# Would you find this offensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-find-this-offensive/621705 "2012-05-12T16:50:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-find-this-offensive/621705/41 "2012-05-16T19:08:30Z")
> [@amaguri](#): > > It took me a while to learn that many people have absolutely no sense of humor. And of those people who do have a sense of humor, many of them do not enjoy humor of the sarcastic variety. So, while I think there is nothing offensive about your message at all, I would agree that it’s probably in your best interest to rewrite it. Yes. There are a lot of people out there who don’t understand or appreciate sarcasm. Honestly, I am a little surprised that so many of the people _here_ are offended. After all, this site is built around a columnist who would say things about his readers like “If ignorance were cornflakes, you’d be General Mills”. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-find-this-offensive/621705/42 "2012-05-16T19:11:39Z")
I chose “offensive” because I prefer to read on paper and implying that I’m behind-the-times because I do is, yes, insulting. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-find-this-offensive/621705/43 "2012-05-16T19:14:43Z")
I find most company-wide initiatives to be offensive. This is no more offensive than most, however, so it counts as “other.” ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-find-this-offensive/621705/44 "2012-05-16T19:52:46Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > I voted not offensive but, upon further consideration, I’m going to change my vote. > At first, I thought the was a company newsletter for internal purposes. As such, sure. Go ahead and be funny and fuck 'em if they can’t take a joke. > **But this is going to your customers, right?** I, personally, wouldn’t find what you said offensive to me. But I’d find it grating that you’re trying to purposely offend your customer base. > Like was said above, it’s not me that’s entering the 21st century. It’s you. If this is actually going to your customers, then I would agree. I’d say it’s a bad idea, although not offensive to me. I’d read the OP to mean that it was an internal newsletter, in which case, I don’t think it’s remotely offensive, and my determination of whether or not it’s a bad idea would depend on the tone the normal newsletter conveys. For example, at my law firm, there is a weekly email that goes out related to a regular firm event that is always written very humorously and very sarcastically. The author makes fun of himself as well as other figures in the firm. It has been going on for years and is generally appreciated by all. If you’re already doing that sort of thing, I don’t see the issue. If this is a serious newsletter, though, then I think it’s not the best idea. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-find-this-offensive/621705/45 "2012-05-16T20:11:40Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > Yes. There are a lot of people out there who don’t understand or appreciate sarcasm. Honestly, I am a little surprised that so many of the people _here_ are offended. After all, this site is built around a columnist who would say things about his readers like “If ignorance were cornflakes, you’d be General Mills”. You are mistaking “offended” for “offensive”. I am not offended by it, and our opinions - because we are on the SDMB - are not material to the OP’s question. One can recognize that something in the context that it is in is “offensive” without being personally “offended”. And frankly it has absolutely nothing to do with ignorance either. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-find-this-offensive/621705/46 "2012-05-17T00:33:37Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > \*NOTE: I was all set to send this newsletter both electronically and via its usual paper distribution, when something that looked like a giant green recycling bin with wheels and tentacles rolled in and hauled off all the paper. It threatened me with a bamboo stapler and threw an Earth Day t-shirt at me, which was sized too small. I don’t want it to come back again, so this and all subsequent newsletters will be distributed electronically only. > \* This is sorta beautiful. I may steal a good chunk of it (with permission, of course). And to clarify: the newsletter is a million miles away from being all-business. It’s probably 60% goofy stuff. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-find-this-offensive/621705/47 "2012-05-17T04:40:46Z")
It’s offensive not because it’s actually insulting old people but because it’s immensely condescending. I like “Where’s my paper copy?” I think the joke should be in there - “Where’s my paper copy, you [insult]?” It would be better as a self-deprecating joke. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-find-this-offensive/621705/48 "2012-05-18T15:22:09Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > This is sorta beautiful. I may steal a good chunk of it (with permission, of course). But of course! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-find-this-offensive/621705.md?page=2)