To question the protest over the Sainsburys mug

[LadyLightning]

I work in mental health, have counselled many victims of domestic abuse and worked for agencies providing emergency support to people in danger.

I see the Matilda themed mug at Sainsburys has been withdrawn because it can be apparently be read as 'a brilliant idea. hit her'. Which would obviously be reprehensible.

Did anyone read it that way? I thought it was pretty clear it was meant as as 'a brilliant idea hit her'. Of course we have to take violence in relationships very seriously, but does this seem a bit overblown to anyone else?
YABU - the mug should have been withdrawn
YANBU - the protest is over blown

Normally I think these type of things are an overreaction but I've just looked it up and I think the way the writing is laid out make it look as though it's says a "brilliant idea, hit her." And the way "hit her" is in capitals makes it stand out more. So I can see how this could cause offence.

@WhereYouLeftIt

"Did anyone read it that way?" I did. The font change acted like a full stop to me, and meant that I mentally 'paused' moving from one line to the next. The phrases became detached from each other. Having read it that way first, I had to work to join them into one sentence.

I've never read Matilda. But it seems like a bit of a crap quote.

I did too. My husband showed it to me a few days ago with no comment, and I winced.

It's the combination of the capitals and font change. I had to read it again to work out what it was supposed to mean.

For what it's worth I am in my late 50s. I often think people over-react and am usually one of the last people to be offended. I have read the book (though admittedly many years ago) and I have never suffered from domestic violence myself. So if it was my primary response I can only imagine how someone would feel if they had suffered from abuse.

I'm not at all easily offended, but I wouldn't use this mug in front of a child who could read it. The typography is really crap. And the mug overpriced

I read it as 'He/She had a brilliant idea which was to hit her.’

With respect @butterpuffed you’ve had to add an extra five words to the original five word quotation in order to reach that interpretation!

Given the typographical layout I can see how the final predicate ‘hit her’ could be read as an imperative.

I've not read Matilda so I'm not familiar with the specific quote but I didn't read it as being offensive.

However, the font change was a mistake - I can see how it affects the flow of it. I do think it is a bit of a leap to domestic violence and wonder if it is mostly people who have experience of it, directly or indirectly or as an "interest" (which I know isn't the right word!) who have made this connection. Ultimately I do think withdrawing it was the right choice.

It looks to me as if the mug was designed to make people do a double take.

It's meant to be ambiguous. If like me you haven't read Matilda, it's just weird.

Typography is key

WhereYouLeftIt

"Did anyone read it that way?"
I did. The font change acted like a full stop to me, and meant that I mentally 'paused' moving from one line to the next. The phrases became detached from each other. Having read it that way first, I had to work to join them into one sentence.

I did too. It sounded ok until I saw how it was written.

There's just no need is there? I mean there must have been loads of quotes to choose from and they went with that?

Like a pp said, if you were counselling a DV survived, would you use that mug? I certainly wouldn't.

I read it as a brilliant idea, hit her.

My 7yo who loves Matilda read it as, a brilliant idea hit her.

I'm not sure it advocates DV but I think like others have said siblings etc will use as a reason to hit each other, "as it said so on the mug". So it trivialises violence that way.

Matilda surely has much better quotes to use than that though.

I love Dahl - of all the quotes to pick, what a rubbish one. Would never in a million years buy something like that.

Storm in a tea cup?

I expected to find it ridiculous but actually I agree with the recall.

I can see how either arseholes (who constantly "joke" at others' expense while no one else is laughing) or cheeky buggers (who may joke once but stop if it didn't land as one) would conveniently ignore the rest of the words and "hit her" (friend or family). I can't quite see the DV part of it though, seems like a bit of a reach to go there but OK.

I hope though that those who are seeing the offence / offended here (because they can understand/empathise with DV) are not the same people who were screaming "professionally offended" at people re: the mermaid issue (because they don't understand/empathise with racism). That would be the dreaded double standards that is rife here.

Looking at the photo, I couldn't at first read brilliant idea, because it's in such a messy font. So what I saw first was HIT HER. Then brilliant idea came into focus. And no I'm not dyslexic, but these bloody awful fonts are hard to decipher.

What is the mermaid issue?

Sainsburys are pathetic bowing down to these idiots!!! I adore Roald Dahl and he will be laughing his head off at the idiocy of people these days!!

"A brilliant idea, hit her" makes no sense.

Surely the dv misreading is
"A brilliant idea: hit her"

It would never have occurred to me to read it that way. But some people apparently do, and I can see how the font choices lead to this misreading.

@Strugglingtodomybest

What is the mermaid issue?

I'll just leave the link. I can't seem to get to the first page to link, so it starts from the second page but I think you can click to the first while on the thread.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3991181-To-worry-most-people-won-t-ever-get-it?pg=2

Thanks Hullo, I'll have a read.

I was prepared to pronounce this as a storm in a teacup, but having looked at the mug on this occasion I think they're right to withdraw it. It's not even a memorable or recognisable quote from the book; surely 'somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world' or the one about good thoughts shining out of your face like sunbeams would have been better choices?!?

This thread has decided my afternoon plans though; I'm going to curl up with a cup of tea and read Matilda!

I don't know about removing it but why would anyone buy it? What a lovely gift or how charming to use it for a guest's cuppa. I think it was a bad idea.

I am dyslexic and read “HIT HER” and confess I felt my stomach tighten. Deciphering the rest took a small amount of effort but because the “HIT HER” command was already in my head I read it as “A brilliant idea. HIT HER”

It’s an unintentional link to DV. Some will see it some won’t.

@Strugglingtodomybest

Thanks Hullo, I'll have a read.

You're welcome.

I guess they chose, ' a brilliant idea hit her' as it fits with a moment's peace and relaxation drinking your tea, which allows yoru mind the freedom to suddenly get a brilliant idea.

I wish I had read it before seeing the OP, so that I could know how I would have read it for myself!

@Tigerty

I am dyslexic and read “HIT HER” and confess I felt my stomach tighten. Deciphering the rest took a small amount of effort but because the “HIT HER” command was already in my head I read it as “A brilliant idea. HIT HER”

It’s an unintentional link to DV. Some will see it some won’t.

This makes sense. I really didn't think of it that way (re: dyslexia). I can see it now, I get it.