Halloween Billboard Offends People

[InformationGeek]

It reminds me of the controversy with the logo for Dead Island.  Apparently, nongraphic images of silhouetted hanged people really scare people, or in this case, racially offend others.  How have we gotten here?

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/10/14/halloween-billboard-stirs-controversy-on-north-side/?hpt=us_bn4

[Leah]

people should just chill the f**k out, it's really old and late into the season, If it was say earlier into the month, then I could see it then, but now; it's just dumb.

[Mr. DS]

Fall joke for you.  How did the Pollack break his arm raking leaves?

He fell out of the tree!!!

Yep I'm Polish and I find these jokes hilarious. People look for s**t to be offended of and its kind of silly.

[Chainsawmidget]

Some people just go looking for things to get offended by.

[indianasmith]

As Bloom County observed 30 years ago  . . .

"Ohmigosh!!!!! LIFE IS OFFENSIVE!!!! AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

[AndyC]

So, because the billboard was in a black neighbourhood, that was supposed to be a lynched black man and not something generically creepy that would be totally in keeping with the theme of the ad. Interesting logic. I'm disappointed nobody found any significance in the silhouette being black. That would really have been funny. "If it's not racist, why isn't that a white silhouette?"

[The Gravekeeper]

From the sounds of it, most of the people in that neighbourhood were pretty indifferent. Probably because since it's a silhouette and thus impossible to figure out what race the victim is. Since the attraction recreated a historical double-hanging, well, it kind of makes sense to advertise the main draw of the show.

[alandhopewell]

Some people just go looking for things to get offended by.

     I agree; negroid is part of my ancestry, and I'm sick of all the faux sensitivity so many people exhibit.

     4-X....
THere have been several instances in the news where people have lost their jobs over the use of the word "n***ardly", which means stingy; it has NO racial connotation. What really burns me is the fact that, once this is pointed out, people will say, "We don't care what it means....we don't like how it sounds!"

      A lot of black people need to knock the chocolate chips off their shoulders, and GROW UP.

[Allhallowsday]

Some people just go looking for things to get offended by.

     I agree; negroid is part of my ancestry, and I'm sick of all the faux sensitivity so many people exhibit.

     4-X....
THere have been several instances in the news where people have lost their jobs over the use of the word "n***ardly", which means stingy; it has NO racial connotation. What really burns me is the fact that, once this is pointed out, people will say, "We don't care what it means....we don't like how it sounds!"

      A lot of black people need to knock the chocolate chips off their shoulders, and GROW UP.

"...chocolate chips..."?    
And, y'know what, words are heard.  The sound of a word can be offensive to a person.  Who needs to use the word "n***ardly" anyway?  Are we concerned with preserving old-fashioned words or a person's feelings?  I don't use the word "n***ardly" but most people here in America wouldn't understand it's meaning anyway.  But they sure would hear its sound. 

[AndyC]

Some people just go looking for things to get offended by.

     I agree; negroid is part of my ancestry, and I'm sick of all the faux sensitivity so many people exhibit.

     4-X....
THere have been several instances in the news where people have lost their jobs over the use of the word "n***ardly", which means stingy; it has NO racial connotation. What really burns me is the fact that, once this is pointed out, people will say, "We don't care what it means....we don't like how it sounds!"

      A lot of black people need to knock the chocolate chips off their shoulders, and GROW UP.

"...chocolate chips..."?    
And, y'know what, words are heard.  The sound of a word can be offensive to a person.  Who needs to use the word "n***ardly" anyway?  Are we concerned with preserving old-fashioned words or a person's feelings?  I don't use the word "n***ardly" but most people here in America wouldn't understand it's meaning anyway.  But they sure would hear its sound. 

I can see both sides of that. n***ardly is a perfectly good English word that I believe predates the racial designation. People shouldn't be punished for saying it. On the other hand, I'm well aware that most people are ignorant of it, and it sounds like a word they know all too well. Misunderstandings are going to happen, and it's just common sense to avoid them. No reason to say a word like n***ardly in this day and age except to show off.

Now, one that does make me roll my eyes is when I go to the hardware store to pick up some seed for the bird feeders, and I see bags of "Nyjer" seed. Really. What I'd like to know is whether it's because of idiots at the seed company who thought Niger might be potentially offensive, or idiots in stores who misread the bags and complained.

[Rev. Powell]

Now, one that does make me roll my eyes is when I go to the hardware store to pick up some seed for the bird feeders, and I see bags of "Nyjer" seed. Really. What I'd like to know is whether it's because of idiots at the seed company who thought Niger might be potentially offensive, or idiots in stores who misread the bags and complained.

