BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???

Subject: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 12:12 PM

OK, this is NOT the thread you may think.

Yesterday I walked past the window of Ann Summers (Corporate Sex Chain, for those not in the UK).....and was hit by big bold writing stating:

"We wish you a HORNY Christmas"


Prude, I am not.

Religous zealot, I am not.

Miss Middle England, I am not.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 12:13 PM

Darn, it posted in the middle of writing...more in a minute

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Ed T
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 12:28 PM

Maybe it relates to reindeer horns? Maybe not.

http://events.charlotteobserver.com/charlotte-nc/events/show/89240724-a-very-horny-christmas-viking-christmas-party


http://www.flickr.com/photos/joecashin/4079714937/

And then, there is this song:http://www.themadmusicarchive.com/song_details.aspx?SongID=4699

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 12:31 PM

(continued from above, due to error, and if a friendly elf could delete the above two posts, I'd be very grateful)

OK, this is NOT the thread you may think.

Yesterday I walked past the window of Ann Summers (Corporate Sex Chain, for those not in the UK).....and was hit by big bold writing stating:

"We wish you a HORNY Christmas"


Prude, I am not.

Religious zealot, I am not.

Miss Middle England, I am not.

But something inside me died a little....and then, something came alive.


I went in and spoke to the manageress, who was all of, ooh...22....and I tried to explain how deeply offensive I found the poster....but she stared at me, in a kind of "Am I bovvered?" way, puzzled, slightly embarrassed and utterly uncomprehending of the message I was trying to put across.

One of the assitants took her eye off the vibrator she was selling, for a moment to stare at The Weird Woman....then went back to her conversation about 'thrusting'....and a little more of me died...

How has it come to this?

How has the birth of Christ come down to just another reason to Sell Sex On The High Street, in full view of little children passing by....

Would they do this for any other religious festival?   Would they use a Muslim one, a Jewish one in the same way, as another excuse to sell their sex items..?

Is there no barrier left which can no longer stand?

I found it deeply disturbing. I found the vacant reaction I got even more disturbing....

I've written to the company, after I'd spoken to another 'Am I Bovvered?' employee, who again, had no idea what I was talking about whenI mentioned decency, integrity, morals...

Christmas is about Love....not about Sex.    It's not about being 'Horny' but about taking time to think about life itself...thinking what this planet is about, it's people, where it's going to....at least, that's Christmas for me....and being with those you love, or holding those you cannot be with as close as you can possibly bring them, in your heart...

"We wish you a Horny Christmas' is a wish I do not want....

I have faith, not religion, but I respect the fact that many people have a deep religion and Christmas is a very special time for them, because of its significance, and to dumb down, to trivialise, to insult Christ, at the most meaningful time of the Christian calendar really got to me.

You can find Ann Summers online, if you'd like to complain too...or...if you want to get horny, but...I'd far rather if, just for once, people chose to stop giggling, smirking, whatever, and realised that the sexual grooming of our children happens because of ideas such as these, whether the meaning of those ideas is for that to happen or not.

Sexualising Christmas in a coarse and crude way is, for me at least, just one step to far.

I wish everyone, when Christmas arrives, a very peaceful one..filled with love, memories of love, actual love....and I hope that people make love with those they love, rather than bang away like rabbits with complete strangers, using this year's 'must-have Sex Toy' to shove inside your £400 Footballers Wives Handbag...

And yes, I know, I'm gettin' old...but you know something? I'm sure as heck glad that I am, because Christmas has never meant 'horny' to me, not even when I was young....It has only ever meant love, which is the message spread by the man for whom the festival exists in the first place.

Maybe it's time to turn back the clock and bring innocence back again.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 12:40 PM

Sad, indeed, and most likely too late to turn back the clock.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Alice
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 12:46 PM

"tying your product into Christmas"

I grew up with this record from 1958, Stan Freberg, Green Chri$tmas.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 12:49 PM

Poem cum folk-carol 230 of 230: AS GOSPELLERS HAVE SAID/CHRISTMAS SUNG SIMPLY

(TUNE:

D A B A G E
E E D G F# G
D A B A G E
D A B A G E
E E D G F# G
D A B A G E
E E D G F# G

D A B A G E
E D G F# G
D A B A G E
E D G F# G)

As gospellers have said,
Beneath signalling skies,
On land dusty to tread,
A trough in a stable
Was the strawy first-bed
Of a divine baby -
The forgiving Godhead.

