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Original poster

Am I over-reacting or is this slogan on this vest completely out of order!!!!!!

44 replies

blossomgoodwill · 28/12/2004 18:04

Just popped onto one of my favourite sites Asos and was really surprised to come across this vest top
I just thought that the reason behind it all was really out of order. What about people that are deaf??? Isn't this going to offend them when they see it.
Has hit a raw nerve with me as ds is in a school that has a hearing impaired unit and one of his good friend is deaf. I also have a friend whose ds is deaf.
I just find it so offensive and unnecessary. I also find it and feel too.
Trying to find an e-mail address so I can complain [angry

OP posts:
Caligulights · 28/12/2004 22:06

Is it because the disabled slogan appears to imply that disabled people are really lazy, whereas the deaf one doesn't necessarily imply that deaf people ignore people deliberately?

(I've just had an image of that bloke in Little England, for some reason - never quite sure how I feel about that.)

coppertop · 28/12/2004 22:10

I think you could be right, Caligula. Saying that someone is ignoring someone seems nowhere near as bad as saying that a disabled person doesn't move purely because they are lazy.

paolosgirl · 28/12/2004 22:15

I'm partially deaf - and this doesn't offend me at all. I think it's tempting to get too PC about things in case they offend people - but as someone who has been at the receiving end of much worse, I'm pretty good at working out what is innocent fun and what is designed to be offensive. In both cases, I find laughter is the best reaction

80sMum · 28/12/2004 22:35

I can't stand slogan T-shirts at the best of times; I think they're incredibly naff. All of the ones on the linked page were in very poor taste. I just can't imagine anyone wanting to be seen in any of them!

Thecattlearemerloting · 28/12/2004 22:47

I now look at slogan t's in a whole new light.

Someone sent me a slogan tee shirt for my ds2 when he was a year old - it said smallest and fastest with a picture of a car on it.

The awful thing was, that when it arrived ds2 was in the throes of being diagnosed with developmental delay. Far from being the smallest - he was the size of a 2 1/2 year and he will be having a MRI scan about his growth rate and with regards to the fastest bit - at a year he did nothing but sit and is never going to do anything fast!!

The person that ly sent it to me had no idea of ds2's difficulties and would have been mortified if they had any idea of the distress it caused me. Its easy to be super sensitive, but this slogan stuff is a minefield.

SantaGoesToTheGym · 28/12/2004 22:49

My DH is totally deaf and if it weren't for the fact that he had an extremely successful (sp) Cochlear Implant we would now be relying totally on lip reading and sign language.

That slogan, used to be our joke, as he slid from hearing to partially deaf to totally deaf.

Even now if he has heard me but not heard me, if that makes sense, I will say, what are you Deaf or something ?? and he replies by saying only if I take this thing off.

So in essence, horses for courses

Socci · 29/12/2004 01:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

SantaGoesToTheGym · 29/12/2004 09:19

I know what the consequences of total deafness are, I know the damage it can do to perfectly good solid relationships, I know how socially crippling it can be for the deaf person and how socially isolating it can be for the deaf persons partner. I know what it is like to watch a deaf parent grow increasingly frustrated because he can not understand his first and only child. So, if in the midst of all of that we can still maintain a sense of humour albeit it a little black, well so much the better as I said it has to be horses for courses.

coppertop · 29/12/2004 11:05

I must admit that we too use humour to get by. I had perfect hearing until I reached my early 20's and it's been getting worse ever since. Without my hearing-aids I can hear very little. It's as though I'm underwater. I can sometimes hear that people are saying something but I have absolutely no idea what it is.

Dh often calls me "Deaf-lugs" and we have similar conversations to SGTTG about "Are you deaf or something?" followed by "Yes, without my hearing-aids!" I suppose people outside our situation might be horrified at us joking about it but it gets us through.

I don't think the slogans are particularly funny though. They're just tacky.

galaxy · 29/12/2004 11:13

I don't think it's excessively offensive. I'm more offended by t-shirts displayin offensive language. I have deaf relatives and they wouldn't be offended by this. It is extremely tacky though.

Saker · 29/12/2004 20:41

I suppose though what you may joke about within the family isn't always the same if a stranger makes a joke. We laugh at ds2, for example when he gets disorientated and gets lost going from his bedroom to ours; or we make jokes about his very messy eating, but I'm a lot more sensitive if other people who don't really know us say anything about him even in jest. It's good this t-shirt doesn't offend but I would bet the manufacturers didn't ask anyone deaf first, and my overriding thought is "is this the best joke they could come up with?".

SantaGoesToTheGym · 29/12/2004 21:30

Coppertop

Have you asked your GP to refer you for assesment for a CI ?

If not, at first reading it sounds like you might be in the right catchment (of sound that is),to be considered.

Think about it, it changes lives.

lots of love

SGTTG

Fran1 · 29/12/2004 21:34

I have several deaf relatives and a very good friend who are deaf, and i am sure if i asked them they would say its OTT to say that shirt is offensive.

In fact i reckon my friend would probably want one. I'll ask her next time i see her and let you know!

coppertop · 29/12/2004 21:44

SGTTG - My deafness is caused by something called otosclerosis. It means that basically the bones in my ears are b*ggered. I've got the hearing-aids to use at the moment, but I also have the option in the future of having the stapes replaced by artificial ones. It has a good chance of success but there is also a small risk that it might destroy what little hearing I have left. At the moment the consultant is keeping it as an option for me. If my hearing continues to deteriorate I'll probably go for the op.

I remember your thread about your dh from a little while ago and how he has started to regain his confidence. It was really inspiring.

blossomhill · 29/12/2004 21:46

As I said before being a parent of a special needs child I think we are by far more touchy about things then are children are or will be.

terryschonkyorange · 30/12/2004 10:21

I agree Blossomhill. My dd has just been diagnosed with a long-term visual impairment (originally we were told that it would improve over time), and I find it very hard not to be sensitive over this sort of thing. I really hope that she'll be able to find the joke in some of the situations that her disability will bring.

It's not that we won't ever have a joke in the family about it, and I certainly wouldn't want people to tread on eggshells around us. However I do know how hard she is going to have to work at adapting to not being able to see in a seeing world, and it's hard not to feel overly protective about her as a result. I told dh about the T-shirt and it didn't bother him, he just thought it was really tacky, so I guess it's just me

SantaGoesToTheGym · 30/12/2004 11:18

Coppertop

If you ever have any questions that I can help with, feel free to ask and then we can meet on MSN

love

SGTTG

jasper · 30/12/2004 20:16

It's offensive to men and also women IMO.
All that laddette stuff makes me shudder.

coppertop · 30/12/2004 22:41

Thanks, SGTTG.

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