To wonder why every single boy's 18th birthday card is about drinking?

[shiningcadence]

It's my brother's birthday tomorrow. I've trawled the shops looking for a bday card for him and literally every single card for an 18 yr old boy has either something about being legal to drink or a rude joke. I get that the typical 18 year old bloke might be into beer and rude jokes but this is massively stereotyping. Why not have a bit of variety? My brother doesn't give a rat's ass about drinking his first legal pint and some of these jokes would make his bones blush!

I can't stand the 'humour' or 'age' sections. Buy him a brother card or generic one.

It might be just your area.

Round here you'll see football, cars, cricket, 'cool looking' cartoon guys....as well as beer and rude jokes.

Or could be the type of card shop catering for people who want that kind of card. 'Card factory' I'm thinking of you.

And on a tangent, why do all Father's Day cards seem to feature fishing, football, cars or golf? My Dad is into none of these things. Where are the cards featuring electric guitair-wielding rock Gods (as that actually IS my Dad)?

I noticed that while looking through some internet ones (to get it personalized.) Booze and more booze - apart from the odd fast car.

Haha yes to the dad ones too. Ridiculous.

worra he isn't into cricket, football or ars either. Maybe my brother is just weird

But seriously, a cartoon guy would've been great. Or a guitar, a surfboard... But I guess it makes more business sense to go with what the majority are into. Shame though.

Lol at my typo. Obviously I meant cars

I find it very irritating- it should be possible to find a humerous card that avoids stereotypes.

I find it really hard to find good birthday cards for the men in my life full stop:

dad = old, smelly, stupid, drunk or dull
Husband = twee, rude, florid or dull
Son = naughty, cute (as in cherished teddies), or roaring animals

I found it easier to buy attractive meaningful cards for DH before we married! I now often get plain/general ones than ones with ages/relationships on.

I looked in M&S for a card for my sister - it was wall-to-wall kittens'n'cakes. With pink envelopes.

M&S - what have you done? You used to me the last bastion of sanity and reasonably-priced greetings cards, where I'd get every 7th or some-such free ??

Bugger. BE, not ME.

I buy all 'special' cards in department stores tbh. I'm so fed up of the cards with monkeys, pints of beer or monkeys with a pint of beer and a rude joke inside.

It is more expensive, but at least I can get a card I actually like!

Kids have just chosen and bought a fathers day card on their own today. It is a card where you write in your own message and it is a pen and ink drawing of a kitten! Maybe you should buy that for 18th!!!

Something like this might be cool?

I think there is a shop (maybe Card Factory) where you can buy any card and then buy the numbers to stick on it from the counter.

Not an 18th birthday card but good.

Agree, also tried to buy card for very tidy 12 year old, there was nothing but untidy room jokes.

My dad's birthday is a week before christmas so you can imagine the massive selection there is to chose from.

I've taken to buying the least likely ones from what there is. Why wouldn't an 80 year old man like kittens, anyway?

Barbados have a good selection of plain birthday cards; reasonable too.

Ugh. BARNADOS!

My Auntie sent ds an 18th b'day card featuring vintage cars "Wow mum look at this! Everyone knows I'm just crazy about vintage motor cars"

I complained to Tesco that approx 95% of their mothers day cards were pink and 99% had a shoe, handbag or cupcake on. The other 1% featured bears (teddy, not grizzly). There may have been a few with flowers on but non that were worth buying. I know I could go elsewhere but i have to travel miles now tesco have decimated the high street so they could at least sell one Mothers Day card suitable for an adult woman.

What does that look like, I wonder?

Surely there were at least some with the ubiquitous glass of red wine..... or are they just for birthdays.

These things rely on stereotypes. If they sold cards for women with golf clubs on them they'd sell very few. A lot of men play golf or watch football. It is crappy though, I agree.

I got some lovely wrapping paper for a friend once. It was just the words 'fuck you' over and over again.

Make him a card yourself. Or use moon pig or one of those sites where you can design it yourself. Job done.

I think dd found our 18 year old one about poo types. They found a common humour and closeness.