A season for new hope -
There then and here now;
The yuletide of goodwill -
There then and here now.

In respect of this chance,
Beneath bright or dark skies,
Faith's the star that we glance
Attending Christ's churches
And trying to enhance,
With singing and ritual,
Our God-loving stance.

A...

(You may here it on myspace.)
(C) David Franks 2003

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Little Hawk
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 12:55 PM

It's the kind of thing that happens when a civilization slides into decadence. I've seen it happening decade by decade ever since I was a child. The society we live in has sold its soul for money and cheap thrills.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 01:37 PM

Muslims recognise Christmas too in principle, since Jesus is seen as a major prophet, only just behind Mohammed. So maybe a protest against lodged on behalf of Muslims might get a better response from the pornbroker.

I somehow doubt if they'd risk doing this with a Muslim festival...

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 01:42 PM

All legality and morality is daily challenged by the 'general populous' AND by those in authority... standards continue to decline and so will do... Many things which were unlawful when I was a child are now not just accepted but encouraged, as societies forsake their rules and regulations in favour of a new kind of 'freedom' ... but is it really freedom... with that freedom comes a new set of rules and regulations which themselves will be watered down as time moves on... sadly instead of progressing positively... we are doing so negatively... how much worse can it get... time will tell.
I am proud that I have my Faith and can mix with a group of people who want to live by Gods standards. I will be with those people to celebrate the birth of Christ (OK I know it is not the actual birthdate but we choose to celebrate it on that day) As Little Hawk says.. society is selling its soul for money and cheap thrills.... I don't choose to be part of that scene but I would wish everyone.. of any denomination or belief a happy Christmas.... and not a horny one!!!
Happy Christmas everyone!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: topical tom
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 02:11 PM

Peace and love (as far as possible) among family and friends will always be Christmas to me.Celebrating the birth of Jesus and his teachings are what it's all about.Horny? Well...that's incidental.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: kendall
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 02:23 PM

I'm not a Christian but this also offends me. Now, if I can just find someone who gives a damn.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 02:44 PM

The commercialization of holidays and holy days offends me. Veterans' (Rememberance) Day? Just another day for selling it! Memorial Day? Wouldn't your dead son or daughter WANT you to buy a new, on-sale waffle iron? Thanksgiving? Christmas? Come on, folks, MLK wants you to buy, buy, BUY!

Offended, yes. But as Kendall says....

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: SharonA
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 02:54 PM

This sort of thing happens from time to time in the US, and the usual response here is that the offended people complain to the local government. More often than not, there are public-decency laws that can be cited, and the town mayor/council/whatever can put pressure on the business to take the sign down. If the local government isn't responsive, folks tend to complain to their state congress member, state Senator, on up the line to their US congress member and US Senator. People here also tend to tip off the local television stations, who compete with one another to cover the story of the offensive sign and to see which station can generate the most outrage (which translates to the highest ratings for that station!).

So don't despair quite yet, Lizzie. Just start complaining to the right people! :-)

Best of luck, and have a happy holiday!
Sharon

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 03:19 PM

"More often than not, there are public-decency laws that can be cited, and the town mayor/council/whatever can put pressure on the business to take the sign down"

Yes, thanks Sharon...I've got a phone call to make to the Trading Standards Department on Monday morning. :0)   And to the department that deals with the Town Centre too, within the local council...

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Smokey.
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 03:32 PM

I agree Lizzie - it's a bit much to put in a high street window. Don't go to the newspapers though, they've probably only done it for the publicity.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 03:47 PM

Maybe you'd like one of the Anne Frank drums instead..........

Actually, while I dislike the commercialism, its also true I have no religious belief so.........For me what Christmas has is an element of romance and familial love accompanied by some wonderful traditions which may vary from family to family. Life is short and I'm not allowing Debbie Dildo to fuck up the little time I have left here!

Its about family and friends, hearth and home. If you want to include dildos, handcuffs, and anal vibrators.....Merry Christmas to you! Who cares?


Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 03:51 PM

I care, Spaw.....because I see a world in which our children are being sexualised, as never before...

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Ed T
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 04:25 PM

"Maybe it's time to turn back the clock and bring innocence back again" Good luck with that.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: SharonA
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 04:44 PM

"I see a world in which our children are being sexualised, as never before..."

