Is this offensive?

I agree with you nicegerbil - it's never gone away really.

I think it's regarded by some as a "harmless bit of fun".

Tossers...

This stuff was still much in evidence at the seaside in the 70s and 80s.

And the equivalent all over the telly.

All this different generation stuff. I'm not even 50 yet! Seems a bit weird.

In the days before effective sunblock or ubiquitous baseball caps , the knotted hanky was a common feature on these postcards - I think signifying a man who couldn't afford a proper Panama hat. IIRC there was often a distinct class element to this genre of 'humour'.

(Formative years 60s-70s Essex seaside town so an accidental specialist subject)

I believe that the knotted hanky hat thing was called a "sidcup" in the Meaning of Liff.

'no sense of humour' = a good sense of humour so you are able to discern whether something is actually funny or not.

Yes as above, finding it funny or acceptable perpetuates misogyny.

I don't find the actual image offensive (distasteful) but I would find a society that found it funny and acceptable problematic.

To me it says more about an individual who would laugh at, buy and send, give patronage to images like that.

And would raise red flags about the individual.

As a pp said, I'd include it as a source to demonstrate social attitudes in a book about women's history.

generally featuring a male who looks like a loser or twit. That was a cheap device for claiming it was laughing at men too I suppose.

Yes, absolutely Errol

I saw your AIBU thread and am glad to see you post this here, OP!

I remember these postcards from my childhood, when they were regularly displayed outside newsagents - part of the general background of sexism and objectification of women that was so much part of the cultural landscape in the 60’s/70’s.

I think that a man posting this now in a mixed sex community group is actually a form of sexual harassment of the women in that group. It’s objectifying women and trivialising the reality of sexual assault, the fact that some men feel entitled to grope women as and when they choose. Which itself is utterly dehumanising, and given how often it does actually happen IRL - both the comments and the groping - it’s pretty shit to expect women, especially women you don’t know well (ie in this community group context) to find it funny.

I hated this stuff back in the 70’s - hated Benny Hill too - and it’s just crap that some men still think it’s ok to post something like this and accuse you of having no sense of humour if it offends/upsets you.

Anyway. Yes, I think it’s offensive, in this context certainly, and yes it perpetuates misogyny. I’m sorry you’ve been excluded from the group by this man’s actions. But welcome to FWR!

surprising that someone has posted it on a thread on FB - it just seems such old fashioned humour. Like when you watch re-runs of old comedy like Love Thy Neighbour etc.

Except by and large surely people don't watch re-runs of love thy neighbour (is it available on any service?) nowadays , and afaik there isn't a current mainstream prime time equivalent (thank goodness).

But sexist humour ... that's never gone away. If anything the 'banter' is coarser and more explicit and threatening now (there's a thread on a particularly rank comment on 8 out of 10 cats for instance). As a child in the 60s and 70s it was this postcard/benny hill sort of thing - nudge nudge, wink wink innuendo , generally featuring a male who looks like a loser or twit. That was a cheap device for claiming it was laughing at men too I suppose.

^I got pair and pear the wrong way round, sorry

These kinds of postcard were everywhere at the seaside when I was a child, and that was the 80s.
Even then they seemed naff and old fashioned though, with very simple and crude humour.
I'd be suprised if anyone laughed at it, not because it's offensive, but because it's a joke that's been told a million times.
It's essentially the same as the Sid James/Barbara Windsor joke - what a lovely looking pear, as she's eating a pair.
Done to death, boring and old fashioned.

if I were studying women's history, then I think I would include this sort of stuff in my research.

Exactly this. I'm not offended, per say. It's social history. Not funny, but useful in demonstrating that the objectification of women has routinely been played for laughs (clearly her tits are available to all comers). No doubt the sort of thing that if a woman complained about back then they'd have been accused of being a humourless, cold fish. So great we don't do that to women any more isn't it

I also said I didn't find it particularly funny either seeing as you're ignoring that as well.

Ah @Quaagars, what a surprise

Must have missed or chosen to ignore where I also said that I can totally understand people being offended but I personally aren't.
Which is what was asked.
Do you find this offensive?
Me - no. But i can see why some are.
You're entitled to be offended by it though, we're not all the same

there are plenty of different perspectives here, discussion is welcome
OK, only if you agree with everyone or are able to put up with little digs all the time though lol

And welcome OP. Keep posting, there are plenty of different perspectives here, discussion is welcome

These postcards were common when I was a child. I hated them then and still hate them now. They made me feel exposed. Postcards often poked fun at men too. I didn't like that either but there are obviously different implications when it comes to women.

I don't like advertisers, humourists or anyone else objectifying women for their own purposes. So I'm with you OP.

Did anyone (here) think it was funny and laugh? I didn't.

In fact I'd say that I'd look askance at anyone who did. They'd have to be a bit simple?

So it's a very poor cartoon and I'm not surprised that some are offended if they've had to put up with leering, inadequate men for most of their lives.

This is much earlier seaside postcard humour than the 70's these postcards were certainly around in the 1950's. They were thought tasteless (depending on your class) even then.

I found them gross as a child (parents frantically trying to shield my eyes) but if I were studying women's history, then I think I would include this sort of stuff in my research.

I do find the postcard offensive because it is sexist. It humiliates and objectifies women and as others have said it trivialises sexual assault. I would not have much respect for the kind of person that posts such things.

It's at times like this that Mumsnet is just weird.

When people claim they don't understand what someone means by offensive when discussing if a sexist joke is offensive.