To be horrified by the Card Factory

[Kidsinamerica123]

Browsing and came across this card. For those who can't see it - it's one of those 'old photo with a (supposedly) witty caption' 2 men are pictured standing by a fence with a caption that reads "Having popped out for a fag, Nigel was delighted when one turned up immediately."

Absolutely disgusted by this I called the Card Factory's head office straight away (I demanded the number in the shop), only to be informed "Head office only deal with complaints made in writing - there's nothing I can do for you now!"

AIBU to assume the good-readers of Mumsnet can help them address their misguided, revolting homophobic humour TODAY without waiting for letters to arrive?

You mean a fag, SillyString

Going to Card Factory immediately to get this for my son. He will find it hilarious.

:o sir

I laughed tbh.

Cards meant to deliberately be mean about people wouldn't be allowed.

It's meant to be funny, and no one would get their gay friends a card like that without knowing that they would find it funny.

Gay people aren't called fags anymore anyway. They are called Dave, Brian, Martin, Steve etc

I think it's really funny! My gay friends would think so too!

I'd rather save my horror for something that's actually horrific

Not because some random person on the internet has a different sense of humour to some other people.

Totally hilarious overreaction by op!

I think its quite funny actually. The sort of thing my gay friend would buy for his other half. I mean really, am I to be offended by every joke aimed at ginger Scottish lassies, or tattooed whiskey swilling butch women?? no I don't think so.

Is registering on MN specifically to post their outrage really something people do when they spot something they are professionally offended about?

I'm shocked at the responses here! Fag and faggot are homophobic language and you don't have to be a gay man to find them offensive. Would people think a card calling gay men queers was ok? Poofters? What about pakis? Fuck sake. It's an offensive pun and the fact that some gay men use the word doesn't stop it being offensive.

Gotta love how people who aren't gay/blond/short etc get so offended at jokes made about being gay/blond/short.

I laugh at myself all the time. I'd be upset if someone meant to be hurtful when calling me a fat ugly cow. However if a friend made a joke about my fat arse or told me I should have been a blond I'd see the funny side.

Being able to laugh at yourself is an important life skill

I saw a card in a shop in New York which had a photo of a stereotype British upper-class male, three piece suit and clipped moustache, and a stereotype classless laid-back American male. The "dialogue" ran:

I remember Carruthers, he was my fag at Eton

You Brits sure are frank about these things!

I wonder what the OP would have made of that?

What an interesting first post

Gay people aren't called fags anymore anyway

really?

I think it's funny.

Not offensive just funny.

Don't buy it if you don't like it.

Jesus wept

Being short, blond or fat is not the same as being gay. How can people be so thick as to equate them?

I get ya OP. Don't worry about the ribbing you're getting, you just see this joke from the other side.

I know quite a few gay men who say "fag" and would find this funny. I might even buy it for them.

But when "fag" is used as an insult it is absolutely horrendous. I've seen my bestfriend after he's been called it, had it shouted at him, etc. And it's horrible.

In this case it's not an insult though.

Although I know plenty of black people (my dad included) who think there is no place, not ever for the word nigger. No matter if it is said by a black person, in a "taking it back way" or whatever. And I respect that opinion.

So I respect you if you think there is no place for the word "fag".

Being short, blond or fat is not the same as being gay. How can people be so thick as to equate them?

Now ALL thick people are mortally offended by the casual insulting use of the word.

I get that lots of people find it funny, but I don't get the justification of 'my gay friend would love it'. Is it only gay people who should feel offended by homophobia? Should only black people decide what is racist?

Some posters are verging on the laughable comment that they cant be homophobic because some of their best friends are gay.

Jesus wept

Oops, now we've offended the Christians....

:o

theo

My first thought was as in 'fagging' at schools. Ho hum.

Old photos on cards with 'witty' captions are so overdone!

Bump, I think you are missing the point
Lots of posters have pointed out that it isn't a word that causes great offence to the gay community and have backed it up with a personal anecdote about someone they know. MN is full of these things.

My own two penn'th is that my gay friend refers to me as his 'fag hag'. Even introduces me as such to new people and tags photos on facebook as 'fag and hag'

I would go as far as to suggest this is a play on not only the word 'fag' but also the concept of cruising/cottaging...

I read it and thought straight away it was derogatory - I just always thought it was!

Surprised to be one of the few that agreed with the OP (not sure I'd have phoned head office) about thinking it was a bit off.

I'm confused now

Gay people aren't called fags anymore anyway. They are called Dave, Brian, Martin, Steve etc

So when I phone my gay colleague for a chat work related conversation I need to ask if I can speak to "Dave, Brian, Martin, Steve etc" instead of just asking for him by name?

This is all very confusing

What about the cards poking fun at age?

Are they offensive.

Or the ones that make men/women out to be dozy buggers

Or IT experts, geeks