Is this offensive?

“Offensive” and “offended” have had to do so much heavy lifting in recent years, they’re worn out. If someone showed me that, I’d just do my best basilisk stare and maybe comment about how puerile it is.

Well it's an old seaside postcard isn't it? They were everywhere when I was young...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.
I wouldn't find it offensive as such, more weird that someone posted it. What are they, 12?

Maybe there are contexts where it isn't offensive. Broadcast to a general audience that includes women, who have to ignore in-your-face male gazing constantly, yes, it's offensive.

Make your jokes about men as sex objects if you absolutely have to make jokes using sex. And if you can't think of anything funny in that line, maybe think about why that might be.

You'd have to explain to me why anyone thought it was amusing before I could decide if it were offensive.

.ah... the thread title was whether posters found it offensive, I was looking at your posts rather than that
Word AIBUs carefully!

This - if you ask whether people find it offensive you're going to get a range of answers, some saying no, they don't find it offensive and that it's funny.
You're entitled to be offended by it though, we're not all the same.

People would say 'X told an offensive joke about xyz' and it just means it's out of order, no?

Anyway I think that's partly why the thread went so awry.

I think the word 'offensive' sets people off tbh.

If you'd said AIBU to think this is an out of date sexist crap joke and it's pissed me off that some bloke thought it was ok to post on a large public forum...

You might have got a different response.

I'm sure offensive used to mean something different though?

I would say omg that smell is really offensive. I don't mean it upsets me I mean it's rank, generally, well. Offensive!

Has it morphed over the years or have I understood it wrong.

Me and OP are similar age!

I always hated the lot of it.

All the men is drag with comedy massive boobs made me feel uncomfortable and I didn't know why. Page 3 made me feel uncomfortable. Ditto shops with 'girly' calendars up (mechanics usually) and those peanut pub things where the woman was revealed as the packets were bought. I used to look at them and feel. Well I couldn't express it.

The random scantily clad women as props to men making jokes for men to laugh at and women to laugh along with as well. Haha the wind blew and her skirt went up in front of a group of builders! Now she's running off embarrassed! Hahaha! There was a lot of that stuff.

Anyway I don't think it's an age thing anyway.

...ah... the thread title was whether posters found it offensive, I was looking at your posts rather than that.

Word AIBUs carefully!

Having found the original thread - your AIBU was whether you were BU to find it offensive. Given your experiences of sexist comments on your figure YANBU, but you didn't put that bit in the OP and unfortunately a lot of posters on AIBU don't read much of the thread so may not have got that context. Most of the responses weren't really whether you were BU to be offended, they were whether the posters were themselves offended.

To much egocentricity and not enough empathy, unfortunately.

It made me laugh but I'm 50 and grew up with this type of humour so it was my natural first reaction. But actually, no,it's not that funny. Completely out of place for this day and age but that's just how it was back then. Even though I'm not offended by it, I'm so glad we have moved on from those days.

As it’s sexist and trivialises sexual assault I’d say that makes it offensive yes.

I mean I probably wouldn’t actually feel upset by it, but it would make me think less of whoever shared it and I would want it removed from a community group etc. It’s the type of thing my uncle shares on Facebook and he gets very little interaction on it. Other things he posts (music and photos) get a lot more comments and likes, so that’s hopeful I guess!

Really taken aback by it especially the suggestion that you have breast reduction surgery if you don't like men staring at/ commenting on your tits

Someone actually said that?

Fuck me!

Old seaside postcard humour.
As I said on the other thread, can't get too worked up over it.
Doesn't offend me.

YANBU it's misogynistic- old fashioned objectification of women.

'Offensive' is maybe too much of an overused word - this is weak and unfunny, more than iyswim.

Definitely has no place in the 21st century though.

Standard 70s sexist humour. Not funny. But then I am humourless 🙃

I've had to magnify it to read the writing on the front of the counter and in doing so noticed another detail - what I think may be a knotted handkerchief on the man's head, in which case I'm laughing. Otherwise, no.

It's pathetic and not funny. I would think so much less of any man that posted it. I grew up in the tail end of laddette culture and spent a lot of time being cool with anything, but I'm growing more snowflake with age. I do love Southpark though but there the offence is spread evenly and used to expose the idiocy and hypocrisy behind people's beliefs and actions.

It wouldn't be offensive if it was just about sex. If the only thing standing between men & women was flirtation and sex and desire. But that's not the world we live in. Rape is practically legal. I'm still affected by the first time I was sexually assaulted as a teenager. So yes it is offensive, in the context of reality. And because the powerful person (man) is not the butt of the "joke".

Do you think we'd be afraid of admitting that if it were about any other two people with a power imbalance?

It gives me the ick, but I'm not offended by it.

It clearly offends you and that makes sense. In my view offense is an emotional reaction and you can’t help feeling it. It makes sense that you would find it offensive given what you said about the way you have treated for your body. That doesn’t mean anyone should do anything different because of your feeling.

I am not offended by it, but it is crass.

This cartoon could be classified more generally as offensive, though, depending on where it was shown. For example, I think you could categorise it as offensive if it was put up in abreast clinic, because likely there would be plenty of people there who would feel offended by it if they saw it.

73 here Bess!

I think growing up with Benny hill, Cupid stunt, all the others, and the idea that it was up to girls to deal with men who did or said weird stuff to them/ laugh it off, maybe gives you a different outlook.

I also think for a lot of women it's easier to think it's not that bad so as not to have to think on it too much. Although surely most women looking back to schooldays, if they got this stuff, must think, what the hell?

It’s sad and pathetic, more than anything. The embarrassing old uncle everyone rolls their eyes at at weddings.

Tasteless, tacky. Seaside postcard humour that needs to buzz back to the 1970s and stay there. Absolutely makes a joke of sexual assault and minimises it.

As you've found, anyone who shares this kind of thing will call you over-sensitive if you object while demonstrating that they have the delicate skin of an over-ripe pear. Hypocrites.

I'd say out dated sexist 'humour'. If one of my daughters (aged 10 and 12) saw that they would be horrified and also wouldn't believe it. You are right it does perpetuate the idea that men have a right to look at women and have a grope.