Offensive posters for sale at freshers' week

[ImJustMadAboutSaffron]

I'm a university lecturer. I have been out and about on freshers' week to different buildings and come across a poster sale that is on for a few days. There are several options for sale, Harry Styles, Blink 182, Stranger Things, Billie Eilish, Mabel, lots of different ones. But three I find really offensive, and I imagine some students would, too:

A Buddha with the wording "Don't be a Ct"
A poster with "Fk Off" in different coloured fonts
Another with the same words taking up the whole poster

Asterisks mine. Think I am repressed if you like, I don't care!

It's edgy teen "humour"; part of the appeal is not just that it's potentially offensive or startling, but more importantly that it's ALSO completely pointless to anyone much older. At my school we had a fundraising thing where all the dormitories made their own Ts to sell. One dorm had one with two badly-drawn stick figures saying "We're from Widget House*, so fuck you!" "Yeah, fuck you!" The fact that it was so stupid and badly done WAS the main attraction - what's cooler to a nervous 17yo cast adrift among strangers than a ready-made inside joke?

I was at uni in the late 80s/early 90s and few people would have batted an eyelid at the "fuck" ones, but back then the "cunt" one would likely have been protested by Buddhists and feminists. Depending on the day and who was in the decision-making seat, it might actually have been removed - leading to a mass uptick in popularity as people would have to lurk furtively around and pass each other the contraband in brown paper wrappers.

*name changed, obvs.

Also, in the nineties, the inspiral carpets entire brand was based around the cool as f*ck design - and that was t shirts as well as posters. Not to mention FCUK.

The one with Buddah on is offensive

AYBU to find these offensive? No - you react however you react. Your feelings are yours and are valid.

WYBU to expect anyone else to act on what you find offensive or not? Yes, absolutely.

Personally, these would not be anywhere near the top of my list of things Freshers do/say/buy...

Good good. That's the one I'd be bothered by. I have no idea what the let's kill Toby one is but I can't imagine many people would buy it and if they did they should probably be monitored for violent behaviour

I don't think it's offensive. Puerile, certainly, Offensive? Nah.

If you don't like the posters, you don't have to buy one.

YANBU to be offended. You can be offended by whatever you like.

YABVVU to think someone should act to prevent you being offended. In these increasingly prigish and totalitarian times we need to defend the things we don't like or stuff like academic freedom will be next.

They are adults. If they don’t like the posters, they won’t buy them.

Hate speech?

When I was at uni we had a poster that said 'FUCK OFF YOU FUCKING FUCK' in the communal kitchen and students were walking around in band shirts that said 'Jesus is a C*NT' on the back.

I think it comes with the territory!

So what? To who? You? Sometimes you have to just deal with being offended.

Actually I was a student in the 90s and I did have a poster with F Off on it in white writing on a black background.

I appreciate that but the question was do I find it offensive. And yes I do.

And yes I do just have to deal with being offended but the university will also have policies like any good employer would. And this is unlikely to be acceptable. It also brings the university into disrepute.

What all of them? All students in the country are the same?

The Buddha one is offensive where can I buy the other two?

Come on now - no student is that radical!

Quite right!
“Don’t be a c..t and don’t f…ing mis gender me”

The sort of non event the expression pearl clutching was invented for.

Offensive? A bit, but I couldn't get worked up about it.

However, they are a bit pathetic aren't they? 'Oh aren't we sooo radical and edgy putting swear-dy words on posters?' 🙄 And any 'student' who thinks they're cool and edgy needs to grow up tbh. It doesn't make you cool or edgy or clever or interesting because you swear a lot in public, and have swear words on a poster on your wall. Just makes you a foul-mouthed immature oik.

Probably cynical here but doubt the university would not support their right to sell that type of poster. Should all be allowed be it Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Hindu gods, Father Christmas, etc.

Yes you're being unreasonable

Teenagers and students want to rebel and shock the establishment, they want you to react

Fuck is a word it won't hurt you.

A Buddha with the wording "Don't be a Ct" I'm not keen on this one
A poster with "Fk Off" in different coloured fonts
Another with the same words taking up the whole poster

Anyone remember the famous tennis girl poster in the 1970's, they were all over the place.

No one died.

Get over it.

I think “don’t be a cunt” is a pretty good way to approach life. I wouldn’t find the OP’s examples particularly shocking. Have you met young people before, OP?

(I was at university in the 80s. I mainly had the Blues Brothers, Marilyn Monroe, and Batman on my walls.)

Yes, you're right.

Absolutely fine without the Buddha appropriation