BS: Piggy bank ban

Subject: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: GUEST,Andy
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 05:42 AM

Just heard on the radio, this morning, that a certain bank ( don't know which)is to withdraw its issue of piggy banks for kids savings, as they might be deemed offensive to those of the Muslim faith. Is this a wind-up, are my old ears deceiving me? If not, where the hell are we going?

Andy

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 05:50 AM

Could this be the recent ban on toy/pot pigs imposed by Dudley Council on its workers in their benefits office, because a muslim worker complained about them? YES it's true!

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Crystal
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 06:00 AM

Yet most Muslims are apparently as mystified by this as anyone else! Political correctness gone mentally unstable methinks.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: jacqui.c
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 07:37 AM

Sounds like there's a great need for desensitivity training for those who can't help but see insult in the most innocent items!

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Bill D
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 12:20 PM

so, would a Wombat bank offend someone?

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: greg stephens
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 12:25 PM

It's not just the pigs you've got to watch out for, there are other unclean animals as well. I am currently working as musical director for a Mystery Play production, and I have been doing a little biblical research on Moses' life, among other things. I can report that in the "things not to eat" section are not only pigs, but also chameleons and ferrets. Natwest Bank, take note.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 01:25 PM

I told my local market stall holder Hassan of this new "law", the man has a great sense of humor and he was doubled-up with laughter, Hassan remarked that his piggy bank helped him obtain his business.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Rasener
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 01:55 PM

There are some stupid prats around. When are we going to stop such small minded idiots controlling what they stupidly think is good for us. I think they are fuelling a lot of the problems, not solving them.

I remember when I lived in Birmingham that an area was called Bacons End. I wonder if that area still exists, or has some prat got it changed in order that muslims will live there.

When will it ever end.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Rapparee
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 03:06 PM

The US has its own brand of stupidity, but I'm glad that this is all the UK's own.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Amos
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 03:08 PM

This may open up a good market for savings bank shaped like a glass of water. Or, you could start a black market trade in banks shaped like porkchops.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: greg stephens
Date: 25 Oct 05 - 04:28 PM

There's a very similar thread to this on the Korean Mudcat. The restaurants there have knocking dog stew off the menus in an effort to attract more western tourists who might otherwise be offended, and of course the old fogies are up in arms: political correctness gone mad etc etc.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 26 Oct 05 - 12:14 PM

Hull City Council did a del-boy on us a few years ago when they re-named an ancient old street in Hull. St Georges Yard became Mandela Way. You have to laugh!

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Leadfingers
Date: 26 Oct 05 - 12:32 PM

I recall a few years ago , a shopkeeper was threatened with prosecution for selling 'Irish ' coffee mugs (with the handle on the inside!) . This particular tradesman who HAD crossed the Irish sea to improve his fortunes DID have a sense of humour !!

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Oct 05 - 11:01 PM

Well, you could stick money in a Wombat (don't ask where!) but i doubt they would let you get it back when you wanted it. Of course, they may drop it anywhere...

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Peace
Date: 26 Oct 05 - 11:06 PM

Screws up this contest.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Peace
Date: 26 Oct 05 - 11:24 PM

Looney Tunes is in big trouble . . . .

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 31 Oct 05 - 07:06 AM

It was all Lanxashire BS!

