Tuesday 15 December 2009

GINGER NUTS


Tesco announced today that it was removing this Christmas card because of complaints from a customer claiming the card was offensive. The lady from York has three children of her own with red hair and did not find the reference to children with ginger coloured hair being very funny. At first I thought, oh no here we go again with the PC brigade having yet another sense of humour bypass. The mickey taking and slightly rude greetings cards are always the first ones I reach for and I generally find them very funny. However, I think this card may just tip the balance in making me feel slightly uncomfortable with the message that children with ginger coloured hair could be viewed as 'unlovable'. Take it a step further to 'fat kids', 'ugly kids', 'disabled kids', 'ethnic kids' and it becomes less and less funny. So do we applaud Tesco for withdrawing the card, or do we condemn their buying department for allowing it through onto their shelves in the first place? And lay off gingers/auburns - I'm thinking Paul Scholes, Catherine Tate, Damien Lewis, Pebbles Flintstone and my little football-mad great nephew Sam....

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