Well, the world certainly exposes the sexualization of children as never before. More media coverage of rapists and perverts and child-prostitution rings, but also more temptation of children by retailers selling age-inappropriate clothing styles and makeup styles and such.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 04:57 PM

I have one son who is the product of fetal alcohol syndrome and there was never a way I was going to keep him innocent and up to this point I'm happy to settle for alive. The world is so far removed from the one I grew up in and the technology just drives it forward. Maybe if I had taken into the deep woods or lived on a sailboat.........but I doubt it.

Even the kids I see home schooled from Day One are affected by the world they have to live and work in. Putting the toothpaste back in the tube is simply a pipedream. Have at it if you like and I'll say "Goodonya'" .............


Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Amergin
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 05:03 PM

What does a window advert for a sex shop have to do with children? How many children will wander in looking for vibrators and other sex toys? How many children will ask their parents for a pocket pussy for christmas? Some people will complain about anything and say it is for the good of our children...only to feed their own fragile egos.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 05:19 PM

Maybe not a pocket pussy but perhaps a rubber vibrating butt plug..........

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Smokey.
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 05:47 PM

.......Thus producing a distinctive vibrato effect from the tin whistle.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 06:00 PM

It can't be put back into the tube, but I don't have to like it.

I see my good, prayerful, tithing, church-going neighbors in church every Sunday and who wouldn't think of working in their yard or even grilling hamburgers for dinner, yet will allow their stores to stay open lest they lose a penny of the profit that can be made by their minimum-wage-paid staff who CAN'T take Sunday off. (Fortunately, some of them actually LIVE their beliefs and close on Sunday.)

I'm not advocating Sunday closure or a return to the Blue Law days. I just think that hypocrisy is rampant and always has been. I wonder about the owner of that sex shop: will HE (I'm sure it's a he) be having a horny Christmas?

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Ebbie
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 06:36 PM

"manageress"? Hoo, boy. The English are different from us. :)

Personally, I don't like the "sex trade" but it is out there. I do not have to go in the shops nor even go on the street where it so blatantly is, if I so choose.

The way I see it- as long as they keep their marvelous options indoors and well away from the windows, - as long as they "don't scare the horses" - I don't care what they offer.

I agree that I would not like such a sign on a major street. I would posit, however, that that particular sign is probably the most innocuous image a child is likely to see these days.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 06:54 PM

Ebbie - what do you call a female senior employee in charge of a shop [store]? What is so funny about 'manageress'?

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 06:54 PM

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Maryrrf
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 07:03 PM

I'm not a prude nor a practicing Christian either, but I think this is tasteless and offensive.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 07:22 PM

You're missing the real point.

This is caused by Greed - as Stan Freburg eloquently said decades ago...

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 07:42 PM

Well listen Ebbie......If not that stuff, can I interest you in an Anne Frank model drum kit?

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Ebbie
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 08:12 PM

'manager' in the US is not gender specific.

Waaal, Spaw, lemme think on it.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: artbrooks
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 08:38 PM

A female employee in charge of a shop is the manager. Would a female airplane pilot be the pilotess?

At least where I live, sex shops must keep their windows covered and window advertising isn't allowed.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 11:16 PM

No mention of parental responsibility in here, I notice. If parents are not happy about such things, they have the responsibility to protect their children from same and anything else which offends them. I wrote op/ed pieces about this years ago which were published and time and again, I noted parents seemed to think it was everyone elses' duty to take care of their children's morals, i.e. schools, television programmers, etc. anyone but the parents who were too busy and stressed out to be bothered. That's part of why the V-chip came into being. if you are offended by it, don't go there. Works the same way as the threads here.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 12:26 AM

'A female employee in charge of a shop is the manager. Would a female airplane pilot be the pilotess?'

Slight drift here, perhaps — but it was one of you-guys over there who laughed at our usage of 'manageress'. Don't know about 'pilotess'; but one of our more obsessively PC newspapers, The Guardian [for whom I was a regional theatre critic for quarter-cntry but no longer] is now insisting, for avowedly PC reasons, on calling all performers in plays 'actors'; which strikes me as absurd as 'actress' is a valuably specific word, which I know that even you smartarses over there use; so an important and helpful distinction is being lost. Bet even you, Artbrooks, wouldn't call eg Bette Davies or Marilyn Monroe or whoever an 'actor'; but the idiots on The Guardian would.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 01:32 AM

Apologies to Lizzie for having drifted thus on this v worthwhile thread of hers — tho much of blame must go to Ebbie & Artbrooks for querying and deriding her use of 'manageress' & intro-ing concept of 'pilotess'. But to enable this thread to get back on track, I am about to start another about use of the -ess feminine ending.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Ebbie
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 02:35 AM

"querying and deriding her use of 'manageress'?

tut tut. I don't think any derision was meant. It amused me to see - again- how different the two worlds are. Grow another layer of skin, OK?

