Well. Somebody's gotta take the blame!

Poasted by gekko at 9:57 AM and filed under "Eruditus Opinionatus"

How many times in your life have you kind of fucked up because, in your ignorance, you made a decision that pissed people off? Then, when the shit hit the fan, you got all red in the face and looked for someone else to blame for it?

"We will be talking to the supplier with regard to how the branding came about."
 -- Shop pulls Lolita bed for young girls | U.S. | Reuters

That's the final line in a news article about the Woolworth's retail store chain in Great Britain that was marketing a brand of beds meant for six year olds. You and I know about the literary character Lolita, and what that name symbolizes to the educated among us. We've read the novel, we've seen the movies, we've heard the references in other literature, in conversations. But a generation of Brits apparently did not know that the name "Lolita" signifies pre-teen quasi-incestuous sex and had no worries about advertising a bed for little girls called "The Lolita". After parents started expressing a little outrage, they used Wikipedia to find out more.

I'm not sure what is more amusing in this. That an entire department store chain full of people had no knowledge of classic literature, or that they're looking around to see who they can blame for their faux pas.

I'm wondering if I can sell licenses to use Murphy as a handy fall dog.

(Hat tip to Sal's misc.writing post)

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