Aussie ABC TV Media Watch to the rescue!
Episode 32 2005

For full content with pictures and link to full emails letters etc see the site
http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s1494636.htm
~~~~~~~~~~
The Courier Mail was just one of many Australian papers covering this questionable story

PC piggy or hogwash?
First screened 31 October 2005 Presented by Liz Jackson
This "political correctness" piggy tale was too good to be true - so not surprisingly it turned out to be hogwash.

And now time to test yourself with the Sydney Daily Telegraph's news quiz:
Why have some banking groups in the UK banned piggy banks in a move that has been described as political correctness gone mad?

Answers:
The piggy banks have been banned because they might offend some Muslims.

— The Daily Telegraph, 26 Oct 2005, pg 32

The paper ran the story the day before:

Piggy banks for the chop

London: Banks are banning piggy banks because they may offend some Muslims. Halifax and NatWest banks have stopped the symbol of saving from being given to children or used in advertising.

— The Daily Telegraph, 25 October 2005, pg 13

And it wasn't just the Tele. Everybody loved it:
The Hobart Mercury
The Herald Sun
The Adelaide Advertiser
The NT News
The Newcastle Herald
And The Courier Mail which even has a photo:

Banks lose faith in this little piggy
Going the way of the Golliwog? …piggy banks can offend

—The Courier Mail, 25 October 2005

The Crikey website revealed it was carried online, by The Age and The Australian. Not to mention the Townsville Bulletin, the Sydney Morning Herald and NineMSN.

Media Watch has tracked down the origin of this story to a regional paper in the north west of England, The Lancashire Evening Telegraph:

'Offensive' Piggy Banks on display get the chop

Piggy banks are being removed from promotional displays in Blackburn town centre banks - in case they cause offence to Muslim customers.

— Lancashire Evening Telegraph, pg 6, 21 October 2005

The story appears to be confirmed by this quote from "a spokesman" for the Halifax bank:

"We no longer have any advertising that features piggy banks or is piggy bank related."

— Lancashire Evening Telegraph, pg 6, 21 October 2005

But Halifax told us that while it's true they no longer have piggy banks-

Halifax has not withdrawn any piggy banks from branches. As a matter of fact we have not used piggy banks in our branches for a number of years.

— Email from Paul Fincham, Press Office, Halifax, to Media Watch

Read the Email in full here

And what about the Nat West bank, which the article says:

"admitted piggy banks had been removed from branches in East Lancashire"

— Lancashire Evening Telegraph, pg 6, 21 October 2005

NatWest told Media Watch:
There is absolutely no fact in the story. We simply had a UK wide savings marketing campaign, which included pictures of piggy banks, running until the end of September.

Piggy banks have been and will continue to be used as a promotional item by NatWest.

— Email from Caroline Harris, Media Relations, NatWest, to Media Watch, 28 October 2005

Read the Email in full here

Both banks were disappointed that media outlets didn't check with them before they ran with the story. Halifax told us:

It appears as though this is purely a silly season story... Although it is disappointing to see, we are realistic enough to know that no damage has actually been done.

— Email from Mark Hemingway, Group Communications Manager, Halifax, to Media Watch

But the reality is, this story is not just silly - it's nasty and it's damaging. Frankly, it was always incredible, but the papers and the talk back hosts didn't check it out, because it's grist to their mill and a hot button story guaranteed to light up the switchboard.

Here is a very good example of that. This has come through today from Britain. And this is one that ... pwwff ...
— John Stanley, Radio 2UE, Sydney, 25 October 2005

It came off a website and I believe it to be true.
— Ray Hadley, Radio 2GB, Sydney, 25 October 2005

... the Muslim world is starting to control our thinking and actually our lives.
— "Ron" on Radio 6PR , Perth, 28 October 2005

They're using it as an excuse to infiltrate I think into other people's beliefs.
— "Ann" on ABC 720, Perth, 25 October 2005


It's a sign that the Christmas season is on us already, that letter writers chose to respond like this:

First the politically correct police in schools banned Christmas carols because they might offend Muslims. Now in London the zealots are banning the use of piggy banks.

— Letter to The Courier Mail, pg 26, 26 October 2005

~~~~~~~~~~

So it was all just BS again!

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Paul Burke
Date: 31 Oct 05 - 12:09 PM

It's not just the fact that the story was rubbish. It's that people were prepared to believe it, and I suspect doubly outraged because of the Moslem connection. How could banks abandon our age- old British traditions just to appease a shower of ragheads?

Any retractions from the people who posted above?

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Cats
Date: 31 Oct 05 - 12:56 PM

I suppose that, over the years, it has never been considered that Piggy banks may offend Jews? I thought it was 31st October not 1st April.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Oct 05 - 11:19 PM

This reminds me of when a college lecturer informed me that they had all been briefed not to use the word 'brainstorming' in student workshops - because it is 'offensive to epileptics'...what tosh.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: CarolC
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 01:10 AM

It's not just the fact that the story was rubbish. It's that people were prepared to believe it

Not just prepared to believe it, but apparently quite eager to believe it. We have the same problem here in the US. It's a nasty, evilminded business altogether. Whisper campaigns and hate-mongering rumors like this make me genuinely believe that there are people whose main agenda is to try to convince all non-Muslims that all Muslims should be killed. And there seem to be a frightening number of people who are willing to blindly follow along.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: greg stephens
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 04:07 AM

I haven't noticed anyone on this thread recommending that all Muslims should be killed. Are there really a lot of people like that in America? It sounds seriously worrying.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 07:59 AM

Why should we think anyone be offended by an animal that they're just not allowed to eat. I'm sure I wouldn't be allowed to eat another human and I'm no...oh, just a minute, though.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Tam the man
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 08:14 AM

yes it is daft, I mean I'm a member of the Ayrshire C.N.D and they have membership for persons who are waged and persons who are unwaged.

