Even Christmas cards are not immune from the F-word
The Christmas cards are sold in Scribbler, a prominent chain of stationers which specialises in “edgy” cards by young British graphic designers, as well as the fashion store Urban Outfitters and Selfridges on London’s Oxford Street.
One of the cards on sale shows three men holding placards bearing the slogans “Merry Christmas ——“, “Merry ——- Christmas” and “Merry Christmas ——“. Another shows a pensioner standing next to a Christmas tree with the message: “Have a ——- miserable Christmas.”
One range of cards, from a design company which boasts the name Offensive plus Delightful, uses trendy designs married to crude slogans such as “Happy —-ing New Year” and “Resolutions . . . —- ’em!”
One of the cards, produced by graphic designer Dean Morris, shows a woman carrying an armful of Christmas presents and declaring: “—– off, these are mine”
Antonia Major, 18, a student, said: “I don’t like them at all. They aren’t in the spirit of Christmas at all. Nobody I know would send them and I wouldn’t like to get one.”
But Lisa Yates, 22, a sales account manager, said: “It’s really down to the individual whether they are suitable or not. Some of my friends would appreciate them, but I’d never send one to my Nan.”
Even the managing director of Scribbler, John Procter, admits that Christmas should ideally be “off-limits” to such vulgarity. But he said many customers would complain if his stores did not stock such cards.
Mr Procter, who runs 14 branches across London, Oxford and Bournemouth, said: “We don’t set ourselves up as arbiters of taste. We sell these cards because there is a demand for them. It is the way language and humour are going.”
In school when we studied Hamlet, I remember our teacher telling us that we would not have any examination questions on this passage:
HAMLET
Lady, shall I lie in your lap? Lying down at OPHELIA’s feetOPHELIA
No, my lord.HAMLET
I mean, my head upon your lap?OPHELIA
Ay, my lord.HAMLET
Do you think I meant country matters?OPHELIA
I think nothing, my lord.HAMLET
That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs.
He didn’t say why, but I studied diligently to find out.
So the problem with these Christmas cards isn’t the language so much as the attempt to create humour without imagination. Simply being vulgar – and I can’t think of anything more vulgar than the gratuitous association of God incarnate and a word that is constantly on the lips of every illiterate lout in Christendom – is not funny, clever or Shakespeare.
Grow up, Scribbler.
sorry but i would say grow up to the article writer, im wondering if you can come up with anything funnier? these cards are hilarious! i have been shopping at scribbler all my life and will continue to do so!