X Rated Greeting Cards

I LOVE those cards at Target! I bought one for a friend with a
picture of this "Potato" looking character on the front, and it said
"IDAHO" then inside it said "NO, YOU DA HO!"

LOL!

be addressed to American Greetings? Last I checked, AG was wholly
responsible for the card displays inside all Target locations and the
store had no say so in it, other than selling them. Corporate has a
contract with AG to handle this, so it's unlikely that the response
will be different if they do respond to you.

But I have to agree with what others have said. While YOU may be
offended by the thinly veiled reference, others might not even bat an
eyelash at it or even think it's funny. It's not really fair to
expect every other shopper's experience to be restricted just to
accommodate the preferences of one.

The card you described is certainly not "X-rated". It might be
suggestive but that is about it. I think there is more skin being
shown in some of the fitness magaizines you find at Target and grocery
stores. I am sure would find the same card sold at a Hallmark store.

Like the representatives from Target have said, they cater to all
kinds of people. They can't please everyone.

But that's the kind of store Spencer's is. It's not really a family
store.

As I said below, **I** don't find the card particularly offensive;
however, I really question the wisdom of selling a greeting card that
is a little more on the lewd side in a store that claims it wants to
"cater to all people."

the thing is the store carries items that may or may not appeal to
someone based on that individual's personal tastes.


First of all, regardless of personal opinion, none of the cards are
x-rated. As defined by the motion picture industry x-rated content
contains "content that was not suitable for minors such as extreme
voilence or explicit sex and thus was for adults only."

No card sold in regular stores contains extreme violence or explicit
sexual material.


Now granted, I understand wanting to keep certain materials out of
children's areas. On more than one occasion I've spoken to management
at the Navy Exchange when the vendor put Charlaine Harris vampire
books in the kids section. (Think HBO's True Blood - same series).
Obviously not material for a children's book section.


But when the material is just difference in taste... we cannot
reasonably expect a store to cater to our own personal tastes. We are
not the only customers.

Just because say Person A feels a specific card or book is icky, does
not mean People B through Z will feel the same way, nor does it mean
the store should switch the entire store around to the satisfaction of
Person A.



The best thing to do, if you are worried about what a child might see
in a store is to accompany that child and look at the items with them.
If the child asks about one such card then explain as you see fit.

Though keep in mind sometimes it's perfectly fine to give a short
explanation or say "when you're older."

True; Spencer's is not a family store. You find relatively few parents
there. It's mostly a high school and below catered store.

If you don't like the card, don't buy the card! It's that sinple!

I don't think it should be considered "x-rated"... Maybe R rated, and
that is pushing it. I think if a child saw this card, and did not
understand the sexual innuendo, then they would likely interpret it in
a literal sense - blowing out the candles on a birthday cake.
They cannot please everyone and they do have a wide audience that
shops there. I think it is a good decision to cater to all than censor
their greeting cards. I personally think the mentioned card would be
funny to give to some certain people...

it's nothing new actually.

i remember when i was a child looking at cards for my father.

i saw one where you have to put two fingers through the hole on the
front of the card... when you opened it up, on the inside was a
topless woman - and your fingers were representing her breasts.

i was embarrassed by it.


I could be wrong but many children often self-regulate that kind of
material, i mean at least before puberty.

things that are of a sexual nature often embarrass them, so they avoid
them.

It's a tounge-in-cheek joke. If you have a problem with the cards at
Target, you're going to have a huge problem at other places like
Hallmark, Walmart and Card & Party.

I have seen a few of these and I saw no problem with them. Some had
women in bikinis, some had men with no shirt. Some had some funny
sayings, or jokes.

And really, what kid runs into a store and goes to read the greeting
cards? If anything they want to get the heck out of there while being
forced to wait while their parent picks one out.

I think people are just taking offense to more and more things. how
about we get rid of the lingerie section? Kids might see that. I mean
the pictures on the cards are just like the pictures hanging in that
section (only 10 times bigger in the section). Do we get rid of that?
Who wants to have their kid asking what that slinky bra and panty set
are for.

I know many large stores have a company that comes in to stock/restock
the greeting cards, gift wrap, ribbon, and other similar items. It's
very possible that Target has no idea what types of cards are being
displayed. I have seen cards like these at many stores but they are
usually displayed higher so that young children can't get to them.

Check out my letter to Target about this very issue, from last
Easter:

http://www.planetfeedback.com/index.php?level2=blog_viewpost&topic_id=
317186&reply_expand=1

I agree with you completely. I am not religious, certainly not
Christian, and I have a very raunchy, disgusting sense of humor, and
while I'm not *offended* by edgy or racy cards, I don't think a family
sort of store needs to bother with carrying them.

I imagine a parent and child looking at cards together, and a
10-year-old asking mom or dad, "I don't get this card, why is it
funny?" (I certainly didn't know what "blow me" meant at age 10.)

Lately when I've needed cards, I've just gone to the dollar store. I
hate paying $3.50 for a card. I'd rather give the person the $3 and a
lottery ticket or something!

If I had those in my store, I would pull them.


Good Day