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 02:52 AM

<"manageress"? Hoo, boy. The English are different from us. :) >

Those were your words, Ebbie. If not deriding, then I reckon it will do till some derision comes along. & I'm happy with the present quantity of my integument, thanks just the same.

[Thanks, btw, for your considered & valuable contribtn to my new thread on this subject.]

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 03:09 AM

Perhaps to clarify a bit further, Ebbie [& sorry, Lizzie, for continuing this drift on yr thread but promise will soon be done] —
One of troubles with email, PMs, forum posts, &c, is notoriously the correct reading of the tone intended by the mailer, PM·er, poster. Can only say that your "Hoo, boy ... different from us", even when softened by that smiley emoticon, just did strike me as intended to deride. Look at it all in cold print & I am sure you will appreciate what I mean. Similarly, I didn't mean to come over as quite as thin-skinned as you appear to have taken to be the case.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: folk1e
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 04:49 AM

Call me a pedant, but ........
                      Didn't Christmas get tagged on to an existing pagan festival as a deliberate attempt to subvert paganism? Put into that context maybe a Horny Xmas is what the more ... traditional celebrants are going to have?

Seriously though I see no disparity between Christianity and being "Horny" unless you happen to be a celibate Vicar(ess) or similar! Before I get deluged with complaints about this ..... I do not agree with sexulisation of children! I do not see this as having happened here!
Maybe our ire should be spent on some of the stores having "Santa's little helpers" dressed the way they do .......... and what about Santa himself?

I do however see a dichotomy between christian values and things like the current wars in Iraq, Afghanistan et all!

Beliefs are like Kids and Farts ......... everyone thinks theirs are good and only the others stink!

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 06:07 AM

I dont care a fuck.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: skarpi
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 06:18 AM

well , Kendall I dont give a damm , its a store and they do ever they can to sell.
and " Horny " on christmas well desire for sex can knock on your mind on all
hours and days of the year , it wont ask you if its christmas or not .
but It is you who have to hold back if you want to behave on time like christmas, after all we are human , so whats wrong havin sex on christmas with your wife or girlfriend? nothing .

on the other hand , what are people doin in stores like this one
before christmas , if it offend them ? just walk by and mind you r
christmas other buisness m thats what I do , baking , cleaning ,
but the lights up, light the candles help out to have a nice time
with my children , read a book and listen to music and cook nice dinner .

all the christmas best Skarpi Iceland.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: kendall
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 06:37 AM

I have a right to be offended. I dont have a right to insist that they stop it.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: skarpi
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 07:28 AM

true very true Kendall.
but never than less , they should change the text .
change " Horny " into something else .

kv Skarpi

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Raptor
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 08:36 AM

If you don't like it don't shop there.
Horny isn't a bad word.
I'm offended by this cry for censorship

But I'll get over it.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 08:49 AM

Anne Summers is a frilly knicker & bra shop that also sells girly 'toys'. It's not really a 'sex shop' of the kind you'd find with blacked out windows down some pissy back-ally. Quite fun and light-weight and pretty harmless too. The Horny add, is a cheeky play on words, as the girl fronting the campaign is wearing Xmas themed Reindeer Horns.
Can't say as I'm offended in the slightest myself, at least it's certainly no more gross than the rest of the commercialism rampant around Xmas IMO.

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 09:04 AM

Here she is, quite modestly dressed in fact: Reindeer Girl Oh and just in-case the gentlemen feel left out: Reindeer Boy

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 10:55 AM

Maybe she's really dressed as a Reindeeress! Give her a drum!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 11:09 AM

What's with everybody getting given a drum?

Subject: RE: BS: 'We wish you a Horny Christmas' ???
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 11:15 AM

Read thru this thread and at the end you'll have the answer to your question!

Thanks for asking!!!

Spaw