LEGO APOLOGIZES FOR CAT-CALLING STICKER
I love stories like this on so many levels. The fact that so many different outlets have this story (seriously, just google 'lego apologizes') makes me wonder what it takes to be a news editor these days. Really, this is news? Of course, people like me click on these stories so I guess they know what they are doing.
Love level one: The fact that somebody at Lego decided that it was a good idea to have a sticker on their set that said HEY BABE! I know that some of these companies contract work out to other companies, but something tells me that somebody really fell asleep at the switch when it came to inter-company memos. Then again, LEGO is a Danish company. I have no idea what seems funny to people in Denmark. Maybe Garrison Keillor will weigh on this as he's the only person I've ever heard of that's actually lived in Denmark.
Love level two: The fact that some father was so offended that he had to post this information. As parents there are occasionally things that really annoy us. We hate it when our kids are picked on or there are safety problems at school or the teachers aren't good. But Lego issues are what really gets this guy upset. Rich white people problems is what I've heard this called...I understand, he probably didn't intend for this to go viral, but could he have not have just emailed Lego and say, hey, this was a lousy idea?
Love level three: The fact that some people are so offended that this guy is so offended. One of the things I should never do is read comments on news stories, as they make me want to go into a dark room...but stories like this make me want to hear people's reactions. Most of them seem to involve people up in arms that 'political correctness' has taken over, that this guy just needs to man up and grow some.
In some respects I'm torn by this story, and that's why it fascinates me so much. Because I agree with the derision shown to this guy...people get so up in arms at these things? This is what people really complain about? But on the other hand I kinda agree with him. Do we really want to teach our kids that it is a good thing to 'cat-call' to women? With my kids I want them to treat people with respect, and I hope others do as well. Then again, I've seen many people who want their kids to grow up and be morons. They think it's good that their little boys are good 'ol boys who are rednecks or playas or whatever low-class culture they want to emulate. It really is a societal problem, and though I know we don't want to go insane about censoring ourselves, we do need to have some standards about how we deal with each other in civil society.
