The knives come out for U.K. Joker buttons
The swift action the British take in banning offensive ads also carries over to advertising merch. Last week, Dark Knight buttons featuring pictures of the Joker surrounded by knives were removed from HMV while the store "conducts an inquiry" into the mild public outcry. The Daily Mail makes it sound like this glorification of knife crime will result in mass outbreaks of youth violence and, yes, terrorism. You've gotta love how the British can make a mountain out of a molehill. Last month, British store T.K. Maxx (is that like T.J. Maxx?) sparked similar outrage by selling a jacket with a two-inch pocket knife attached. To be fair, England does have an impressive number of youth knifings, which contribute to its heightened sensitivity on the matter. Back across the pond, where violence is fine for any age but sex is eternally obscene, the whole thing seems like a major overreaction. In fact, if you're a U.S. citizen and you won't let your kid have any overtly violent Joker merch, you should know that all the other kids think that's totally gay. —Posted by Rebecca Cullers |
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November 10, 2008 in Controversy, Cullers, Europe | Permalink |
Comments
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I wouldn't have said that the recall of TK Maxx's selling a jacket with a KNIFE in it was an overreaction at all. They also mistakenly sold a walking stick with a bloody SWORD in it a few weeks prior to that...hardly surprised really given that the store just imports cheap rubbish from across the globe and resells it, but you think they would at least check... ;-)
But yeah, the crackdown on knife IMAGERY is a little over the top while we still have video games/movies/websites promoting knives freely available to anyone. Where will it end? Still, as you rightly said knife crime is a huge problem in certain parts of the UK right now and I think the 'powers that be' are at least trying to tackle it and stop the notion being pushed to kids through the media that weapons are cool. It's clear that re-education is the key, not banning silly promo items in stores which will only serve to make kids determined to get hold of them anyway...
Personally speaking - and I say this after many conversations with the dozens of American friends I have over in the States who have agreed - that the US has things the wrong way around at times! Such an overbearing censorship of sex - a normal and healthy human requirement - in most states, yet any untrained fool can carry a gun and everyone's happy to publicise that fact. Yeah...marvellous idea. ;-)
Posted by: minxlj | Nov 10, 2008 8:24:04 AM
In the picture of the knife jacket, it’s a small Swiss pocket knife which is attached by a chain to the jacket. Now this is probably a cultural difference, but I received just such a Swiss pocket knife (minus chain) at the tender age of seven so that I could use it for important knife-related Girl Scout activities in my Brownie troop. So from my background, it's a bit of an overreaction.
Sword cane though... that's an illegal concealed weapon.
I agree than banning only makes it more cool for the kids. On the reeducation front, here's an interesting BBC article about how anti-knife education in schools might be making things worse:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7457616.stm
It's a pickle!
Posted by: Rebecca Cullers | Nov 10, 2008 5:13:02 PM
It's the Daily Mail who can be blamed for making a mountain out of a molehill, and whipping a frenzy out of its presumably quite reactionary readership. See the Russell Brand / Jonathan Ross / BBC debacle of the last few weeks, which was kick-started by the tabloid's self-righteous outburst. I blame the people for reading it.
Posted by: Martin | Nov 11, 2008 3:37:38 PM
The Daily Mail is the newspaper that printed headlines like "Knives are out" "Knives come out" "Now they will stab him in the front" "Who will wield the knife?" "Knives are being sharpened"
The headlines were used on hundreds of occasions since July 2001, when the front page headline "Knives are out for Gordon Brown".
They act as catalysts to people who are mentally disturbed, to commit crime including murder, and the resultant murders that follow, are reported 3 days later.
It's a frightful business. I wouldn't be surprised if the Chief Editor of the Daily Mail, Paul Dacre, has the blood of a thousand victims on him. I have spoken to the police, and have another appointment with the police soon about this man, who is paid a seven-figure sum per year.
It is the Daily Mail that published the double-page spread headline "Who will wield the knife?" just a few years back.
What has the Daily Mail done for this country?
It has simply stood by blaming others, whilst vast numbers were murdered, and it's Editor became obsessed with printing headlines like "Knives come out for Gordon Brown."
It disgusts me that this man, Paul Dacre, has no regard for the hundreds (at the bear minimum) that have been murdered, to take action that the newspaper STOPS inciting violence and murder across this country, as it has most powerfully done, since 2001.
Posted by: Peter Dew | Nov 19, 2008 4:31:26 PM
