American Family Asociation's Christmas "Ornament"

[Elphaba]

Originally Posted by MarginOfError

And Elphs, I love you, but you're wrong. It is entirely possible that the people working for the AFA couldn't catch this similarity this bears to the KKK symbol. You seem to be forgetting that the AFA is a collection of some of the worlds greatest morons that hates anyone that doesn't submit to their brand of Christianity.

MOE,

You should know by now that I am never wrong!

I can't tell if you're being facetious or not when you said I'm wrong. After all, you do have a rep here for your dry wit.

So, what I've written below assumes you were serious.

I didn't know who or what the AFA is, so I went to its website and was stunned at how large an organization it is. It even has its own periodical.

Because it is such a large business, even more eyes would have seen the product than I initially thought. In fact, I think this thread proves that at least one person at the AFA would have seen the comparison, as five people here saw it immediately.

Also, given how large the company is, I am sure it has at least the equivalent of a buyer, and there is no doubt in my mind the buyer saw the resemblance. Perhaps not right away like I and others here did, but given how much time the buyer and others spends with the product, even if s/he didn't see the resemblance, someone who did would have pointed it out.

It's the buyer's job to make sure the product is not offensive, and s/he would have vetted it to make sure it is not. When I was an assistant buyer as well as an ad designer, it was my job to catch these things. Companies do not want any of its customers to be offended.

Whether that's PC or not, that is how the business works.

As I said, it’s a lengthy process to get a product into the product line, and many eyes see it along the way. So if five people on this thread saw it, then at least one person at the AFA saw it as well.

Finally, remember, I am never wrong, and you're a bad boy for saying so!

Elphie

[MarginOfError]

Originally Posted by Elphaba

MOE,

You should know by now that I am never wrong!

I can't tell if you're being facetious or not when you said I'm wrong. After all, you do have a rep here for your dry wit.

So, what I've written below assumes you were serious.

I didn't know who or what the AFA is, so I went to its website and was stunned at how large an organization it is. It even has its own periodical.

Because it is such a large business, even more eyes would have seen the product than I initially thought. In fact, I think this thread proves that at least one person at the AFA would have seen the comparison, as five people here saw it immediately.

Also, given how large the company is, I am sure it has at least the equivalent of a buyer, and there is no doubt in my mind the buyer saw the resemblance. Perhaps not right away like I and others here did, but given how much time the buyer and others spends with the product, even if s/he didn't see the resemblance, someone who did would have pointed it out.

It's the buyer's job to make sure the product is not offensive, and s/he would have vetted it to make sure it is not. When I was an assistant buyer as well as an ad designer, it was my job to catch these things. Companies do not want any of its customers to be offended.

Whether that's PC or not, that is how the business works.

As I said, it’s a lengthy process to get a product into the product line, and many eyes see it along the way. So if five people on this thread saw it, then at least one person at the AFA saw it as well.

Finally, remember, I am never wrong, and you're a bad boy for saying so!

Elphie

I was quite serious, Elphie. The people at the American Family Association really are so dumb that they wouldn't have noticed this.

[Truegrits]

"Mormon? I didn't know they had those in Connecticut!"

I just had to at this.

[Wingnut]

Originally Posted by Truegrits

I just had to at this.

I laughed at it when the guy said it. Mostly I laughed at how preposterous the comment sounded to me. After saying it, he further mentioned that he didn't know there were Mormons in New England at all. I laughed to myself at that one, since the Church was founded in upstate New York (which isn't considered part of New England, but is pretty darn close).

[Elphaba]

Originally Posted by StrawberryFields

When I first saw Elphaba OP I didn't see the link in her post so I read a few more on down before going to click on the word "this". I saw the Cross on the porch highly lit up but then I looked beyond that and saw the beautiful front doors with the matching header.

That is soooooo you!

Elphie

[Elphaba]

Originally Posted by Gwen

elph, darling, sweetie, though i agree with how it looks.... when was the last time you were in (or anywhere near) dear old mississippi in which you noted so much histroy?>snip<

Hello my friend.

I am not saying the people in Mississippi are at fault, or that they're not fairly tame (a great word to use, btw). I am not saying the AFA's employees are guilty of purposely buying a product because it could evoke the image of the burning cross. I don't think the AFA was being malicious at all.

However, I do not believe the residents of Mississippi are oblivious to its contribution to the horror of terrorizing black Americans. The three examples I gave are the most notorious and well-known. But they are not the only incidents.

Additionally, I grew up in So. CA, where I never saw any white supremacist groups burning any crosses. Yet, as Wing said, I have read history books that included the history of the civil rights movement and the KKK.

So, if I knew about them, why wouldn't Mississippi’s citizens know about them as well? Especially since the state's relatively recent history was rife with this violent hate.

i can see this being totally missed by non extream yungsters whose minds are focused on one thing.

The AFA is such a large entity, and its product line is so extensive, I'm sure the people who make these decisions are professionals. It's not a few youngsters making the decision to accept the product or not.

for the record we have many lighted crosses in our town at christmas (i'm in alabama) that do not look like they are on fire. the issue isn't a lighted cross it's the poor design of this one with lights sticking out everywhere which remove the clean lines that make it look like they are on fire.

I agree, and it goes to my point. The design of this particular cross evokes the image. And as you point out, it’s caused by the way the lights are attached.

i see this as an innocent mistake and we can throw it in the file with the obama sock monkey to pull out for a good laugh about ignorance when a good laugh at someone's expense is needed.

The company that designed and marketed that sock puppet consisted of a few family members, or at least I think they were family. Either way, it is an extremely small company run by people who had no knowledge of the do's and don'ts of marketing. They just thought they were making a fun puppet to sell, and that was it. But when they discovered the puppet offended a number of people, they stopped selling it, which was the right thing to do.

And the AFA should do the same.

The company does not drop the product simply because it's not PC to offend anyone. It drops the product because it would lose its profit, and tarnish its image. If people don’t trust the company, they won’t purchase its products.

and though i know many would disagree and i do not advocate forgetting history in the least... >snip<if that makes any since.

Yes, it makes perfect sense, and I think it’s a very good point when looking at the social implications of moving on.

However, wanting to move on beyond the negative history has nothing to do with a product's viability. If the product evokes an abhorrent image to some of its customers, the product is dropped. It's too risky not to.

As Cutler Beckett said: "It's just good business."

I am curious to see if the AFA responds to my e-mail.

Elphie

[KristofferUmfrey]

Should the United Methodist Church have to redesign their logo?

[Look it up, I don't know how the post pictures in a post]

[Wingnut]

Originally Posted by KristofferUmfrey

Should the United Methodist Church have to redesign their logo?

[Look it up, I don't know how the post pictures in a post]

Why should they redesign it? It is a flame AND a cross, both of which have separate and distinct symbology. It doesn't in the least resemble a cross set on fire.

[KristofferUmfrey]

You are just going to disagree with me on anything I say now, aren't you.

[Wingnut]

Originally Posted by KristofferUmfrey

You are just going to disagree with me on anything I say now, aren't you.

When everything you post is absurd, then yes.