‘Bloody disgusting’: Queenstown man Doug Harrap is not impressed by this expletive-laden card which was displayed in a show window
An expletive-laden birthday card in a Queenstown shop window next to the Salvation Army has caused offence to some locals.
Contemporary design store In The Pink, located next to the Salvation Army Church on Camp Street, displays a series of risque cards in the shop window – some with potentially rude greetings.
One in particular – sporting the phrase ‘Happy Birthday You C*** Sucking Mother F****** Whore’ has raised the ire of local man Doug Harrap.
Harrap’s concerned the prominently-placed cards could cause offence to passing pedestrians, especially those with children.
“I think it’s bloody disgusting,” Harrap says.
“It’s not necessary. They can have cards in there if they want, but they should be facing inside and not in full view of the public. It’s right at the eye-level for kids,” he says.
“I’m not a prude but there’s a limit. It’s straight-out offensive.”
Neighbouring premises, the Salvation Army Church and family store, has also received several complaints about the cards in the past, Auxiliary Captain Kenneth Walker confirms.
“We prefer it not to be that way, but people have a right to display their wares. But if it breaches decency then people have a right to complain,” he says.
Walker wouldn’t comment on his opinion of the cards.
Harrap, who says he’s complained to the store on a previous occasion, approached Queenstown Lakes District Council to see if anything could be done after having no success from the store with his prior complaint.
However, Lakes Environmental regulatory and corporate manager Lee Webster says because the cards are inside the store’s premises there is nothing that can be done.
A Lakes Environmental employee went to In The Pink to view the cards, but at the time they were not visible from the street.
In the Pink store owner Victoria Lund says she’s only ever had one complaint about her window displays and it was more than three years ago.
“This person has never approached me and complained,” she says.
In The Pink staff make an effort to keep potentially offensive displays facing away from the window – especially on Sundays – but curious customers will shuffle the card stand around.
The cards have been her most successful sellers ever, she adds.
“The more rude and risque, the faster they sell.”
The card at the centre of the fuss has since sold.
Your say
Desperate retailing
Call me old fashioned but I thought swearing was considered offensive and not legally allowed to be published (which MS have clearly adhered to by distorting the words). It could be possible that the shop concerned is in breach of some kind of law displaying the item. In the end the shop lacks taste by displaying a tasteless item aimed at attracting a tasteless buyer to give to a tasteless person on their birthday.
14 Sep 2012 10:10PMKickevents
“It’s now very common to hear people say, ‘I’m rather offended by that.’ As if that gives them certain rights; it’s actually nothing more… It’s simply a whine. It’s no more than a whine. ‘I find that offensive,’ it has no meaning, it has no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. ‘I am offended by that.’ Well so fucking what?” — Stephen Fry
13 Sep 2012 11:17PMaussie_w
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