In other words working and not working.

Tam Frae Scotland who doesn't belieive in Political correctness anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: jacqui.c
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 08:22 AM

I get more irritated by the non-Muslims who seem to think up these ideas than anything else. I also get irritated by any so called PC thinking that says you can't use 'chairman' because it's sexist, can't use 'blackboard' because it's racist, can't display a country's flag because it might offend immigrants, won't have religious Christmas cards in a charity shop for fear of offending non Christians, etc.

The de-sensitivity training needs to be given to those of any ilk who choose to see slights in even the most innocent of items and, in spite of the fact that this one was a hoax, there are a lot of those people around. My own theory is that a lot of that type are themselves very prejudiced and hide it, even to themselves, by being over zealous in 'protecting' the sensibilities of others.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 09:02 AM

Agree with you there Jacqui

I also agree with all Morris dancers being able to black up, becuase from my point of view it is not seen as racist.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: CarolC
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 10:21 AM

I haven't noticed anyone on this thread recommending that all Muslims should be killed. Are there really a lot of people like that in America? It sounds seriously worrying.

I wasn't talking about anyone on this thread. I was thinking more about the news media who took that story and ran with it. But yes, there are plenty of people like that in the US, and it is very worrying. And our government uses the anger and hatred that gets whipped up by our media in this way to make us compliant when they want us to help them kill a bunch of Muslims in oil rich countries.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 11:16 AM

Not just prepared to believe it, but apparently quite eager to believe it....It's a nasty, evilminded business altogether. CarolC

I'm one of them. It seemed a perfectly normal action from a small group who take offense at almost anyything, and we would be better off without.
The over-the-top politically correct, who attack our traditions in the name of others, who have rarely even noticed, let alone took offense at them. The OTT PC brigade make themsleves importnat, and anybody who says they go too far is accused of being a bigot of some kind.

" What, you don't feel the lesbian ladies rugby league deseves taxpayers support? You must hate them. Do you want every Homosexual to burn in Hell? etc"
Somewhat exagerated example.



BTW Tam, surley waged/unwaged is just another way of saying full price/concessions, as unwaged would cover pensioners, students, and the unemployed, unless I'm being stupid

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: CarolC
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 12:26 PM

It seemed a perfectly normal action from a small group who take offense at almost anyything, and we would be better off without.

Better off without? So do you advocate eliminating them? Or do you have something else in mind? And how do you feel about people who tell lies about whole groups of people and smear them with those lies?

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 03:53 PM

So this story concerning Hindus complaining about this year's Christmas stamps is probably also bogus, yes/no?

Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 04:47 PM

It's that people were prepared to believe it, and I suspect doubly outraged because of the Moslem connection.

PC has gone crazy in the UK. You can't even use the word "Ladies" in Hull (See here)

While it is possible that some may have wished to make a meal of it because of a Moslem connection, I suspect that rather more of us were prepared to believe it because there are people (and no it need not have been a Muslem suggestion either) daft enough to come up with ideas like that.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 05:32 PM

can't display a country's flag because it might offend immigrants

Surely if you say that a black man will be offended by seeing his country's flag because his grandfather came from Jamaica you are implying that he has no right to be in the country because of his skin colour.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Cluin
Date: 01 Nov 05 - 05:37 PM

Piggy bank ban, and I don't care,
Piggy bank ban, and I don't care,
Piggy bank ban, and I don't care....

The whole world's gone to shit.

Subject: RE: BS: Piggy bank ban
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 02 Nov 05 - 03:27 PM

Hull City Council is run by a bunch of idiots,
they waste thousands each year , printing pointless leaflets on diversity and other assprted bullshit.

{|How to talk to a coloured person,
How to talk to an old person,
How to talk to a woman, or a gay person}

how much does all this shite cost????

no wonder my council tax is a small fortune!!!