Companies try to entertain customers and prospective customers on social media by talking about their products, mentioning news relevant to their brand, and posting funny pictures that they hope people will share, like, and retweet. Maybe they should rethink all of this, though, and only use their pages for important news releases and coupon codes. This week’s cautionary tale: food-ordering site Seamless. [More]
offensive
Red Lobster Server Scrawls Offensive, Baffling Note On Takeout Container
By 1.21.13
Who is the Rooster? That’s the mystery after an upstate New York couple brought home some leftovers from Red Lobster, and found their takeout container labeled “Rooster + Bitch Box.” [More]
Summer's Eve To Ladies: If You Want A Raise, You'd Better Wash Your Hoo Hoo
By 8.30.10
Maybe you thought bizarre “fix your naughty bits!” ads for feminine hygiene only appeared back in your grandparents’ era, but no. This Summer’s Eve ad from Women’s Day magazine says that if you want a raise, one of the first things you can do is shower with “Summer’s Eve Feminine Wash,” although it might also be a good idea to bring some “cleansing cloths” with you “for a quick freshness pick-me-up” right before you ask the boss for more money. That’s all in tip #1; tip #7 says “Don’t let the conversation stray or get personal.” [More]
Passengers Removed From Orlando-Bound Flight For Watching 9/11 Clips Before Takeoff
By 7.27.10
A father and his son were removed from an Air Canada flight in Toronto last Tuesday after another passenger saw the boy watching footage of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks on his iPod, reports Canoe News. The airline says the pair were determined not to be a security risk, just people with a really bad sense of tact, and it cleared them for a following flight. [More]
Is "Internet Content Screener" The World's Worst Job?
By 7.21.10
Last week I thought I’d found the job I’d hate most of all (warning: it involves sewers, a shovel, and “fat mounds”), but then I read this New York Times profile of people who are employed as Internet content screeners, which appears to be the real world equivalent of web surfing in hell. [More]
This Home Depot Banner Upsets Customers For Some Reason
By 7.20.10
What do you think of when you think of Home Depot? Planes from a nearby airport crashing into the building, of course, which is obviously why this Home Depot in Farmingdale, NY put up such a creative felt banner. The person who shot the photo and posted it to NYCAviation last Friday says that when he asked to see a manager the sales associate responded, “What kind of manager?” You know, the store manager or the incendiary felt banner manager, because there’s both. [More]
Hallmark Pulls Card With Audio Clip Over Accusations Of Astronomical Racism
By 6.15.10
It’s so hard to understand each other in this life. First there was that unfortunate honey bun mixup, and now Hallmark is trying to prevent a bunch of press conferences from happening (too late!) by pulling a graduation card from shelves. Why? Because either Hoops or Yo-Yo–I don’t know which character is which–spouts shockingly racist insults and threats when you open the card. Well, maybe. [More]
Do Not Market Your $8 Cupcakes By Insulting Fat People
By 6.3.10
There are a lot of things to keep in mind when launching a small business. One of them: try not to build your marketing around an insult a substantial portion of the American population. A small bakery in North Carolina forgot this important truth, and launched with the tagline “So Good It Makes Fat People Cry.” The slogan didn’t make anyone cry–it just pissed people off. [More]
Debt Collection Company Sued Over Racist Voicemails, Must Pay $1.5 Million
By 6.1.10
Advanced Call Center Technologies tried to collect $200 on a disputed debt from Allen Jones a few years ago. Part of the company’s advanced technology is its innovative voicemail strategy, where its employees leave wildly offensive, racist messages for people. Jones sued the company, and last week the jury awarded him $50k for mental anguish and $1.5 million in punitive damages. [More]
Well, This Ad Was In Poor Taste
By 4.7.10
It seems a jewelry store is experiencing some backlash on Facebook for a print ad that they say they did not approve. Here’s the ad and their statement. [More]
Walmart Wants To Know Who Made The Racist Announcement Over Their PA System
By 3.17.10
This past Sunday, a male voice came over the public-address system at a Walmart in New Jersey and said, “Attention Walmart customers: All black people leave the store now.” Understandably, customers and employees were pretty offended. One of the shoppers made sure that store management and local media outlets were made aware of what happened, and Walmart apologized–over the PA system, fittingly–on Sunday evening. Store officials say they’re now reviewing security footage to find out who made the announcement. [More]
Colorado Springs Billboard Company Says "No Puppet Boobs Allowed"
By 2.25.10
Lucy the Slut is one of the puppets in the musical “Avenue Q,” and like the other puppet characters she’s frequently displayed in their advertising. But not in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where a billboard company refused to put up ads showing Lucy’s cleavage. An exec for the billboard company told the local paper, “If I have to explain it to my 4-year-old or my grandmother, we don’t put it up.” Hey four-year-old, it’s a puppet. Hey grandma, those are boobs. Problem solved. [More]
Domino's Pulls Ads From 'Jersey Shore' Show
By 12.7.09
MTV’s gross new reality show, Jersey Shore, goes too far into offensive stereotype land as far as Domino’s Pizza is concerned. After seeing the first episode last week, the pizza chain asked MTV to stop airing its ads during the show, apparently before anyone starts complaining. But really, there’s no way you can eat Domino’s and maintain abs so ripped that you call them “The Situation,” so maybe it’s for the best. [More]
Planet Fitness Publicly Shamed Into Refunding Dead Member's Fees
By 11.25.09
Gregory Rowell has been dead for nearly two years, but no one knew that he’d set up an auto debit with Planet Fitness on a second checking account. The gym continued to debit his account each month until a bank employee notified the victim’s mother, Patricia Rowell. When she provided the death certificate and asked them to refund the money, they not only refused, but said it was her fault and offered her a six month membership instead. That’s when Rowell took her story to the local newspaper. [More]
Chipotle Says Their Food Does Not Cause Underwear Blood
By 10.9.09
South Park managed to combine the late Billy Mays, the unfortunately still around Ghost Hunters, and the beloved Chipotle chain in their latest episode, with surprising results.
UPDATED: Sony Was Not Responsible For Chilean Ad With Nazi Imagery
By 9.30.09
Copyranter spotted this insensitive — to put it mildly — Chilean PS3 Ad that shows a gamer giving a blood transfusion to German field marshal Erwin Rommel while laying in beds whose headboards are adorned with swastikas.
Marriott Drops "It's Your Fault" Claim In Rape Case
By 8.17.09
After it broke last week that Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa was claiming it was the fault of the victim and her two toddlers that she was raped in their parking garage, the hotel has decided to withdraw the claim. They also apologized for the rape in a general sort of way—but not for subpoenaing her friends and professional acquaintances who otherwise would not have known about the crime.
Marriott Says Woman Is Responsible For Her Rape
By 8.14.09
[Update: Marriott has dropped the appeal.] If you want to live dangerously, why not try an unrelaxing visit to the Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa? It features a game room, a BBQ/picnic area, $10 a day Internet access, and the occasional mentally unhealthy transient wandering for days around the parking garage waiting to attack you. Best of all, if you are attacked Marriott will let you take all the credit for it, and then subpoena your friends and professional contacts, thereby permanently ruining any anonymity you hoped to maintain. Because at Stamford Marriott, if you’re raped in our parking garage by a guy our security should have noticed and kicked out, don’t come crying to us!
