Sears Shocks Customers (and Ups Geek Cred) with Crude Mouse Pads
Sears Shocks Customers (and Ups Geek Cred) with Crude Mouse Pads
Posted 09/03/2010 at 4:25am
| by Paul Lilly
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Sears is known for selling home appliances and tools, but at least one woman is accusing the retailer of being a tool for selling mouse pads with messages some find offensive.
"My kid had sex with your honor student," one mouse pad reads, while another says, "My President fooled around with your honor student."
It's not like we haven't heard these one liners before or seen them on bumper stickers when stuck in traffic, but we're admittedly surprised to see Sears of all places carrying them. We're just not offended by them, like Patti from St. Charles, who wrote an email to her local CBS affiliate in Chicago.
"I was shopping at Sears online store," she wrote, "and I was shocked to find that they sell mouse pads saying things like, 'I got your honor student pregnant.'"
We're guessing she probably wouldn't like the mouse pads that are sold in Spencers, either.
Image Credit: Sears
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Elric
September 07, 2010 at 2:56pm
But I'm HARDLY impressed... more like just SAD. And after reading the comments here, even moreso... American society has lost every last shred of class and has just gone completely 'trailer park' this decade. I pray to God my kids are not covered with Tattoos by the time they're fifteen.
Embracing low class intentionally offensive crap does not make you open minded or progressive.
Rocketpop
September 04, 2010 at 5:29am
If these were going for wit instead of just shock-value, I might forgive them, but these all sound pretty stupid.
MrBlueCheese
September 21, 2010 at 9:58pm
If they were trying to be witty, they have a sick and twisted way of doing it.
Its interesting to "attack" the "my kid is an honor student" slogans, but doing it this way doesn't work.
Anyway, they should come up with something more important then witty "branding techniques" (unless that's what they are aiming for, in which case, hire new people for the job).
Its amazing how this product went from an idea, to concept, to production, to launching, to actually selling it, and no one stopped to think "maybe this is not the best idea." What were they thinking?
mesiah
September 03, 2010 at 9:49pm
Big surprise! Just like the rest of american companies with no balls these days, Sears pulled the mouse pads off their site in the blink of an eye.
SleepyCatChris
September 03, 2010 at 10:04am
As an aside, as most "Honor Students" in the context of these jokes are underage, the "My President fooled around with your honor student" is pretty messed up.
ShadowDragoonFTW
September 06, 2010 at 7:37am
It could be a Family Guy reference? Meg and Bill Clinton, y'know...
blkpanthr
September 03, 2010 at 6:52am
Wow, you people need to lighten up.
Kids these days are waaaaaayyyyy too overprotected. They are growing up with all sorts of neuroces that we parents have given them.
someuid
September 03, 2010 at 5:58am
I'd have expected to find this in Wal-mart before Sears. While we laugh in private to such jokes, underage sex (and pregnancy) isn't something to crack jokes about and attempt to make a profit on.
And being a geek, I don't particularly find it amusing to have someone debase a honor student and how they nailed them, or got them pregnant and dumped them, etc. While I am sure a lot of folks are tired of the uppity, snotty honor-student bumper stickers, we should not be glorifying getting a young girl pregnant and leaving her to raise the kid on her own.
Paul, I have to disagree with you on this. Sears has not raised their geek cred. They have lowered my respect for them.
SleepyCatChris
September 03, 2010 at 5:43am
While you may not find them offensive, surely you don't think it's unreasonable for people to be offended, especially those with kids.
And your Spencer's comment is kinda silly. Moms aren't likely to be browsing Spencer's with little ones in tow.
I Jedi
September 03, 2010 at 7:34am
Implying that PC journalist have no lives/kids outside of their career.
SleepyCatChris
September 03, 2010 at 9:55am
Not in the least. My point was that it is entirely reasonable for parents with kids to find these things offensive and unworthy of ridicule if they do. If someone has kids and doesn't find them offensive, that's completely reasonable also. It's subjective.
Paul_Lilly
September 03, 2010 at 6:33am
I am one of those of people with kids, and yes, I do find it silly for online shoppers to be offended by mouse pad messages. At the same time, I think Sears could do a better job at separating the 'adult' humor products from the rest of its gallery.
-Paul Lilly
SleepyCatChris
September 03, 2010 at 9:59am
I must concede, I missed the reference to the lady shopping online and not in the store. If one is worried about what their kids see online, Sears computer peripheral section should be the last of thier worries. I totally agree in that light that it is silly for online shoppers to be offended.
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