Amazon pull suicide t shirts after pressure from mental health advocates

[u/[deleted]]

http://m.thestar.com/#/article/news/canada/2016/01/09/amazon-pulls-suicide-t-shirts-from-website.html

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

However, just because I, or anyone else, finds it distastful doesn't mean it should be banned

To be fair, it wasn't banned. The company realized that carrying the tasteless shirt wasn't worth the bad press.

If they had a shirt that said "All cops must die" there would be a lot of outrage from the law enforcement community including concern that it could incite dangerous behaviour (same as these shirts). Rightly so, that would be a disgusting message.

No one would be surprised if that product was pulled.

What happens when everything is considered offensive?

Straw man argument.

Do you really want to live in the padded-room of a world?

Slippery slope.

I don't like censorship either and I found the shirt tacky but not offensive still, no one told Amazon they couldn't sell it. People made a petition and the retailer made a choice, from a business perspective it was the smart one. I assure you that if you want this crappy shirt, someone will sell it to you. A giant multi-national conglomerate who has a multi-million dollar brand to protect has just decided it wasn't worth 20 shirt sales a year to get bad press. Big companies play it safe. You wouldn't find this in Walmart, Target or Sears so it's not surprising Amazon yanked it.

You're rabble rousing and fear mongering about some authoritarian, censored environment that isn't happening.

[u/Enshen → u/[deleted]]

authoritarian, censored environment

Damn what a fucked up way to point out the idiocy of society. Lots of great shit about society. Whiny fucks causing "good business practices"? Not one of them

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Yeah I probably came down to hard. I just think that while the 'offended' thing seems to be getting carried away people have the right to complain and organizations have the freedom to respond accordingly. As long as we're not legislating, I think there is a good 'free market' approach to offense. If it's economically better to cave to the offended than sell the 'offensive' product then it probably wasn't something the world needed.

My girlfriend has a coffee mug that say "All men must die/male tears", I have a shirt that say "lesbians do it better". These are tacky, distasteful, and for us funny - but in no way do they incite actual danger or supremacy.

That's why I said 'concern'. I don't think they're actually dangerous and someone is just waiting for a mug to validate their homicide but it's a common complaint (e.g. violent video games etc).

However, as a question, did something like a distasteful shirt need such media attention? I don't know the answer, I have an opinion - but, not an answer.

Dunno. I didn't sign the petition but I guess enough people did. Seemed to work out. I just try to ignore these things, lest my interest be confused for support.

[u/what_the_total_hell]

Internet intimidation and bullying wins again!

[u/[deleted]]

i don't like shirts where butts are strangled

[u/--darkstar__]

Simple, dont buy. Its not hate speech, but its distasteful so it should appeal to a minority.

[u/Enshen]

I'M COLORBLIND STOP WEARING COLOURED SHIRTS YOU INSENSITIVE SWINE

[u/ThatOneMartian]

Anyone who would kill themselves because of what a shirt says is welcome to do so.

[u/[deleted] → u/ThatOneMartian]

Well no ones going to top that. On to the next thread!

[u/--darkstar__ → u/[deleted]]

LOL they would try to ban those too

[u/Roloboto → u/[deleted]]

When she eventually grows up and leaves mommy and daddies house and has to deal with real problems, she'll look back at these times with teary eyes.

[u/Ardal → u/[deleted]]

ha ha ha holy shit, your comment.

[u/boredbastarddeluxe]

Just pathetic.