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Would you be offended by this?

(29 Posts)
rosesarered Fri 23-Oct-15 15:30:55

Listening to local radio yesterday, there was a local cafe/bakery that had a sign hanging up 'thin people are kidnapped more easily, stay safe,eat cake!'
the woman who runs the cafe says loads of people laugh when they read it but had an email sent from somebody who said 'how much it offended them, and that if it didn't come down, they would boycott the shop'. So after another email in the same vein( from same person) they took the sign down. Now, I did think this may be the cafe drumming up business by going on local radio ( yer never know!) but if true, I think she should have left the sign up.It was ONE person, after all.

jinglbellsfrocks Fri 23-Oct-15 15:36:12

It's funny. They should leave it up.

gettingonabit Fri 23-Oct-15 15:37:43

I find it funny too. Wouldn't offend me in the slightest. Why would it offend anyone? hmm

KatyK Fri 23-Oct-15 15:42:48

I wouldn't have taken it down.

Grannyknot Fri 23-Oct-15 15:43:33

This "being offended" business is often nonsense.

I saw a very amusing advert in a bakery last week: it had a notice that they use cookies as if on a website, and then it read "Please accept our cookies". grin

M0nica Fri 23-Oct-15 16:07:27

I am amazed these days at the tyranny of the one objector. Do some people object to things deliberately, just to wield power over the vast majority?

!00 people love something and want it to stay (what ever 'it' may be). One person objects and the the vast majority of people are ingnored in favour of the one and what ever it is it is stopped/changed/removed/replaced or whatever.

If I object to the name Gransnet because its name could be described as stereo typing anyone who has grandchildren. Would they change the name, even though everyone else liked it. This is essentially what these objectors are doing.

shysal Fri 23-Oct-15 16:07:39

I would be amused, but then I am not thin! grin

mollie Fri 23-Oct-15 16:12:27

I'm not sure how I feel about it, I didn't smile/snigger/chuckle/guffaw when I read it but nor did I feel offended (I'm fat - was the complainant fat or thin?). It was just one person complaining, why give in?

hildajenniJ Fri 23-Oct-15 16:14:39

It's very silly, In wouldn't be offended by such a tongue in cheek sign. People are far too easily offended these days. That being said, in the 1980's my late uncle put a sign in his Barber's shop window which read, "Keep B.......n tidy, eat a pigeon". He was having terrible trouble trying to stop the feral pigeons from roosting on the shop's roof and guttering. It offended some people in the town and he had to remove it.

Bellanonna Fri 23-Oct-15 16:26:39

Why can't we say Britain, hjJ ? And as for taking their notice down after one objection, I wonder whether the bakery were worried about "reprisals" against their shop? What a shame people can't be humorous without some idiot taking offence.

Nonnie Fri 23-Oct-15 16:36:13

This has been going around Facebook receantly and I just thought it was mildly amusing and then forgot it.

It could be that the shop is seeking publicity. We have a dress shop which managed to get itself on the front page of our local weekly paper (not much happens round here!) because it said some were confusing it with ISIS the terrorist group. Yes, the same name but not very likely. Now it has got more publicity because it 'had to change its name' for the same reason. Good for the shop getting the publicity but I cannot imagine that anyone thought that!

ninathenana Fri 23-Oct-15 16:38:58

I've seen similar signs outside various businesses both on FB and on the letters pages of newspapers. I'm + size I don't see anything offensive about them just a bit of eye catching advertising. In this competitive market, catching the publics attention is important.
I would not have been influenced by one silly complaint.

Ana Fri 23-Oct-15 16:39:29

Perhaps it was Brighton, Bellanonna!

JamJar1 Fri 23-Oct-15 17:05:46

What a shame they took the sign down, wise words. I have just had a slice of rhubarb crumble though. smile

Leticia Fri 23-Oct-15 17:30:54

I love signs like that- anything that gives a smile is good.

Devorgilla Fri 23-Oct-15 17:56:03

A lot of people have a 'sense of humour' bypass these days. I can understand it if there is something offensive to particular groups designed specifically to degrade and humiliate but a general comment like that? Certainly shouldn't have taken it down. I loved the Mormons answer to 'The Book of Mormon' musical. London buses carried the advert, "You've seen the play, now read the book." No riots, no demands to take it off stage.

Bellanonna Fri 23-Oct-15 17:58:34

Or Boston (lincs) Ana ? grin

Ana Fri 23-Oct-15 18:00:26

Or Bolton? Beeston? Must be many more...grin

Nelliemoser Fri 23-Oct-15 18:33:17

There are some people who are too easily offended. Many jokes only work because of an element of surprise and often teasing.

Listen to Michael McIntyre who goes around Britain making fun of different towns and their idiosyncracies. The local audiencies really enjoy it.

In Britain we seem to have a long and healthy history of poking fun at our way of life. Others could choose to be very offended.

rosesarered Fri 23-Oct-15 19:35:40

I did think to myself that maybe the shop was making a big thing about it for free advertising....
If only one or two people complain about something, then it's silly to change it IMO.

MamaCaz Fri 23-Oct-15 20:01:45

It has amused me - I'm tempted to make myself a sign like that to hang in my kitchen grin

The fact that people consider me to be on the skinny side just makes it all the more amusing as far as I'm concerned!

rosesarered Fri 23-Oct-15 21:45:19

grin

Alea Fri 23-Oct-15 22:25:43

I have seen the same sign in Yardley Hastings on the road to Northampton, thought it was very funny then and I still like it!

Jomarie Fri 23-Oct-15 22:38:35

I find it amusing but am not amused by the tyranny imposed by the minority. Sign of the times we live in - a bit sad really

soontobe Sat 24-Oct-15 00:24:28

Why on earth would one person boycotting her shop make her take the sign down hmm