I never heard of nyger or niger seed before, but I was curious so I googled it.  The top hit (from an online retailer) says, "Nyjer (R), niger, and thistle are all names used to identify a tiny, black birdseed cultivated in Asia and Africa that is high in calories and oil content, loved by finches and other wild birds, and has been used in the feeding of wild birds for more than 40 years. However, only one name is correct: Nyjer (R). To differentiate between the imported niger oilseed used to feed wild birds and thistle - as well as to eliminate any possibility of offensively mispronouncing the word 'niger' - the Wild Bird Feeding Industry trademarked the name Nyjer in 1998." 

[AndyC]

Now, one that does make me roll my eyes is when I go to the hardware store to pick up some seed for the bird feeders, and I see bags of "Nyjer" seed. Really. What I'd like to know is whether it's because of idiots at the seed company who thought Niger might be potentially offensive, or idiots in stores who misread the bags and complained.

I never heard of nyger or niger seed before, but I was curious so I googled it.  The top hit (from an online retailer) says, "Nyjer (R), niger, and thistle are all names used to identify a tiny, black birdseed cultivated in Asia and Africa that is high in calories and oil content, loved by finches and other wild birds, and has been used in the feeding of wild birds for more than 40 years. However, only one name is correct: Nyjer (R). To differentiate between the imported niger oilseed used to feed wild birds and thistle - as well as to eliminate any possibility of offensively mispronouncing the word 'niger' - the Wild Bird Feeding Industry trademarked the name Nyjer in 1998." 

Funny, I thought the change was more recent than 1998, but I think I'm reaching the age when 13 years ago seems recent. I actually feel a little better to know that it is a trade name, and it has some purpose other than political correctness, although I don't think the industry would have adopted that spelling if it was just to eliminate confusion. I imagine they saw an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, if you'll pardon the pun.

[alandhopewell]

Some people just go looking for things to get offended by.

     I agree; negroid is part of my ancestry, and I'm sick of all the faux sensitivity so many people exhibit.

     4-X....
THere have been several instances in the news where people have lost their jobs over the use of the word "n***ardly", which means stingy; it has NO racial connotation. What really burns me is the fact that, once this is pointed out, people will say, "We don't care what it means....we don't like how it sounds!"

      A lot of black people need to knock the chocolate chips off their shoulders, and GROW UP.

"...chocolate chips..."?    
And, y'know what, words are heard.  The sound of a word can be offensive to a person.  Who needs to use the word "n***ardly" anyway?  Are we concerned with preserving old-fashioned words or a person's feelings?  I don't use the word "n***ardly" but most people here in America wouldn't understand it's meaning anyway.  But they sure would hear its sound. 

     Personally, I find the ghettoish mangling of Standard English offensive, but wouldn't it call into question my emotional maturity if I continually whined about it?

     We were taught coming up that a bigot with empty hands is just another loudmouth, so why let him rent space in your head? It's bad enough that you've got folks who must put adjectives to other people to feel like men, so why do their job for them by labeling yourself first?

     Humans are humans, scientifically, and spiritually, the rest merely interesting but irrelevant variations on a theme....I repeat, grow up.

[Allhallowsday]

Some people just go looking for things to get offended by.

I agree; negroid is part of my ancestry, and I'm sick of all the faux sensitivity so many people exhibit.
    4-X....
THere have been several instances in the news where people have lost their jobs over the use of the word "n***ardly", which means stingy; it has NO racial connotation. What really burns me is the fact that, once this is pointed out, people will say, "We don't care what it means....we don't like how it sounds!"
     A lot of black people need to knock the chocolate chips off their shoulders, and GROW UP.

"...chocolate chips..."?    
And, y'know what, words are heard.  The sound of a word can be offensive to a person.  Who needs to use the word "n***ardly" anyway?  Are we concerned with preserving old-fashioned words or a person's feelings?  I don't use the word "n***ardly" but most people here in America wouldn't understand it's meaning anyway.  But they sure would hear its sound.  

Personally, I find the ghettoish mangling of Standard English offensive, but wouldn't it call into question my emotional maturity if I continually whined about it?

Pet peeve, eh?  You must use the word n***ardly alot if people are "continually" whining about it.  

    We were taught coming up that a bigot with empty hands is just another loudmouth, so why let him rent space in your head? It's bad enough that you've got folks who must put adjectives to other people to feel like men, so why do their job for them by labeling yourself first?

What are you on about?  

    Humans are humans, scientifically, and spiritually, the rest merely interesting but irrelevant variations on a theme....I repeat, grow up.

Not lost on me, punkin'.    You don't make no sense.  

[AndyC]

I just find the idea of an American talking about mangling "standard English" to be really ironic. Noah Webster did that for the whole country a long time ago. And all the Canadians and Brits and Aussies keep hearing how we spell things funny.