Blonds, blonds, everywhere, and every one a twink?
You're in a Hallmark store, browsing for a Father's Day card. You find one that features a photo of an idyllic, upscale picnic spread: plaid blanket, wicker basket, a bottle of wine and two glasses, a round of bread, a fruit plate. Above the photo, the card read, "Dad, how about a Father's Day picnic?" The punch line inside: "Too queer? Yeah, I thought so too."Well, it happened to one person, who then reported the card to The Advocate, who called Hallmark on the offensive card. According to Hallmark’s media liaison, Deidre Parkes, the company would pull the cards from shelves immediately. Parkes told the Advocate, “[Hallmark’s business unit] reviewed it today and did all agree that it was in poor judgment to include the card in the line,” Parkes said in an e-mail Thursday. “We are stopping the shipping of the card, and we will not produce it again. Hallmark's intent is never to offend, and we're truly sorry if that is the case here.”
That's all well and good, but the question remains, how in hell did a card like this get past editors, reviewers, and "business units" to even be on store shelves in the first place?
2 comments:
I was in a Safeway in Spokane Washington on Father's day afternoon to buy my dad a card when I saw this card. I'm not an easily offended person but this card really offended me. I can't believe a company as large as Hallmark would approve this. There is no way that you can spin it to make it unoffensive!
Thanks, Tiffany! It is offensive. I mean, this gay blogger spent 5 hours in the car with his two kids to visit his father on Father's Day. My older straight brother and his family had arrived the day before, and so I left all plans in his hands (I was thinking it would be going out to a restaurant or something).
Instead, what do you think this macho guy did...he planned for us all to picnic on the shores of Lake George, NY. Go figure!
Thanks for your comments on My Small Gay World!
David
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