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Nasty greetings cards. I was shocked

(124 Posts)
Lizbethann55 Fri 20-Nov-20 23:28:57

Normally, when it comes to buying greetings cards I spend hours searching Clintons, Smith's, M&S and a couple of local independent card shops looking for the "right" cards. This year I have got them all on line, mostly Amazon. And, although there is generally more choice, I have been shocked and horrified by how incredibly rude and just plain nasty some of the cards I have seen are. There are cards out there that are just vile and crude. I just wonder what sort of people would buy them? Who would they buy them for? And would the recipient put them up on display? I am only a bit if a prude. And some slightly risque or double entendre cards can be funny . But these were really not nice. And it's not as if I put "rude cards" in the search box and gone looking for them. They were just in the list with the cute ones and loving ones. I could give you some examples, but I suspect admin would rule them as unacceptable! Am I more of a prude than I had realised?

Hithere Fri 20-Nov-20 23:33:29

Could you give examples?

ClareAB Sat 21-Nov-20 02:02:48

Personally I'm with Oscar Wilde

'you can get away with anything as long as it's funny'

I totally accept that humour is subjective. I have a very dark sense of humour which is shared with my adult sons, husband and a couple of very old friends. We send each other the most terrible cards/mugs/fridge magnets. It's puerile and naughty and funny.
It's all in the context.

welbeck Sat 21-Nov-20 03:46:52

are you sure that's oscar wilde; it doesn't sound quite right for him.

welbeck Sat 21-Nov-20 03:48:46

one card i liked announced in bold capitals on the cover, this is an adult birthday card.
inside was a picture of a miniature card, and the words, and this is a baby one.

FannyCornforth Sat 21-Nov-20 03:51:28

welbeck

are you sure that's oscar wilde; it doesn't sound quite right for him.

No, it doesn't sound right at all!

sodapop Sat 21-Nov-20 08:45:30

I find its quite difficult to buy an appropriate card Lizbethann55 they seem to veer from sickeningly sweet to crass and vulgar.
I have a good sense of humour sometimes on the black side but I do struggle with some of these cards. I find the best cards in independent shops moving away from the big chains.

M0nica Sat 21-Nov-20 08:47:50

Definitely not Wilde, neither sentiment expressed or language are right.

TwiceAsNice Sat 21-Nov-20 08:49:26

I have got some cards in a local card shop which I’ve been happy with but I have bought some on Amazon when I can’t find what I want. I agreed that some on line are just awful and I would not be happy to receive them. The crudity wouldn’t bother me but the hurtful words would

HurdyGurdy Sat 21-Nov-20 09:03:11

The "quote" is more Jimmy Carr, who said "If it’s funny enough, you can get away with anything"
in this interview
www.standard.co.uk/go/london/comedy/jimmy-carr-interview-people-tell-me-my-own-jokes-it-s-one-of-my-favourite-things-a3103531.html

Nortsat Sat 21-Nov-20 09:03:23

I completely agree Lizbethann.
Last year I was looking on Amazon for a leaving card for a male colleague. He is a quiet, mild mannered person, so a humorous one wouldn’t have been appropriate for him.

However, I was similarly shocked at how many vulgar and unpleasant options there were. Lots of ‘F* off, we’re glad you’re going’ and ‘You're f***ing abandoning us, at last’.
I can’t understand it ... it seems passive aggressive or just plain nasty to me.

Strange world ...

Hetty58 Sat 21-Nov-20 09:06:59

We don't 'do' cards, except for a few elderly, sentimental relatives and neighbours. I'm fascinated, though, by the meanings and significance they assign to a 'nice' greetings card. It's just a piece of paper, after all. It's a dying tradition in our family.

We do text messages, phone and Zoom calls instead now. We email little jokes, too, often rude, politically incorrect - or deliberately 'not nice' as you'd say, Lizbethann55 - the worse, the better!

Luckygirl Sat 21-Nov-20 09:25:27

I buy cards online from artists. There are companies like the Gallery on the Usk (www.galleryontheusk.co.uk) which hosts the Blank Card Company, and also individual artists have websites from which many sell cards. Lovely cards. I wait till they have a sale and then buy a batch of cards to last me the year.

BlueBelle Sat 21-Nov-20 09:37:41

You see hetty I find zoom, phone and text messages so cold compared to a card you can never pick them up handle them look at them again and think of that person I have my Dads last birthday card to me on my bedroom wall I know he didn’t buy it himself as the last few years he didn’t get to the shops but he handled it, his writing is there and his message is there for me to read whenever I want a little bit of him with me
So although I don’t think of myself as elderly or overly sentimental I suppose in your eyes I am

I have a box of special cards from people mostly family and close friends that every now and then I ll open and have a look, a feeling, a memory you cant get that with a phone call

I make all my own cards birthday and Christmas, some kind of painting or design, some of my friends have told me they keep them too and that’s nice to think I m still with them

Soniah Sat 21-Nov-20 09:44:35

I make my own, this year will feature a dragon with Christmas embellishments wishing everyone a very happy Christmas in Welsh. I enjoy making them though don't much have time so draw them, print off then just put a little embellishment, this year I'm. Going to suggest people colour them themselves and email me a pic, lots of people say they are stressed, colouring is relaxing ?., Or they can just bin it!

scrabble Sat 21-Nov-20 09:46:08

I would rather have cards than presents. Especially love a card someone has made.

helgawills Sat 21-Nov-20 09:48:56

If you can't shop instore, why not browse charity shop websites? They are desperately short of funds this year and lots of lovely cards to chose from. Personally, I avoid Amazon as much as I can, I'm scared what their way of trading is doing long term to the rest of retail businesses.

SueEH Sat 21-Nov-20 09:52:32

Try Etsy for lovely hand made cards.

Nannan2 Sat 21-Nov-20 09:53:48

As was said, they're all quite depending on the type of 'humour' you are looking for-& type of person you are buying for- a colleague you are not a particularly close friend of, for example, may not be as accepting of some of the more 'dark humoured' style as a really close good friend whom you've known all your life? So just agree to disagree on some of these more 'nasty' cards & just stick to a more 'safe' 'bland' type of card then.Live & let live, lifes too short, etc. etc.?

sazz1 Sat 21-Nov-20 09:54:03

Bought all mine on eBay, son mum daughter neighbours sister etc. Lovely cards and all less than £1 each.

aonk Sat 21-Nov-20 09:54:53

6 of my grandchildren plus other family members and friends (including an 80th birthday) had birthdays in the first lockdown. I found some lovely cards on line from the Card Factory. There was an option to add a name to the front of many of them for no extra charge. They were very popular with the children. I was impressed with the quality,choice, price and efficiency of the service.

Skye17 Sat 21-Nov-20 09:56:01

Luckygirl, thank you, I have been wondering where to buy cards now the place I used to get them has closed and the National Trust shops no longer sell many of the sort I like. Can you give me any more names of websites?

Hymnbook Sat 21-Nov-20 09:56:03

I'm finding it difficult to buy family Christmas cards . Because of the situation we're going through at the moment the verses are just not appropriate.

Kamiso Sat 21-Nov-20 09:57:56

I like to receive cards and tend to leave them up for a week or so after birthdays etc. Then keep the special ones in a box in the wardrobe.

After my MIL died we found a box with all the cards the children had sent her over the years. From their first attempts at postcards to thoughtful birthday messages. She didn’t seem the least bit sentimental but they must have meant a lot to her.

Rosyanne Sat 21-Nov-20 09:58:46

Not being here very often, I use Moonpig which I can post from anywhere in the world.