree. How is it okay to discriminate against people with ginger hair but not against disabled children or overweight children or black children.
Try being a little girl or a little boy with ginger hair and to be bullied about it through school... and then to find out you might be less lovable to adults too? Bad message. Children don't understand these things.
I only read the begining... and the first thing I thought was "theres your problem, they're from York"..
I may be biased, but I lived in York for a fair few years and found that everyone loved to insult others but could never take jokes about theirselves... also everyone liked to complain, constantly, and judge others so they could insult them over and ver and then clame it was "all a joke"
As has been said, there are millions of blonde jokes about, and noone moans about them...
I can sort of understand why the woman was upset by the card, and why she spoke to the shop. But the card was then removed, so why exactly did it go futher and end up in the news?
1- do you think she's being over-sensitive? Yes.
2- do you think she was right to complain? Not wrong, but it was a bit unnecessary. She was going over the top. It wasn't that bad. Hell, it could've been a lot worse.
3- do you think Tesco's should have removed it? No. They could remove their cigarettes though. The passive smoking from them does more harm to kids. For instance.
Maybe I'd feel differently if I was ginger but it's a very very mild joke IMO.
Im ginger. I was bullied for my ginger hair.
I found the card freaking hilarious.
Jesus its a joke! There are fat jokes, there are blonde jokes, etc etc
If she doesnt have a sense of humour, then she shouldnt be reading funny cards. For gods sake she could complain about a load of cards, its just being picky so she can wrap her kids in cotton wool. The whole world cant be censored and she should just deal with that.
Sarah: Give me the child.
Jareth: Sarah beware. I have been generous up till now. I can be cruel.
Sarah: Generous? What have you done that's generous?
Jareth: Everything! Everything you have wanted I have done. You asked the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you! I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn't that generous?
I'm a ginger. My kid will undoubtedly be ginger. I was bullied at school for being ginger. I still get remarks now for being ginger. All I can say in regards to the card is "Thank god for tena lady or I would have just pissed my knickers!" ... That woman needs a grip on reality! Its FUNNY.
Honestly! People!
p.s I didnt really pee, or need tena lady, that was a little joke to make a point. Thank ye.
I think people complaining about political correctness may well be about to destroy society.
As it is at the moment, if anyone does anything that you don't like, you can a)blame it on political correctness gone mad and b)somehow blame the government for this.
Who cares if a supermarket doesn't want to offend people? Ultimately, does it affect you? Unless you're a shareholder in Tesco, you can't really take issue with the decisions that they make as a private company.
Was she being oversensitive? probably.
Should she complain? well she had a right too if she wanted too.
Should tesco have taken the card of the shelves? probably not!
I actually dye my hair gingery/or 'red' I love ginger hair!
I'm blonde naturally but I don't get offended at blonde jokes!
Life can be beautiful if you let it.
Step back, breathe and take it in
The biggest problem I've got with political correctness is that it never seems to go both ways. Chris rock can go onto a show and say things like "I hate white people" and use racial slurs against white people or any other race group and its considered comedy. Don Imus utters the phrase "nappy-headed hoes" and he's fired and has special interest groups after his head.
I personally don't think that either should be frowned upon, but if you have to frown upon one then at least be consistent about it.
Sarah: Give me the child.
Jareth: Sarah beware. I have been generous up till now. I can be cruel.
Sarah: Generous? What have you done that's generous?
Jareth: Everything! Everything you have wanted I have done. You asked the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you! I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn't that generous?
I don't watch South park so I really didn't get the whole deal......in 2005 it was reported to have been "launched" and in 2009 a kid who thought it was "funny" spearheaded kick a ginger day.
Initially I just thought stupid- bullies- people over reacting- kids not knowing the appropriate way to behave. But from my job I know that people could lose cognitive abilities, speech and even die from head trauma and injuries to spine effect you for life- bullying is bullying.
I thought it was just commonsense. But hating things because they are different is "normal". I am not going to knock York- I am glad the mom did what she did- because her kids know that it isn't ever right for someone to discriminate on any level.
One thing that was hard for me to understand were golliwogs in shops in York- I never thought to put up a stink about it.........it wasn't part of my reality- but even black face offends people- again.......learn from history people. Many times in the UK I had to leave ignorance where I found it. But when it came to my own perceptions I worked really hard to challenge them.
Like the nazi uniform one of the Royals wore on a night out, like the inscriptions or idols/ icons you wear on your shirts without knowing the history. (went into a store and figured out what an inscription read with the clerk- she said she had never seen someone do that- people and her only bought things because they liked how it looked). Ignorance is powerful. Get informed- don't wear things, say things, do things without trying to understand what they mean to you and to other people first. Use words of love not hate.
Sorry to be preachy but, I fall under so many of the categories of discrimination- I can't begin with them- only with me.
~Happy tomatoes together we will be~
You say toe- may- toe, I say toe- mah- toe:
Let's call the whole thing- red
“It’s time to lead the third revolution, which is not to say we want to be at the top of the world, but to say we want to change the world. Because the way the world has been designed by men is not working. It’s not working for women, it’s not working for men,
it’s not working for polar bears.” Arianna Huffington 2014
What if you turn it on it's head, and ponder over whether people are becoming more blatantly verbally abusive in public to anyone they feel like stereotyping, and getting away with it, because it's 'only a bit of fun' and it makes them feel big and cool. Rather than siding with those being abusive, how about thinking on those people who have been abused, bullied, ridiculed for their appearance? It's not a laughing matter.
I really don't think it was that offensive. It's the sort of thing I would have bought for my ginger friends. I'm not ginger, but a lot of my family, and friends actually are.
We have healthy banter, they get the ginger jokes, I get the emo jokes and often a couple of my friends get the blonde jokes.
I don't know, people always laugh at certain groups of people, rightly or wrongly, and I think in the most part it is just harmless jest. There is a line that shouldn't be crossed, but this card comes nowhere near it.
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Make us all feel wonderful. We'll never forget."
