The Telegraph has a bizarre story about a series of Mother’s Day cards inspired by Andrew Tate. No one seems to be able to agree on what point is being made, or by whom. Here’s an excerpt:
A series of Mother’s Day cards with messages such as “You belong behind the kitchen sink” inspired by Andrew Tate have been condemned for trivialising misogyny.
The cards are intended by the publishers to satirise sexist attitudes and language promoted by social influences such as Tate.
Messages on the cards include “Mum you are one in a million But you’re still a b—-”, “Love you loads but women are entitled and lazy” and “Women are inherently manipulative”.
Another states: “You crazed crying low life, happy mother’s day.”
The cards are being sold through card website Thortful from £3.49.
Eliza Hatch, who worked on the cards, said: “Some of the quotes are from famous misogynists like Donald Trump and Andrew Tate. I’ve also had 100s of submissions from my community of what has been said to them which were quite shocking. We picked the ones that would be most shocking for a Mother’s Day card.
“There’s this idea that insulting someone’s mum is the highest form of insult and having that real contrast by putting those statements on a Mother’s Day card is powerful.”
Pip Heywood, managing director of Thortful, said: “We’ve taken a really bold step in putting real-life offensive phrases on something that is normally bought for Mother’s Day to highlight what is a continuing problem for women. We’re careful how we market the cards and they even have a stamp on them making it clear they are part of a campaign against misogynism.”
Yet the allegedly feminist message isn’t landing, with others claiming the cards are simply misogynistic.
But critics have said the cards appear to treat sexism as a joke.
Virginia Crosbie, a Conservative member of the Women and Enterprise and Women in Parliament All Party Parliamentary Groups, told the Telegraph: “What is appalling about the sale of these cards is how it is misogynistic behaviour dressed up as a joke. But I am not laughing and it’s not OK.”
The MP for Ynys Môn added: “Every day women must put up with comments like these and worse. Making this sort of cheap discrimination part of a business model for Mother’s Day is just offensive on so many levels.”
Heather Binning of the Women’s Rights Network (WMN) said: “These cards are crass, unfunny and downright mean to the very women we should be celebrating this weekend.
“If you don’t get on with your mother then don’t send a card at all. But to send something like this is to latch onto the current misogynistic trend that it’s ‘ok to hate women’ or it’s ‘just a joke’ to be unkind to us.”
Someone wrote to me to suggest I might be behind the cards, which is an outrageous claim. If I made them they would be much better written, and the satirical target would be clear.
Though one could also make a set of totally innocent Tate-inspired Mother’s Day cards, perhaps with a funny picture of Tate and a message like “Happy Mother’s Day, mum. I’ll make you a cup of Top T”. That’s just off the top of my head, but please don’t steal it as I am launching production soon.
Worth reading in full.
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Sideshow. Not news.
So, these are ‘inspired by’, not written by, not marketed by, Tate. Why does he get a mention at all..?
Anyway I’d see this as humour not hate to be fair. Then again, I’m appear to be a dreadful misogynist, so why would you listen to me.?
Failed attempt at riding on his coattails. I mean, if you’re a professional creative but can’t come up with anything but sub-par obnoxious shit, traction for your mental effluent must come from somewhere.
OK, put this on a card.
Pip sounds like a pompous nutter. Pip doesn’t speak for anyone, let alone Andrew Tate. Pip’s hateful, crass, faux-offence nonsense shouldn’t be given any publicity or air space……
I hope Pip gos bust…….
You should see the Fathers Day ones. ‘Lazy, fat, useless, beer drinking, only interested in football and capable of brief sexual intercourse’. Now they are hilarious.
LOL!…..
My all time favourite pickup-line is It won’t last long.
NB: Yes, that is a real one and it worked.
Something I should perhaps add: That was one of the arguments (according to herself) which convinced an ex-girl friend of mine to engage in her first sexual not-so-adventurous adventure and the actual wording was more like Come on, it’s going to be over quickly!
After a couple of pretty disastrous forays into this area, mostly driven by woman who seemed to expect that I knew what they were up to[*], I’ve come to the conclusion that this is not for me until I’ve learnt a lot more about people. Which – at my age – probably means forever. But at least, I don’t get into arguments at home.
[*] A great definition of autism from some woman I read somewhere was The nagging feeling that everyone here except you has been provided with an instruction manual for life.
Have these people got nothing better to do? Trouble causing imbeciles.
Precisely.
I’m with Heather Binning. Shall we do a poll and see how many mothers would appreciate receiving one of these?
It all seems like unnecessary shit-stirring to me though.
Have we got nothing better to do than bounce around comments in this forum about it?…
Oh, damn!
I thought words were violence these days?
Perhaps the question might be:
What proportion of men display ‘traditional caustic young male behaviours’ when they’re in their 20’s.
Yet still buy their mum a mother’s day card.
Then, when they’ve down-selected their life-partner (who they ‘hassled’ for a date without being invited to do so), get married, have children — how many go out and buy a card and flowers (etc etc) for mother’s day?
We’re being told that young men ‘poisoned’ by Tate etc are women haters. I suggest that this isn’t the case.
I might even think that ‘enlightened’ young men, who have been trained to despise their male-privilege, might even refuse to do anything for mother’s day because it is a hang-up from patriarchal past.
What is appalling is that Virginia Crosbie, a Conservative member of the Women and Enterprise and Women in Parliament All Party Parliamentary Groups, had nothing better to do with her time than to make a public comment about the design of a card. Really?? When will Conservatives recognise that some private matters (like sending a card) do not need the supervision of Nanny?
Disturbing but not surprising that Virginia Crosbie can find the time and inclination as an MP to comment on these bloody cards. It’s a pity she could not have used her position as an MP to comment more vociferously on the shenanigans of the last three years ie to do the job we pay her for – useless idiot.
There’s a time and a place for satire, and it sure as shit ain’t Mothers Day cards!
Is this encouraging misogyny dreaming up new and creative ways to express your misogyny to you own mother. If these became popular items that sold then perhaps yes. However, offensive though they may be (despite the stamp), I’m sure that for the most part that offense will remain on the card-shop shelves.
I support their free speech rights and as a keen free market capitalist, I say it’s their business they can sell what they like. Am looking forward to seeing their Eid range…
“The MP for Ynys Môn added: “Every day women must put up with comments like these and worse. Making this sort of cheap discrimination part of a business model for Mother’s Day is just offensive on so many levels.”’
This statement is flat out ridiculous. I even in the 1970’s and 1980’s you would never hear language like this outside of statements clearly said as a joke. I don’t think I have heard comments like these more than once in 5 years. This is a wholly pretend level of victimhood.
The reason these cards don’t hit home, is because the misogyny they are reflecting on isn’t real. The idea it is, is undermined by the fact all of us men had at one time or other a mother and many of us have daughters. The idea political prejudices outweigh the natural respect we have for our own family members, who the vast majority of us respect and love, has always been a special kind of nonsense.
Hear, hear.
Nick Dixon, get a grip. You are not obliged to opine on every bit of drivvel that passes you by. The world is about to implode and you are writing this? Must be a quiet news day.